A quasi-experimental pre–post study without a control group was conducted in 2024 as part of the FarmaSoludable project, a pilot initiative for primary and secondary skin cancer prevention implemented through community pharmacies in Seville, Spain. The study assessed the educational impact of a structured training program on community pharmacists’ professional competencies in individualized photoprotection counselling and on their personal sun-protection behaviors. The project was jointly coordinated by Hospital Universitario Costa del Sol, the Official College of Pharmacists of Seville, and the University of Seville.

Community pharmacists practicing in the province of Seville were recruited through open calls disseminated by the Official College of Pharmacists of Seville. The participants completed the full educational program and both pre- and post-intervention assessments. Participation was voluntary and anonymous.

The intervention comprised two sequential phases. First, participants completed a 36-hour accredited continuing education program delivered between March and May 2024, consisting of 30 h of synchronous online training and a 6-hour face-to-face practical workshop. The curriculum was structured into six modules covering: (1) skin anatomy and physiology; (2) benign and malignant skin lesions with dermoscopic recognition; (3) ultraviolet radiation and its biological effects; (4) environmental, oral, and topical photoprotection, including formulation science and personalized photoprotection strategies; (5) epidemiology and primary and secondary prevention of skin cancer; and (6) the role of community pharmacy in cancer prevention, including risk assessment, photosensitizing medications, behavioral counselling strategies, and individualized photoprotection guidance. Teaching methods included expert lectures, clinical case discussions, interactive quizzes, demonstration of photoprotection products, and simulated counselling scenarios. The faculty comprised dermatologists, pharmacists, photobiology researchers, and public health specialists. Participants received standardized educational materials, including counselling checklists, risk‑assessment tools, and patient‑education leaflets developed for the FarmaSoludable program.

Secondly, during the implementation phase (June–September 2024), pharmacists delivered a standardized, structured intervention integrated into routine dispensing encounters. After inviting patients to participate and administering the CHACES pre-intervention questionnaire, pharmacists conducted phototype identification and a systematic assessment of individual risk factors (personal/family history of skin cancer, sunburn history, nevi characteristics, sun exposure patterns, tanning bed use, comorbidities, and photosensitizing medications). The intervention included personalized photoprotection counselling (physical measures, SPF selection and correct use, UVI interpretation, and oral photoprotection when appropriate), education on skin self-examination (ABCDE rule and “ugly duckling” sign), and reinforcement of dermatologic referral when indicated. Educational materials and, when available, sunscreen samples were provided. Follow-up was scheduled at 12–20 weeks, and satisfaction was assessed post-intervention, in accordance with the structured FarmaSoludable protocol.

Professional counselling practices were evaluated using the Counselling Habits in Individualized Photoprotection (CHIF) questionnaire (Supplementary Material 1), an instrument specifically developed for the FarmaSoludable project. The CHIF was designed by a multidisciplinary expert panel (dermatology, pharmacy, photobiology, and public health) to capture the key competencies targeted by the educational program. Its content validity was ensured through expert review, iterative refinement, and pilot testing prior to implementation. Outcomes were analysed as the proportion of pharmacists reporting frequent performance of each counselling practice.

The assessment of personal sun-protection behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge was conducted using the Sun-Exposure Habits, Attitudes, and Knowledge Scale (CHACES), a validated questionnaire widely used in photoprotection research [10].

Data were collected online before the educational phase and after at least three months of applied practice. A descriptive analysis was conducted for all variables. Quantitative variables were summarized using means and standard deviations (SD), while categorical variables were expressed as absolute and relative frequencies.

Because pre- and post-intervention questionnaires were completed anonymously and individual responses could not be matched, inferential analyses were conducted as independent comparisons between the two time points.

For quantitative variables, independent-samples Student’s t tests were used. When normality assumptions were not met (assessed using the Shapiro–Wilk test and graphical inspection), the Mann–Whitney U test was applied.

For categorical variables, Pearson’s χ² test or Fisher’s exact test (when appropriate) was used. All statistical tests were two-sided, and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. No correction for multiple comparisons was applied due to the exploratory and pilot nature of the study; results are interpreted with appropriate caution.

Analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 28 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).

The study protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Costa del Sol (Ref. 004_feb24 – PI FarmaSoludable, 29 February 2024) and conducted in accordance with Declaration of Helsinki. All participants provided electronic informed consent.