Change in Student Perception after a Pharmaceutical Industry Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience

Abstract

Background: Pharmaceutical industry advanced pharmacy practice experiences have benefits to pharmacy students, colleges of pharmacy, preceptors, and the pharmaceutical industry. One proposed benefit to the pharmaceutical industry is the improved perception of the industry by students on rotation. The goal of this study was to gather updated information and to further elucidate the effect that pharmaceutical rotations have on students' perceptions of the industry. Methods: A survey was designed to gather information on students' perceptions of the pharmaceutical industry. The survey included 11 statements about the pharmaceutical industry and was administered before and after students completed a pharmaceutical industry clerkship rotation at Eli Lilly and Company. Students were asked to assign a level of agreement to each statement. Point values were assigned to the agreement scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). Results: A total of 64 students completed both a pre- and postrotation survey. Students' perceptions of the pharmaceutical industry were significantly improved in 7 of the 11 survey dimensions. These dimensions included ethical marketing and selling, transparency of data dissemination, ethical pricing, trustworthy publications, quality research studies, justified cost of medicines, and ethical human research. The overall impression score was also improved by 9.6% (P < 0.001). Areas of the survey that did not show a significant improvement in student perception included consideration of employment within the pharmaceutical industry, health care providers' perceptions of the industry, the public's perception of the industry, and creation of innovative medicines. Students' perceptions of the pharmaceutical industry did not worsen in any dimension surveyed. Conclusions: Pharmaceutical industry APPEs are one way to help educate future pharmacists, while improving their perceptions of the industry.