Enhancing emergency preparedness and disaster management: perceptions from high-fidelity simulation workshops for pharmacy students

Abstract

Abstract Introduction As climate change intensifies, natural disasters like floods and disease outbreaks increase, straining communities worldwide. During emergencies, healthcare professionals are crucial for ensuring essential healthcare services despite limited access to medicines and facilities. Pharmacists are vital in safeguarding medicine supply chains, providing pharmaceutical care, and aiding in emergency response, which emphasizes the need for thorough preparation during their training1,2. However, little is currently taught on emergency preparedness in undergraduate pharmacy curricula3. Therefore, two emergency preparedness workshops, on a flood scenario and bioterrorism with anthrax, were co-created between academics and 3rd year students from Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) Programme at the University of Nottingham. These workshops were offered as a volunteer learning opportunity and final year and 3rd year MPharm students were invited. Aim The study aimed to explore final-year and 3rd year MPharm students’ perspectives on the high-fidelity simulation workshops of emergency preparedness. It seeks to assess their perceived readiness for pharmacy practice in emergency scenarios and how the workshops contributed to enhancing confidence and competence in disaster response. Methods Data were collected through a focus group, with semi-structured questions. All attendees of the co-created emergency preparedness workshops were invited to the focus group right after the workshops. With their consent, the focus group discussion was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, and analysed using thematic analysis. The discussions focused on the participants' opinions of the high-fidelity simulation workshops and their perceived preparedness for pharmacy practice in emergencies. This study does not require ethical approval. Results The study included five participants: three final-year and two 3rd year MPharm students. Five themes were developed, including: 1. ‘High engagement’: Participants defined workshops as enjoyable, highly engaging, with diverse, hands on, student-led activities. 2. ‘Upskilling by immersion’: Exploration of the pharmacist’s role during disaster scenarios was seen as helpful for participants' preparedness, especially in decision-making and facing ethical dilemmas. 3. ‘Lack of realism’: As a perceived challenge, they noted that high-fidelity simulations mirrored regular MPharm training, lacking the pressure of real emergencies. They recommended more closely simulating real disaster scenarios, particularly in the flood workshop. 4. ‘Insufficient briefing/debriefing’: Participants missed a briefing providing details about the activities, such as specifics of the disaster scenario, and feedback on performance to boost confidence. 5. ‘Partial confidence’: Despite improved preparedness, students lacked full confidence in handling emergencies. They emphasized the need for additional training, alongside the realism and feedback enhancements previously suggested, to bolster their confidence further. Discussion / Conclusion Incorporating high-fidelity simulations into pharmacy education is important for preparing students to manage real-life emergencies. MPharm students regularly experience realistic simulations in common pharmaceutical practices, which shapes their perception of the workshops. This familiarity raises their expectations but also provides a solid basis for evaluation. They found the workshops highly engaging and beneficial for developing essential skills. However, they identified gaps in realism and debriefing processes that impacted their confidence and perceived readiness. Addressing these issues and providing repeated training could significantly boost students' confidence and competence in emergency preparedness, ultimately strengthening their role in disaster response.