“Fix the Law” Project: An Innovation in Students' Learning to Affect Change

Abstract

Objectives. Create a long-term assignment in a required pharmacy law and ethics course that would help students to learn how to positively affect change while learning about the pharmacy practice regulatory and policy analysis processes. Methods. In groups, students identified a law impacting the practice of pharmacy in need of “fixing,” then they proceeded through a formal policy analysis process to “fix it.” As the course progressed, students turned in consecutive pieces of their projects that corresponded with the steps in the policy analysis process, and were provided with constructive, developmental feedback from the course master. Results. At the end of the quarter, student groups gave a 10-minute presentation about their project to the rest of the class. The 4 projects of highest quality were selected by a panel to be presented by the students at a Washington State Board of Pharmacy meeting. Student projects have led to changes in certain pharmacy laws in Washington State. Implications. This assign...