Simulation of drug information skills in the medical information department

Abstract

Purpose: To utilise DIcipher, an escape-room challenge, to provide a simulation of using drug information (DI) skills to answer drug questions in the medical information (MI) department within the pharmaceutical industry. Methods: The 15-minute challenge required the groups to solve one clue and retrieve DI questions about iron deficiency anaemia. DI resources were used to search for answers to unlock a box with the antidote. A debriefing session followed and a Likert scale survey was administered to obtain student perception. Results: A total of 15 second to fourth year pharmacy students at university participated in the challenge and completed the survey. No groups retrieved the antidote by answering all of the questions correctly. All students agreed that the challenge provided a realistic view of how to apply DI skills in an industry-based setting. Conclusion: This challenge demonstrated the function of a pharmacist in the MI department to pharmacy students.