Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Sites Research Articles

Pharmacy Preceptors’ Views on the Value and Optimal Frequency of Quality Assurance Visits to Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Sites

To determine volunteer preceptors' perceived value and desired frequency of quality assurance visits by experiential education faculty members. An electronic survey instrument was sent to 235 volunteer preceptors. A 71.5% response rate was achieved. Nearly 90% of respondents indicated that onsite visits met their needs. Approximately 50% of respondents preferred monthly onsite visits, 17% preferred every other month, and 32% preferred once per year. A quality assurance program for preceptors and experiential sites that includes onsite visits from experiential education faculty members meets multiple needs of the college and the preceptors. More research is needed to determine the impact of this method of quality assurance on experiential education.

Pharmacogenomics in advanced pharmacy practice experiences

Pharmacogenomics (PG) knowledge and the ability to apply PG are expanding. The goals of this study were: (1) to identify practice/practitioner characteristics associated with PG use, (2) to identify current levels/types of PG knowledge used at advanced pharmacy practice experience sites, (3) determine whether preceptors considered their own PG knowledge levels adequate, (4) identify what types of PG knowledge current practitioners believe are most useful for professional pharmacy students, and (5) identify perceptions of the importance of PG knowledge in the future. A total of 286 Pharmacy Experiential Education Consortium preceptors were invited to participate in the online survey. The response rate was 33%. Approximately 34% of respondents used PG in practice, including 13 hospital and five community preceptors. The most frequently used PG topics were drug metabolism and drug side effects. Nearly 67% of PG users reported they had been asked questions that requires PG knowledge by physicians and 25% reported such questions from nurses. Preceptors considered their own PG training inadequate, with a mean value of 2.0 ± 1.2 (1 = very inadequate, 5 = very adequate). Only two PG-using preceptors felt students had adequate training. Both enzymes responsible for drug metabolism and the pharmacogenomics of specific diseases were ranked among the five most important PG areas. More PG training is needed. If PG use expands as anticipated, the need will be even greater.

An Unfortunate and Avoidable Component of American Pharmacy: Tobacco

An Unfortunate and Avoidable Component of American Pharmacy: Tobacco