Improve Pharmacy Students Research Articles

Assessing Confidence and Competence of Student Pharmacists in a Virtual Medication Adherence Training Program

ObjectiveTo assess the impact of a virtual medication adherence training (VMAT) program on students' perceived confidence and perceived competency in delivering medication adherence services via telehealth. MethodsThis pilot pre-/post-observational study consisted of 2 subsequent sections: (1) 4 asynchronous self-study modules via Canvas (Instructure, Inc.) learning management system, and (2) 2 live application-based sessions involving virtual and telephonic standardized patients. A pre-/post-survey was given to first-, second-, and third-year Doctor of Pharmacy students to assess perceived confidence and perceived competence. Participants completed a 5-question multiple-choice quiz before and after each module to assess knowledge. ResultsStudents' overall perceived confidence and perceived competency significantly increased upon completing VMAT. Knowledge in each module assessment also significantly improved. During the assessment of performance throughout the live sessions, most participants lost points when resolving issues within the interaction, addressing the need for patient follow-up, and assessing patient knowledge of medication adherence. ConclusionThis novel VMAT suggests that this or similar programs would be beneficial to improve pharmacy students’ perceived confidence, perceived competence, and knowledge in delivering virtual medication adherence services in the telehealth setting. The incorporation of such training within the didactic curriculum of doctoral pharmacy programs should be considered to improve patient care skills for future medication experts.

Knowledge, Perception, and Self-Confidence of Antibiotic Resistance, Appropriate Antibiotic Therapy, and Antibiotic Stewardship Among Undergraduate Pharmacy Students in Sudan.

Adequate training in infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance is crucial for pharmacy students to participate in antibiotic stewardship programs and understand microbiology careers. The study was carried out to assess the knowledge and self-reported confidence in antibiotic resistance, antibiotic therapy, and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) among final-year undergraduate pharmacy students in Sudan. A cross-sectional study was conducted in three universities using a 57-item online questionnaire between April and May 2022. A total of 109 students (response rate 36%) participated and showed average knowledge scores of 5.6±1.7 (out of 10.0) for antibiotic resistance, 4.9±2.0 (out of 5.0) for appropriate antibiotic therapy, and 3.1±1.4 (out of 5.0) for AMS. No significant differences were observed among schools. Some students reported poor knowledge about antibiotic therapy and the consequences of resistance. One-third of students lacked confidence in interpreting microbiological results. Knowledge of antibiotic resistance among students' practice area after graduation was higher (p=0.017) and those interested in ID careers (5.8 vs 4.8) (p=0.037). Male students (5.6 vs 4.5) and those interested in ID careers (4.3 vs 3.4) (p<0.001) had higher scores of appropriate antibiotic therapy. Students attended antibiotic resistance courses (51.5 vs 45.2), and those interested in ID significantly had higher self-confidence (55.3 vs 45.8) (p=0.008). Pharmacy students in Sudan have substantial knowledge of AMS and antibiotic resistance with poor knowledge of antibiotic therapy. Adequate training about infectious diseases and related topics is recommended to improve pharmacy students' understanding of microbiological findings, other competencies, and skills to incorporate in antimicrobial stewardship.

Pharmacist-social worker interprofessional relations and education in mental health: a scoping review.

One in eight patients is affected by a mental health condition, and interprofessional mental health teams collaborate to improve patient care. While pharmacists and social workers are recognized as mental health team members, there is a lack of literature describing interprofessional relations and education between these professions, especially as it pertains to mental health. The purpose of this review was to identify and characterize reports describing pharmacist-social worker interprofessional relations and education within mental health. To address this knowledge gap, this scoping review was conducted to collect and characterize reports published between January 1, 1960 and August 18, 2023 describing pharmacist-social worker interprofessional relations and education within the field of mental health. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines were followed. Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Social Work Abstracts were searched using keywords "pharmacy student," "pharmacist," "social work student," "social worker," and "social work." Reports were included if they were published in English and interprofessional relations or education occurred directly between (student) pharmacists and social workers. Three hundred twenty records were identified and three records were included: one cross sectional study, one qualitative educational project, and one case report. Each record suggested positive patient and/or educational outcomes developing from pharmacist-social worker interprofessional relations and education. In clinical practice, pharmacist-social work teams identified mental health risk factors, reduced 30-day readmissions, and improved post-discharge telehealth care. In the classroom, a social worker improved pharmacy students' confidence assessing patient suicidal ideations. This scoping review identified needs and areas for future research: pharmacist interprofessional education with Master of Social Work and Doctor of Social Work degree students, transitional care and mental health outcome measure reporting using evidence-based outcomes, and development of scholarly teaching projects utilizing higher-level educational frameworks beyond learner reactions.

Promoting knowledge of metered dose inhaler (MDI) usage among pharmacy professional students through a mobile app

Introduction Efficient asthma management necessitates optimal usage of metered-dose inhalers (MDIs). As future health professionals, pharmacy students are pivotal in disseminating accurate methodologies for MDI usage. Despite having hands-on experience, there is room to enhance their comprehension, highlighting the need for prompt patient educational interventions. Objective This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile app-assisted educational method in improving pharmacy students’ understanding of MDI usage. Methods A pre-experimental study was conducted from March to August 2021 with 45 participants enrolled in the Pharmacist Professional Study Program at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta. Using a one-group pretest-post-test design, the study measured the app’s impact on students’ knowledge and MDI usage skills. Results The intervention significantly improved students’ scores on a 9-step MDI usage checklist, with increases ranging from 0.10 to 0.50 across verbal and motor components. A Mann-Whitney U test validated these findings, showing a statistically significant p-value of 0.001. Conclusion The mobile app-assisted educational approach substantially enhanced pharmacy students’ proficiency in MDI use. The significant rise in mean scores for the 9-step checklist, along with the notable p-value, supports the effectiveness of this intervention in healthcare education.

ECZACILIK ÖĞRENCİLERİNİN YÜKSEK RİSKLİ İLAÇLARIN KULLANIMI HAKKINDA BİLGİSİNİN DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ

Objective: High alert medications (HAM) are medications commonly used in health care settings that are associated with significant harm when used in error. Improvement in the knowledge and practice of pharmacists is crucial to prevent and solve medication errors associated with HAM. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of pharmacy students about HAM. Material and Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among pharmacy students (3rd, 4th and 5th-year students) through an online survey in Ankara, Türkiye between 1 May 2021 and 31 October 2021. A Turkish translated and validated version of the High Alert Medications Knowledge Questionnaire was used. Only a correct answer was given score of 1 among the knowledge questions. The common resources for HAM use in the practice were assessed. Result and Discussion: Among 124 students, 80.6% were female. The mean age (standard derivation ± SD) of the students was 23.3 ± 1.37 years. The percentages of the 3rd, 4th and 5th-year students were 51.6%, 16.1% and 32.3%, respectively. The mean ± SD score of the students was 6.8 ± 3.28 out of 20. The 5th-year students (8.00 ± 2.90) were more likely to get higher scores compared to 3rd-years (5.89 ± 3.15) (p = 0.003). RxMediaPharma® (local online drug information database) was the most (75.0%) commonly used resource by pharmacy students. The pharmacy students’ knowledge about HAM was poor. Educational interventions are necessary early in the clinical pharmacy curriculum to improve pharmacy students' knowledge and preparedness to handle HAM.

An Applied Linguistics Study of How Students Prevent Embarrassments and Impositions During Interactive Examination OSCEs

ObjectiveTo assess the effectiveness of politeness strategies used by pharmacy students to avoid embarrassing or imposing on others during objective structured clinical examinations. MethodsA total of 19 objective structured clinical examinations video recordings of 10 students (participants) interacting with mock patients were examined using the framework of Politeness Theory (PT). All relevant participant acts (speech activities) were coded using PT into (1) type of face threatening acts (ie, potentially sensitive situations—as regarded by PT) and (2) politeness strategies used to mitigate them. Conversation Analysis was then used to examine the effectiveness of conversational strategies by judging the ‘patient’ responses to these strategies. ResultsMost acts had the potential to impact patients’ negative face needs (ie, desire to act autonomously, eg, upon the practitioner making a request), positive face needs (ie, desire to be liked, eg, upon the practitioner making a diagnosis), or both. Despite applying a variety of positive politeness strategies (eg, avoiding disagreement, or expressing understanding) to prevent embarrassment to the patient, and negative politeness strategies (eg, being indirect, using hedging, or minimizing the imposition) to avoid directly imposing on them, “dispreferred responses” showed participants mostly focused on avoiding impositions, corresponding to what they have been taught, rather embarrassments. ConclusionParticipants were less aware that discussing sensitive topics could cause embarrassment to patients, with the potential to upset them. Developing teaching and evaluation methods to consider patients’ face needs could help in assessing and improving pharmacy students’ communication skills.

Tele-pharmacy perception, knowledge and associated factors among pharmacy students in northwest Ethiopia: an input for implementers

sBackgroundTele-pharmacy is a subset of telemedicine in which pharmacies use telecommunication technology to provide patient care. Tele-pharmacy can improve pharmaceutical care service delivery by reducing medication errors, improving access to health professionals and facilities in remote and rural areas, and minimizing adverse drug events. However, there is limited evidence regarding future pharmacists' knowledge and perceptions of the Tele-pharmacy system in Ethiopia. As a result, this study aimed to assess tele-Pharmacy perception, knowledge and associated factors among pharmacy students in Northwest Ethiopia.MethodsAn institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 376 pharmacy students in Northwest Ethiopia between July 15 and August 27, 2022. A pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The data were entered using Epi info version 7.0 and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics, bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to describe pharmacy students' knowledge and perceptions of Tele-pharmacy and identify associated factors. An adjusted odds ratio (OR) and a p-value with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to declare statistical significance.ResultsFrom a total of 352 participants, about 32.4% with [95% CI (27%-37%)] and 48.6% with [95% CI (43%—54%)] had good knowledge and a positive perception toward Tele-pharmacy, respectively. Being age group of 26–30 (AOR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.17–0.68), being male (AOR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.26–4.49), Having a CPGA of > 3.5 (AOR = 2.28, 95% CI: 1.24–4.19), Taking basic computer training (AOR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.17–3.39), Management support (AOR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.06–3.19) were found to be significantly associated with pharmacy students' knowledge of Tele-pharmacy. Similarly, having access to electronic devices (AOR = 3.80, 95% CI: 1.81–7.97), training related to pharmacy information systems (AOR = 6.66, 95% CI: 3.34–13.29), availability of guidelines (AOR = 2.99, 95% CI: 1.62–5.50) were found to be significantly associated with pharmacy students' perceptions of Tele-pharmacy.ConclusionThis study found that pharmacy students have limited knowledge and perceptions of the Tele-pharmacy system. A continuing Tele-pharmacy training package, incorporating pharmacy information system guidelines as part of their education, and providing managerial support could be recommended to improve pharmacy students' knowledge and perception of Tele-pharmacy.

Team-based learning-adopted strategy in pharmacy education: pharmacology and medicinal chemistry students’ perceptions

BackgroundTeam-based learning (TBL) provides an advanced teaching method for healthcare education; it is characterised by being an interactive teaching session that allows groups of learners to work together in teams to discuss and apply what they have learnt to certain clinical scenarios. The following study aims to evaluate the impact of TBL strategy on the students' comprehension and acquired knowledge, to allow better application and integration of knowledge. The aim of the study was to improve pharmacy students' skills in achieving learning outcomes by adapting TBL pedagogy in the lectures. Students’ feedbacks were collected via post-lecture survey.ResultsThe study was applied to pharmacy students covering two courses: Pharmacology III (Level 4) and Medicinal Chemistry I (Level 3) in a period of two-week lectures through the first semester of the academic year 2021/2022 in Future University in Egypt. The selected topics-related preparation materials were previously available on each course moodle page prior to the actual lecture, for the students to get prepared including growth hormone, sex hormones and their associated diseases for the pharmacology course and COVID-19 management for the Medicinal Chemistry course. The TBL lecture was started by dividing the students into teams and then readiness assurance tests were given, as individual readiness assurance test and then team readiness assurance test conceptual test were applied. The assessment of the students’ decision-making skills and problem solving was evaluated through solving-related clinical cases. All the learning outcomes were achieved with maximum participation and interaction via an open discussion between the lecturer and the students during the lecture. A total of 116 students answered the survey and confirmed their satisfaction, better understanding and more participation in TBL lectures compared to other topics taught with the ordinary methods. More than half of the students recommended the TBL method for better perception and participation.ConclusionThe students felt great appreciation for the team-based lecturing. Also, recommendations and suggestions were directed towards increasing the percentage of TBL lectures in the curriculum, as it helped them to concentrate more with high participation levels.

Evaluation of Knowledge of Food-Drug and Alcohol-Drug Interactions Among Undergraduate Students at King Saud University - An Observational Study.

The role of pharmacists in society is unique since they are providers of drug information and medication counseling to patients. Hence, the present study was designed to investigate the knowledge, of undergraduate pharmacy students regarding food drug (FDIs) and alcohol-drug interactions (ADIs) at King Saud University, Riyadh Saudi Arabia. An online cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate pharmacy students at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from October 2021 to January 2022, using self-administered 24-items questionnaires focused on evaluating the knowledge of FDIs and ADIs. Of the 200 questionnaires distributed, 142 students responded, of whom 40.8% (n = 58) of the students did not agree with the statement that patients can eat more green leafy vegetables with warfarin. Just over half 52.8% (n = 75) agreed that milk affects the efficacy of tetracycline. Regarding the students' knowledge about amiodarone interactions with grapefruit 43% (n = 61) of them were knowledgeable, while 43.7% (n = 62), knew that atorvastatin cannot be taken with grapefruit. A total of 44.4% (n = 63) of the students reported being knowledgeable about FDIs. In terms of the individual questions, Alcohol interactions with antihistamines and paracetamol received the highest percentages of 52.8% (n = 75) and 50.7% (n = 72), respectively, followed by warfarin and methotrexate (45.1%; 41.5%). In this study, 39.4% (n = 56) of the participants were found knowledgeable about ADIs. The overall knowledge of interactions among the students was 47.9% (n = 68). The total knowledgeable levels were significantly associated with educational levels and having previous information about interaction (p = 0.0001). In conclusion, undergraduate pharmacy students exhibited poor knowledge of FDIs and ADIs. As a result, more focus and effort should be given to raising awareness of potential FDIs and ADIs. Our study highlights the need for improving pharmacy students' knowledge about FDIs and ADIs.

Enhanced numeracy skills following team-based learning in United States pharmacy students: a longitudinal cohort study

The literature suggests that the ability to numerate cannot be fully understood without accounting for the social context in which mathematical activity is represented. Team-based learning (TBL) is an andragogical approach with theoretical links to sociocultural and community-of-practice learning. This study aimed to quantitatively explore the impact of TBL instruction on numeracy development in 2 cohorts of pharmacy students and identify the impact of TBL instruction on numeracy development from a social perspective for healthcare education. Two cohorts of students were administered the Health Science Reasoning Test-Numeracy (HSRT-N) before beginning pharmacy school. Two years after using TBL as the primary method of instruction, both comprehensive and domain data from the HSRT-N were analyzed. In total, 163 pharmacy student scores met the inclusion criteria. The students’ numeracy skills measured by HSRT-N improved after 2 years of TBL instruction. Numeracy was the most significantly improved HSRT-N domain in pharmacy students following two years of TBL instruction. Although a closer examination of numeracy development in TBL is warranted, initial data suggest that TBL instruction may be an adequate proxy for advancing numeracy in a cohort of pharmacy students. TBL may encourage a social practice of mathematics to improve pharmacy students’ ability to numerate critically.

Implementation of a patient-teaching workshop to improve pharmacy students’ competencies in patient-centered communication: a case report

BackgroundThe pharmacist-patient relationship has evolved over recent decades and the development of clinical pharmacy requires pharmacists to take patient-centered responsibilities. This requires a specific set of skills, such as patient-centered communication. Evaluation of students’ competencies in patient-centered communication is challenging in academic settings and complementary assessment methods may be designed in order to overcome the limits of traditional preceptors’ ratings or objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). There is increasing interest in a more active patient role in healthcare professional education and there are very few reports about patient-led education in pharmacies. Thus, the objective of this work was to implement a patient-teaching workshop and to assess its impact on pharmacy students’ competencies in patient-centered communication.MethodsThe workshop was developed in collaboration between four patients, a senior clinical pharmacist and a lecturer in education sciences and implemented in the hospital pharmacy residency program. The main course objective was acquiring the three competencies of the Calgary-Cambridge guide to the medical interview: (i) building a relationship, (ii) conducting structured interview and (iii) gathering information. The learning process integrated: working on participants’ perception of pharmacists-patient communication, a first simulated interview, didactic learning and a second simulated interview. After simulated interviews, patients and peer residents assessed learner’s performance with a competency chart and provided individual feedback. Assessment methods included comparisons between the first and second interview scores and an anonymous post-course survey.ResultsForty-seven residents and 19 patient teachers attended the session. Competency scores were higher after the second interview in all three competencies as rated by both patients (+ 25%) and peer residents (+ 29%).Residents expressed a high satisfaction and reported learning about conducting interviews and soft skills contributing to the development of a relationship with patients. “The involvement of patients” was expressed as most appreciated in the majority of the evaluation charts (87%) and the residents valued the importance of collaborative and interprofessional learning during the workshop. Three themes emerged: (1) patients’ expertise, (2) reliability and (3) relationship, which underlined that the students estimated the patients were credible sources of information in this pedagogical context.ConclusionThis patient-teaching approach improved patient-centered competencies of pharmacy residents and promoted partnership between patients and pharmacy students.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of educational medical informatics tutorial on improving pharmacy students' knowledge and skills about the clinical problem-solving process.

Objective:To investigate the effectiveness of an online tutorial and its impact on improving knowledge and skills of pharmacy students in the clinical problem-solving process that is necessary to implement pharmaceutical care.Methods:This is a prospective interventional study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions using four novel templates. The first two levels of Kirkpatrick’s Model (Reaction and Learning) were used.Results:129 participants completed all of the online training parts. The findings indicated a significant improvement in the students’ knowledge and skills. The participants achieved higher score following the tutorial than the baseline, with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). There was a significant improvement in the number of detected treatment-related problems. The majority of students were satisfied with the overall training process and stated a high evaluation score out of 10 (mean = 7.93 ± 1.42, median = 8.00).Conclusion:The educational intervention achieved a substantial positive impact on decision-making skills of participating students and was considered effective in helping them attain basic skills such as teamwork, peer assessment, communication and critical evaluation. Healthcare providers must work together to ensure accurate medication use during care transitions. Pharmacists, as medication experts, play an important role in the implementation process. Pharmacy educators must prepare pharmacy student to use pharmaceutical care in their future practice.

Improving Pharmacy Students' Clinical Knowledge on Providing Care for Patients Belonging to the LGBTQ+ Community.

A 12-question survey instrument was developed, pilot-tested, and administered to 191 pharmacy students in their first professional year after engaging in a learning activity focusing on topics across five categories with clinical relevance to providing care to the LGBTQ+ community. A paired student t-test was performed on survey tool pre-test and post-test survey responses, with p < 0.05 considered significant. A total of 183 usable pre-test and post-test survey responses were received. Statistically significant differences between the pre-test and post-test correct responses were observed for scenarios involving proper pronoun use, hormone therapy (HT) counseling, immunization best practices, and communication hesitancy. The greatest knowledge change was reported in the categories of immunization best practices (48.9%), HT counseling (33.6%), and pronoun use (22.8%). Active learning assignments are effective teaching strategies to promote clinical knowledge in providing inclusive and culturally competent care to LGBTQ+ patients. Clinical topic areas including proper pronoun use, HT counseling, immunization best practices, privacy, risk awareness, and communication hesitancy are effective curricula additions for pharmacy colleges to advance inclusive curricula concerning providing care to the LGBTQ+ community.

LGBTQ+ cultural sensitivity in pharmacy education: A co‐curricular training event to improve pharmacy students' knowledge and motivation in caring for sexual and gender minorities

AbstractIntroductionLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals continue to show disproportionate prevalence of health disparities despite an increase in visibility in recent years. Educational endeavors in professional programs have been proven to increase awareness of culturally inclusive care.ObjectivesThis study assessed self‐reported knowledge and motivation for change of pharmacy students toward providing affirming care for LGBTQ+ patients after attending LGBTQ+ cultural sensitivity training. The second objective of this study is to assess whether first‐ (P1) or second‐year (P2) students would gain greater benefit from the training from their survey responses.MethodsDoctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) students at a large metropolitan area in California were provided LGBTQ+ cultural sensitivity training as part of a co‐curricular initiative. Anonymous surveys were administered via pre‐ and post‐training to assess perception of knowledge gained and motivation to adopt LGBTQ+ inclusive practices. Perception and motivation questions were graded on a Likert Scale with 1 being no knowledge and 5 being extensive knowledge, or 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree. Results of surveys before and after the training were analyzed with Wilcoxon Signed Rank Sum Test. Chi‐square analysis was conducted to compare survey results for P1 and P2 students.ResultsOf the 168 students who completed the competency training and both surveys, 70% were P1 students and 30% were P2 students. After the cultural competency training, students reported a statistically significant improvement in their knowledge and motivation to provide affirming care for LGBTQ+ patients (P &lt; 0.0001).ConclusionThe two‐hour co‐curricular LGBTQ+ cultural competency training demonstrated improvements in the knowledge and attitude of students toward providing inclusive and competent care to gender and sexual minorities. LGBTQ+ related content should be integrated into Pharm.D. education early in the curriculum to address several objectives in cultural sensitivity.

Improving pharmacy students' empathy and attitudes regarding opioid overdose and substance use disorder in a skills-based learning environment

IntroductionUsing a skills-based learning environment as a launch pad for developing empathy for patients with substance use disorder or at high risk for opioid overdose allows for learning continuity and early intervention. Empathy for this patient population may reduce bias and stigma associated with negative health outcomes. Previous studies have assessed empathy in pharmacy students, but not in the context of substance use disorder and opioid overdose harm reduction among first professional year pharmacy students in skills-based education. This cohort study aimed to measure the change in empathy and opioid overdose-related attitudes before and after a two-part skills-based learning activity that focused on drug diversion and opioid overdose treatment. MethodsFirst professional year pharmacy students were given a pre- and post-survey consisting of empathy and attitudes sections. The Kiersma-Chen Empathy Scale (KCES) and the Opioid Overdose Attitudes Scale (OOAS) were used. The intervention was a skills-based learning activity with two segments, one that focused on naloxone counseling and the other focused on drug diversion. ResultsThe aggregate mean change in KCES and OOAS scores of the cohort increased by 1.837 (P = .014) and 2.349 (P = .008), respectively. Of note, students with lower baseline empathy and attitudes scores showed more improvement in both KCES and OOAS scores. ConclusionsStudents showed improvement in empathy and attitudes regarding opioid overdose and substance use disorder. A larger magnitude of improvement was noted with lower baseline scores.

Decoding Medication Tradenames; an innovative Method for Top 200 medications in Didactic &amp; Experiential Courses

ObjectiveTo investigate whether decoding of top 200 medication tradenames can result in improving pharmacy students’ performance in IPPE‐didactic &amp; experiential courses. For ex: Macrobid®; provides an elegant explanation of (MACRO) size crystal form of (Macrodantin) designed for slower absorption &amp; less excretion, hence, used twice daily (BID).MethodsAn educational intervention of decoded tradenames (explanation of techniques used in top 200 tradenames) was implemented using Quizlet &amp; summary‐tables before the summative final exam in a first‐year didactic IPPE course. Aggregate de‐identified students’ scores were used for blinded‐paired statistical‐analyses. A Likert‐scale‐surveys was used for evaluating students’ quality of learning experience after both the IPPE‐didactic and experiential rotations courses.ResultsIn aggregate analyses from Fall 2019‐2020; paired data analyses using Wilcoxon test showed a statistically significant increase in average students’ performance from 70.6% +/‐ 18.9% in formative to 80.5% +/‐ 23.5% in summative assessments after the intervention in control questions involving tradenames without rational explanation (p‐value&lt;0.001). Whereas, in questions involving tradenames that have rational explanations, students’ performance increased from an average of 58.0%+/‐28.3% before the intervention, to 75.9%+/‐22.2% afterwards, which represents a net significant difference of 8.1%+/‐39.8% between question groups (p‐value0.009) (n= 169 students). In addition, at least 80% of students reported that decoding tradenames can help them to retain key medications features &amp; connect it to generic names during didactic course, hence, provide better medication recommendations, &amp; make less potential medication errors during their experiential rotation (n=72/94 students).ConclusionsSupplementing pharmacy curricula with the art &amp; science of formulating medication tradenames can improve students’ academic performance in didactic courses. Furthermore, it can also improve the resulting quality of healthcare services future pharmacists provide during their experiential education.

Mnemonics Improve Pharmacy Students' Knowledge Retention, Clinical Application, and Exam Performance in a PharmD Pharmacology Course

BackgroundStudents in healthcare professions taking pharmacology courses often feel challenged with learning and remembering crucial facts about medications, i.e., knowledge acquisition and retention. In addition, applying pharmacological knowledge into clinical settings consumes significant amounts of the student’s working memory (i.e., cognitive load). Mnemonics (memory aids) are used to reduce cognitive load and facilitate learning and knowledge retention among students. Our study assessed the impact of the mnemonics' use in a Pharmacology course offered to second‐year pharmacy students on students' perceptions of knowledge acquisition, retention, and clinical application in correlation to their exam performance.MethodsEighteen mnemonics were developed and used in a course covering endocrine and autonomic pharmacology topics. Students' perceptions of the impact of mnemonics' use on their knowledge acquisition, retention, clinical application, critical thinking, and confidence while answering questions on exams were collected using an anonymous survey in the fall semester of 2020. Further, students' perceptions were matched to their exam performance.ResultsSurvey responses from 56 students (85% response rate) indicated that 80.4% agreed that mnemonics' use facilitated knowledge acquisition by reducing anxiety while learning, and 98.2% of students indicated that the use of mnemonics improved knowledge retention and application. Mnemonics' use was also reported to improve critical thinking while answering exam questions (89.3% agreed) and increased confidence during test‐taking (96.4% agreed). Interestingly, 64.7% of students using mnemonics answered the associated exam questions correctly compared to 35.3% of students (p&lt;0.05) who did not use the mnemonic aids.ConclusionsOur study suggests that mnemonics' use in pharmacology courses not only improved students' perception of knowledge acquisition, retention, application, and critical thinking but also improved their exam performance on specific questions that tested concepts taught with mnemonics. Future studies will assess students' knowledge retention and perceptions of mnemonics' use with exam performance in subsequent pharmacotherapy and pharmacy skills courses.

Educational Interventions to Improve Pharmacy Students’ Empathy Towards Geriatrics: A Systematic Review

Empathy is defined as the ability to understand other's feelings, thereby allowing them to feel understood. Empathy must be cultivated in the educational method to help pharmacy students to learn about patients, particularly the elderly. The main objective of this systematic review was to find, evaluate, and synthesize studies about educational interventions that improve the empathy of pharmacy students towards geriatrics. Three databases (PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar) searched for articles with criteria that were educational intervention articles and focused on outcome measures related to improving empathy (or its subdivision) towards geriatrics. The Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument was used to assess the possibility of bias. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to guide this review. Of the nine included studies, eight studies have been designed with quasi-experimental pre-post-test measurements. Four studies were carried out at the university in the United States, two in Malaysia, one in Australia, one in Brazil, and one in Singapore. Three studies used simulation and three studies used direct interaction with the elderly, as an educational intervention. Significant increase in empathy reported that 8 reviewed studies resulted from the statistically significant increase in empathy toward geriatrics. It was obvious that the educational intervention could help pharmacy students to develop empathy for the elderly. We recognize that the included studies are heterogeneous, implying that more research is needed to determine the best effective empathy education methods. Transfer to practice and longer-term changes in empathy should also be considered as study outcomes in future investigations.

Developing and evaluating a module to teach suicide prevention communication skills to student pharmacists

IntroductionThis study aimed to determine whether a brief educational intervention for student pharmacists about individuals who exhibit suicide warning signs improves knowledge and confidence to recognize suicide warning signs, ask about suicide, validate feelings, and expedite referrals. MethodsThis longitudinal, observational study was conducted with student pharmacists from two pharmacy schools in 2019. Students completed a suicide prevention module adapted from the Veteran Administration's S.A.V.E. suicide prevention gatekeeper training program (completion rate 67%). The module included a video case of an individual who exhibits suicide warning signs, a brief didactic lecture, and a role-play practice session. Text responses were coded by three independent raters. Students completed a multiple-choice pretest and posttest to assess knowledge and confidence. Paired samples t-tests were calculated to examine changes in students' knowledge and confidence scores. ResultsStudents' (N = 139) confidence and knowledge in recognizing and managing suicide warning signs improved significantly. There was improvement in how many students directly asked about suicide and expedited a referral. Most students (86%) reported planning to incorporate what they learned into practice. ConclusionsIn two schools of pharmacy, a brief suicide prevention module was implemented and adapted to the community pharmacy setting, which improved pharmacy students' knowledge and confidence to interact with an individual who exhibits suicide warning signs. S.A.V.E. teaches students how to communicate with an individual in crisis in a way that can be integrated into a busy pharmacy workflow, which may be why students planned to incorporate it into practice.

Instruction and Simulation to Improve Pharmacy Students’ Knowledge and Confidence Regarding Assessment of Penicillin Allergies

Objective. To evaluate pharmacy students' knowledge of and confidence regarding penicillin allergy assessment and skin testing (PAAST) before and after a focused didactic instruction and simulation (FDIS).Methods. A multicenter, quasi-experimental, cross-sectional survey study was performed among pharmacy students before and after FDIS on PAAST at two schools of pharmacy. The FDIS on PAAST consisted of an infectious disease faculty-led seminar, student-led penicillin allergy counseling interviews, penicillin skin testing simulation, and case studies to assess penicillin allergy scenarios and management. An anonymous, voluntary, electronic survey was distributed to students (n=159) before and after the FDIS. The pre- and post-intervention survey contained 10 PAAST knowledge-based questions and multi-step, five-point Likert scale statements related to students' confidence in PAAST. The post-intervention survey also evaluated students' perceptions of the FDIS on PAAST. Descriptive statistics were performed, and the Student t test was used to compare pre- and post-intervention responses.Results. One hundred forty-three surveys were completed, resulting in a survey response rate of 90%. Students' PAAST knowledge scores (mean±SD) increased overall following the FDIS on PAAST (6.67±1.51 vs 7.81±1.39). Knowledge scores increased considerably for questions related to penicillin allergy consequences, cross-reactivity, and correct steps of PAAST. Pharmacy students' PAAST confidence scores (mean±SD) also improved following the interactive instruction and simulation (2.30±0.7 vs 3.22±0.67) with considerable confidence increases in penicillin skin testing. Pharmacy students' perceptions of the FDIS on PAAST were also positive overall.Conclusion. Pharmacy students' knowledge and confidence of PAAST improved following FDIS. This may be an effective strategy to implement PAAST education during pharmacy school.