Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience Research Articles

Laboratory Session to Improve First-year Pharmacy Students' Knowledge and Confidence Concerning the Prevention of Medication Errors

To implement a laboratory session into the first-year pharmacy curriculum that would provide active-learning experiences in the recognition, resolution, and prevention of medication errors. Students participated in medication error-prone prescription processing and counseling simulations, role-played communication strategies after a medication error occurred, and discussed an introductory pharmacy practice experience focused on prescription processing and prevention of medication errors. Students completed an assessment prior to and after completion of the laboratory on their knowledge of and confidence in identifying medication errors. Students' knowledge and awareness of medication errors improved as did confidence in their ability to (1) recognize and avoid errors, (2) utilize methods to prevent errors, (3) communicate about errors with involved parties, and (4) select and report medication errors on an appropriate form. Students' awareness of the pharmacist's role in medication error reduction improved and confidence in their ability to recognize, prevent, and communicate medication errors increased.

A Sequence of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences to Address the New Standards for Experiential Learning

To implement an introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) curricular sequence in a manner that optimized preceptor availability, fostered significant learning, and addressed the new standards for experiential education. A 4-course, 300+ hour IPPE sequence was developed with 1 module in each semester of the first 2 professional years. Semesters were 18 weeks in length with IPPE taking place in the middle weeks as dedicated time blocks when no concurrent didactic courses were scheduled. Learning exercises were developed to build a progressive foundation in preparation for advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE). During 2 academic years, 161 students participated in the IPPE program. Eighty-one students completed the 4-course sequence and another 80 students completed the first 2 courses. Collectively, 486 individual IPPE placements were made at over 120 community pharmacies and 60 hospital pharmacies or alternative practice sites located over a broad geographic region. Student evaluations by preceptors, evaluation of student journals by faculty, and surveys of students and preceptors demonstrated that course objectives were being achieved. An innovative approach to scheduling IPPE optimized preceptor availability, exceeded the minimum number of IPPE hours required by current accreditation standards, and achieved development of desired competencies.

The Pharmacy Technician's Role in Pharmacy Student Education

To the Editor: To date, the literature is lacking considerably in the area of technician involvement in pharmacy student education. With increasing focus on the experiential component of pharmacy student education, it is inevitable that student pharmacists will have significant interaction with technicians during multiple periods of their training. Although it is ultimately the responsibility of the pharmacist educator to provide the student with adequate opportunities for growth and development, the nature of the practice of pharmacy dictates that technicians will have an impact on the student's practice-based experience. The typical introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) presents numerous scenarios for potential student-teaching by pharmacy technicians. The degree of mastery of activities such as processing, dispensing, and billing is likely to be influenced by the types of interactions between student pharmacists and technicians. Therefore, the level of training and motivation of the technician deserve attention from all parties invested in the quality of pharmacy student training. As students are paired with technicians to gain experience in the intravenous (IV) room or at the filling station, consideration must be given to the technician's attitude toward teaching and the expectations communicated to the technician about student training. Technicians cannot be expected to provide students with a positive training experience if they have not been given a clear explanation of the role that they are expected to play. Reasonable expectations of technicians include embracing opportunities to incorporate students into the workflow, effectively demonstrating their roles and responsibilities, treating students with respect, and incorporating feedback regarding student training. Regular documentation and evaluation of student and technician interactions is one way to determine the effectiveness of these training relationships. It is reasonable to include items on IPPE site evaluation forms that question students specifically about their interactions with technicians. Questions could evaluate the quality of interactions as well as the approximate percentage of training provided by pharmacy technicians. This information will not only assist in the evaluation of specific training sites, it will also help to quantify the magnitude of technician involvement in student teaching. The potential for resistance among technicians to participate in the training initiatives of their future supervisors cannot be ignored. One way to minimize this conflict is to stress the importance of a learning partnership and identify specific opportunities for pharmacy students to provide valuable educational opportunities for technicians (ie, new drug updates, review sessions for technician certification boards, etc). Another method for increasing motivation among reluctant technicians is to include a teaching/training component in their job standards and reward excellence regularly. It is important that we broaden our approach to evaluating student learning and begin to recognize the significant role that pharmacy technicians play. With this role comes the need for regular evaluation and the opportunity for greater recognition. It is up to technician employers and pharmacy institutions of learning to take advantage of this chance to further enhance the experiential training of student pharmacists. Dalia R. Mack, PharmD University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Assessing Capacity of Hospitals to Partner With Academic Programs for Experiential Education

Recognizing the critical need to assess the current status and future capacity of hospitals and health systems to engage in partnerships for experiential education, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) collaborated on a study in the interest of advancing quality experiential education. As described in the full report1 (“Capacity of Hospitals to Partner with Academia to Meet Experiential Education Requirements for Pharmacy Students”) jointly published in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy and the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, the primary purpose of this work was to determine whether there is sufficient capacity in hospitals and health systems to accommodate the growing number of students requiring introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPE) and advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE). The study also explored the benefits and challenges associated with academic-practice partnerships for experiential education in these settings, factors influencing participation, and information on the student experience to inform opportunities for improvement and collaboration. We address the specific findings that can result in actionable priorities for academic pharmacy in this Viewpoint.

Letters

Letters

An Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience Emphasizing Student-Administered Vaccinations

To introduce a requirement for second-professional year (P2) and third-professional year (P3) students to administer vaccinations to adults in community pharmacy-based immunization clinics. Second-professional year students were trained to administer influenza, pneumococcal, and other vaccinations to adults following the American Pharmacists Association's standards. All P2 students in fall 2004 and all P2 and P3 students in fall 2005 were assigned to 2 community pharmacy-based immunization clinics in the metropolitan Denver area under the supervision of immunization-certified staff pharmacists. An evaluation of the experience was conducted using retrospective preceptor and student-based survey data. In 2004 and 2005, the students administered approximately 5,000 (30-50 immunizations per student) and 15,000 (60-70 per student) immunizations, respectively. Students and preceptors agreed that the requirement to administer vaccinations was an appropriate activity for students and that it increased the students' self-confidence. When asked to rate the value of the students' work administering adult immunizations in the fall 2004 semester, the mean score given by the P2 students' immunization-certified preceptors was 9.2 on a 10-point Likert scale (1 = no value and 10 = great value). Consistent with accreditation standards for students to have direct patient care responsibilities in introductory pharmacy practice experience courses, a requirement for P2 and P3 students to administer vaccines to adult patients in community pharmacies was successfully introduced.

Experiential Learning: Pharmacy Practice in England Through an American Student's Eyes

ABSTRACTPurdue University's Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) Program requires second professional year pharmacy students to work or volunteer in a pharmacy practice setting. After introducing the program criteria, students are encouraged to create their own practice experiences. One Purdue student completed her IPPE requirement in a small community pharmacy in Swadlincote, England. Upon conclusion of the experience, the student discovered a number of interesting differences between pharmacy practice in England and the United States, including manufacturer packaging, pharmaceutical law, dispensing procedures, insurance and government programs, and pharmacist's educational requirements. Experiences, such as the ones described here, help students learn about the practice of pharmacy in other countries, as well as provide valuable insights and an opportunity to improve practice in the United States.

Introductory Experiential Education: A Means for Introducing Concepts of Healthcare Improvement

Introductory Experiential Education: A Means for Introducing Concepts of Healthcare Improvement

Longitudinal Student Self-Assessment in an Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience Course

Objective. To evaluate changes in student self-assessment responses within and between classes related to Pharmacy Practicum II, a second-year introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) course. Methods. Students completed a self-assessment of their achievement of learning objectives before and after the IPPE course using a 5-point response scale and the practice context of community pharmacy. Analyses included precourse and postcourse comparisons within classes for 3 consecutive years, and a postcourse comparison between classes for learning objectives associated with course changes. Results. Mean student self-assessment scores increased for all learning objectives, suggesting an increase in student-perceived independence. Larger increases were observed when multiple learning activities were employed and/or other courses contributed to learning. Course changes related to 2 learning objectives did not appear to significantly influence postcourse scores in a consistent manner. Conclusions. Student sel...

Service Learning Through Involvement of a Pharmacy College in a Community Diabetes Improvement Project

ABSTRACTPharmacy practice faculty and students from Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences participated in a community diabetes screening, referral, and education project funded by the Wellmark Foundation. The purpose of the project was to improve diabetes health in an urban community in the 50317 zip code area, which has a high prevalence of diabetes within Des Moines, Iowa. Visiting Nurse Services (VNS) coordinated and organized the screenings. Pharmacy students participated in the screenings as part of a service learning assignment for their Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE). Pharmacy faculty participated in the planning task force, developed the data collection tool, coordinated student participation in the screenings, and analyzed the data (entered by a pharmacy student). The VNS tested approximately 5,000 people at approximately 100 screenings from October 1999 to June 2000. One hundred twenty-two pharmacy students participated in the screenings and had many positive...

Service Learning Through Involvement of a Pharmacy College in a Community Diabetes Improvement Project

ABSTRACTPharmacy practice faculty and students from Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences participated in a community diabetes screening, referral, and education project funded by the Wellmark Foundation. The purpose of the project was to improve diabetes health in an urban community in the 50317 zip code area, which has a high prevalence of diabetes within Des Moines, Iowa. Visiting Nurse Services (VNS) coordinated and organized the screenings. Pharmacy students participated in the screenings as part of a service learning assignment for their Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE). Pharmacy faculty participated in the planning task force, developed the data collection tool, coordinated student participation in the screenings, and analyzed the data (entered by a pharmacy student). The VNS tested approximately 5,000 people at approximately 100 screenings from October 1999 to June 2000. One hundred twenty-two pharmacy students participated in the screenings and had many positive...

An Interdisciplinary Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience Course

An interdisciplinary, introductory pharmacy practice experience course that students are required to take during their third professional year was started during the spring semester 2002. The cours...

An Innovative Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience Model

Objectives. The implementation of a required third-year introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) in the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy's professional curriculum is described, and...

ACPE Issues 1984 Status Report on Continuing Pharmaceutical Education

Institutions are implementing electronic medical records (EMR) in response to federal initiatives. Additionally, Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) states that pharmacy graduates shall demonstrate expertise in informatics. We introduced clinical technology into the simulated Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) course at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.To incorporate informatics and evaluate the usefulness of a commercially available simulated EMR in the institutional practice setting components of a simulated IPPE.We incorporated a simulated EMR into institutional pharmacy practice modules within the simulated IPPE. A questionnaire of 365 students enrolled evaluated their prior experiences with EMR, understanding of the role of EMR in an institutional practice setting, and level of confidence in utilizing EMR on their upcoming hospital rotations.Overall, 270 students responded (response rate of 74%). Only 9.6% of students had prior experience with EMR. An overwhelming majority of students felt that the simulated EMR adequately demonstrated the role of informatics in managing the simulated hospital patients and enhanced their hospital learning experiences (83.7% and 78.9%, respectively). As a result of using a simulated EMR, 72.6% of students felt more prepared to utilize EMR in upcoming hospital IPPE rotations.A simulated EMR offers realistic hospital charting and gives the pharmacy students exposure to electronic medical records, which are important components of practicing pharmacy in a facility or institution. Utilizing a simulated electronic medical record allows pharmacy students to gain knowledge and apply skills in navigating medical records and extrapolating data for patient cases.