Pharmacy Curriculum Research Articles

Defining the role of pharmacists in addressing the social determinants of health.

As one of the overreaching goals of Healthy People 2030, addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH) to reduce health disparities is a nationwide concern, with objectives informed by interdisciplinary teams of experts. However, there remains much discussion regarding the roles of healthcare providers in addressing SDOH. While current guidance suggests that all members of the healthcare team must be empowered to address SDOH, current guidance explicitly references physicians, nurses, social workers and staff, and do not specifically include pharmacists. While pharmacists are taught about the impact of SDOH in pharmacy curricula, actionable strategies for pharmacists to address SDOH in practice have not been clearly outlined. Pharmacists have multifaceted interactions with patients and may be influential in meeting individual patient needs, identifying social risk factors, and addressing upstream causes of health disparities. This paper proposes a framework for the role of pharmacists in addressing the SDOH through strategies at the patient, practice, and community levels. The concepts presented in this paper are meant to serve as a launch point for discussion and to promote the inclusion of pharmacists in the conversations around sustainable efforts to achieve health equity. This framework is not intended to limit the scope of pharmacists in addressing SDOH - on the contrary, it is our hope that this outline may be used to expand the education of future healthcare professionals regarding their role in addressing the social determinants of health.

Self-Learning about Herbal and Dietary Supplements: Perspectives Using the Theoretical Domains Framework.

Background: Self-learning (SL) is a process in which individuals take the initiative to acquire knowledge with or without the help of others. Knowledge about herbal and dietary supplements (HDS) is important for pharmacists. Unfortunately, there is limited coverage of topics relating to HDS in the pharmacy curricula. The present focus group study applies the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to explore pharmacy students’ practices and beliefs regarding SL about HDS (SL-HDS). Methods: Focus group interviews (FGIs) were conducted between April and May 2019 among a sample of undergraduate pharmacy students at a public university (n = 20). Four FGI sessions were conducted, each lasting about 60 to 75 min, and all the sessions were audio-recorded. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic content analysis. Results: Beliefs about SL-HDS were categorised into 12 domains based on the TDF. Students showed positive attitudes towards SL-HDS and agreed that their involvement in SL-HDS was instrumental in improving their knowledge about various aspects of HDS including indications, adverse effects, and HDS-drug interactions. Various facilitators and barriers influencing students’ participation in SL-HDS were uncovered (e.g., access to the internet, time, availability of reference resources). The students demanded to be equipped with critical appraisal skills, as they had limited confidence in assessing literature or information about HDS. Conclusion: This study revealed that the students saw the benefits of SL-HDS. They also perceived that engaging in SL-HDS is compatible with the role of pharmacy students. The findings showed students’ readiness and willingness to conduct SL-HDS.

Student Pharmacists' Perspectives of In-Person versus Virtual Research Poster Presentations.

This study assessed the preferences of fourth-year student pharmacists for an in-person versus virtual pharmacy research poster session. An electronic survey was administered to all fourth-year student pharmacists enrolled in a research project course in Fall 2021 (n = 132). Six items explored students’ opinions towards research posters using a five-point agreement scale. Twelve items explored students’ preferences for either research poster format. Students also indicated their overall preference for an in-person or virtual research poster session. Data were analyzed descriptively. A total of 63 fourth-year student pharmacists completed the questionnaire. The median agreement score was four out of five, indicating favorable attitudes towards the importance of research posters in pharmacy curriculum. Most students said they would enjoy research posters more, and would be more able to present at, participate in and ensure that all can participate in poster sessions if the poster sessions were virtual as opposed to in-person. Most (76.2%) students indicated a preference for virtual rather than in-person research poster sessions. In conclusion, the study results suggest that student pharmacists prefer virtual rather than in-person poster sessions. Further research is recommended to explore the comparative effectiveness of these poster formats to achieve learning outcomes in varying university pharmacy programs.

Using multiple lenses to explore how an undergraduate curriculum supports pharmacy students’ patient-centred competency development

Background: This study explores how a Bachelor of Pharmacy curriculum supports students’ holistic patient-centred competency development. Methods: This mixed-method exploratory study identified patient-centred care themes through a literature review. The themes were mapped to a curriculum. They also informed staff and student focus groups, and student, intern, and preceptor surveys. Qualitative data were thematically analysed, descriptive statistics were generated from quantitative data and the findings triangulated. Results: Six themes and 22 subthemes were identified and mapped. Attributes synthesised from subthemes, were explored via surveys. Eight staff and 20 students participated in four focus groups. The influence of people, immersive learning experiences and learning variety were identified as key facilitators for competency development. 51 students, 18 interns and 51 preceptors completed the questionnaires. The responses validated the themes and attributes and identified curricular strengths and gaps. Conclusion: A multi-step study incorporating triangulation generated a comprehensive and confirming overview of curriculum components, which led to pharmacy students’ development of patient-centred competencies.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards Antibiotic Use and Antimicrobial Resistance among Pharmacy Students at the University of Zambia: Implications for Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health problem affecting healthcare systems. There is little information on undergraduate pharmacy students' knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding antibiotic use (AMU) and AMR in Zambia. This study assessed knowledge, attitude, and practices on AMU and AMR among undergraduate pharmacy students at the University of Zambia. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among172 randomly selected participants using a structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. Results: Of the 172 total participants, 55.2% (n = 95) were male. Most participants were between 21 and 25 years old (n=110, 64 %). Most of the pharmacy students had good knowledge (n=155, 90% average score), positive attitude (n=145, 84% average score) but suboptimal practices (n=110, 64% average score) about AMU and AMR. Despite these good scores, the prevalence of self-medication using antibiotics was 41% (n=70).Conclusion: Undergraduate pharmacy students had good knowledge, and a positive attitude, but suboptimal practices towards AMU and AMR. A low-average practice score is of great concern and requires urgent attention. There is a need to improve the details of the undergraduate pharmacy curriculum regarding AMU, AMR and antimicrobial stewardship programmes.

A Virtual "Think Tank" to Establish Collaborative Leadership Initiative Plans ("CLIPs").

The AACP Leadership Development Special Interest Group (LD SIG) held a one-hour Virtual Networking Session during the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) 2020 Annual Meeting. The purpose of the session was to connect attendees with colleagues from other institutions sharing similar interests related to leadership development through an engaging "Virtual Think Tank" (VTT). The VTT included facilitated collaboration which enabled small groups to develop "Collaborative Leadership Initiative Plans" (CLIPs) based on shared leadership interest areas. A CLIP is an idea for a multi-institutional programmatic or scholarly initiative that is expected to lead to deliverables or outcomes mutually beneficial for all collaborators. Facilitators then assisted the CLIP groups with identifying specific deliverables and potential outcomes of successful implementation, as well as a plan for group follow-up. Seventy-two attendees from 55 unique institutions participated to form seven CLIP groups consisting of an average of ten individuals each. CLIP ideas generated included an initiative to align faculty tenure and promotion criteria to incentivize entrepreneurship and innovation among faculty, incorporation of a leadership project into Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences in the experiential pharmacy curriculum, and creation of a cross-institutional co-curricular program for students. An important legacy of the session was a leadership networking contact list, called the Leadership Networking Database, which will serve as an enduring leadership networking tool. This session offered an innovative solution to a canceled in-person professional meeting and replaced missed networking and collaboration opportunities resulting from cancellation of the in-person meeting.

Development of a script concordance test to assess clinical reasoning in a pharmacy curriculum

IntroductionClinical reasoning is a vital skill for student pharmacists in the provision of patient-centered care, but these skills are often difficult to assess in the didactic curriculum. A script concordance test (SCT) is an innovative assessment method that can be used to assess clinical reasoning skills. The objective of this study was to develop and refine an SCT to assess clinical reasoning skills of third year student pharmacists (P3s). MethodsAn SCT was written and administered to P3s. Pharmacy practice faculty members served as the expert group. The SCT was scored and Rasch analysis was performed. ResultsThe SCT included 20 case vignettes and 60 questions. Test reliability was 0.34 with mean square values for all items between 0.7 and 1.3. Forty-two questions had a difficulty score between 0 and − 1 logits, indicating there were multiple questions with similar difficulty levels. Two case vignettes and 43.3% of questions (n = 26) were revised to enhance clarity and decrease ambiguity. ConclusionsThe SCT is a tool to assess clinical reasoning in the didactic curriculum. Faculty can create the SCT and use statistical methods such as Rasch analysis to assess validity and reliability of the SCT.

Using the HyFlex model to deliver a capstone seminar course

IntroductionThe HyFlex course structure allows students to attend class in-person or via synchronous videoconferencing technology. This model has been described, but no data are available in pharmacy curricula. MethodsStudents enrolled in Grand Rounds (GR) were eligible. The GR Engagement Assessment Tool (GREAT) measured engagement three times during the semester. Eighteen statements across four domains were rated using a five-point Likert scale (1 = not true at all and 5 = completely true). Free-text responses were collected for qualitative analysis. The primary outcome was the difference in GR engagement between students attending in-person vs. remotely. Descriptive statistics were used for demographic information. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests compared Likert-scale responses between in-person and remote attendance. ResultsSurveys included 128 responses from 88 unique students. There were no differences between remote and in-person attendance for the boredom and elaboration domains. In-person students reported listening more intently (median 4, IQR [3,4]; P = .03). In-person students felt the material was more practical (median 4, IQR [4,5]) than remote students (median 4, IQR [3,4]; P = .002) and more applicable to other situations (median 3, IQR [3,5]) than remote students (median 3, IQR [2,4]; P = .04). Qualitative analysis of the entire cohort demonstrated five themes for satisfaction: safety, flexibility, convenience, technology, and professionalism. ConclusionsThere were subtle differences in student engagement or satisfaction using the HyFlex model. This study supports the expansion of this methodology to similar courses where remote instruction is needed.

Implementation and evaluation of pharmaly houses as learning communities to promote community, wellness, and advising

IntroductionAlthough medical education has demonstrated learning communities promote wellness and community while supporting advising and mentoring, its application in pharmacy is limited. This study explored faculty and student perceptions of pharmacy learning communities (PLC), including structure, member interactions, and curriculum topics. MethodsPLCs involving first-year (PY1) student advisees, third-year (PY3) peer mentors, and faculty coaches were implemented. The PLC model included Pharmaly Houses, which were compromised of multiple Pharmalies, with each Pharmaly consisting of one faculty coach, two PY3 peer mentors, and approximately 10 PY1 advisees. PLC members were invited to participate in semi-structured focus groups, and transcripts were analyzed using inductive coding. ResultsThree major themes and related subthemes emerged: strengths of the PLC structure (e.g., multiple perspectives, community, networking); interactions of Pharmaly members (i.e. faculty coaches, PY3 peer mentors, PY1 advisees); and feedback on PLC curriculum topics (e.g., topic consultation, continued learning). Participants indicated the multiple perspectives provided by Pharmaly members was a strength and highlighted the PLC structure facilitated a sense of community and belonging among Pharmaly members while promoting expanded networking within the House. While the PLC expanded networks, faculty and PY1 advisees desired more one-to-one interactions. Further, students reflected on how current PLC curriculum topics (e.g., wellness) prompted continued learning, reflection, and discussion outside the House or Pharmaly meeting. ConclusionsParticipants indicated PLCs can support student access to mentoring and advising, promote wellness, and foster a sense of community and belonging. The unique peer mentoring model further promoted community.

A comprehensive review program to prepare pharmacy students for the Saudi Pharmacist Licensure Examination (SPLE)

PurposeThe Saudi Pharmacist Licensure Examination (SPLE) has been mandated by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) for three and a half years; however, colleges of pharmacy and/or pharmacy organizations in Saudi Arabia have yet to implement a comprehensive review program to help prospective graduates to succeed. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of an integrated program designed to enhance students’ performance on the SPLE. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the impact of integrating SPLE review activities (clinical review quizzes (CRQs), disease state presentations (DSPs), a Capstone OSCE, and a mock SPLE) on students’ SPLE results and perceptions of their SPLE preparation and performance. Student scores from the review activities were analyzed and an anonymous, voluntary survey was used to assess the impact of these activities on student readiness levels and performance on the SPLE. ResultsA total of 127 Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) students were included in the study. The average scores for the mock SPLE, DSPs, and Capstone OSCE were (55.8% ± 8.55), (91.3% ± 7.17), and (95.2% ± 6.90), respectively. Approximately 50% of the students responded to the survey. Most students had taken and passed the SPLE on the first attempt (94.6%) with an average score of 635.7 ± 39.4 (∼79%). Over 60% and 70% of students recommended the SPLE CRQs activity and the DSP activity, respectively. With respect to mock SPLE, 60.9% believed that it provided an idea of what to expect on the SPLE and 54.7% recommended to add the Capstone OSCE into the curriculum. Overall, the majority of students would recommend these activities be incorporated in the college of pharmacy curriculum in order to better prepare pharmacy graduates for the SPLE. ConclusionProspective graduates from Saudi universities may benefit from college of pharmacy-organized SPLE reviews. Based on this study’s findings, a comprehensive review course including a mock SPLE and disease state presentations is recommended. In addition, SPLE review lectures, CRQs, and a Capstone OSCE may provide additional benefit.

Upscaling the pharmacy profession: Knowledge and willingness of the Lebanese pharmacists to practice the administration of dermal fillers

BackgroundThe rapid global development of the pharmacy profession has led pharmacists to enter the cosmetic industry by administering injectable dermal fillers (DFs) to those in need. However, there is no clear indication that the Lebanese pharmacists are familiar with these procedures or are willing to do so. ObjectivesWe aimed to investigate the Lebanese community pharmacists' knowledge about DFs and their willingness to administer them. MethodsA self-administered questionnaire was sent to 461 randomly selected pharmacists who agreed to participate in the study after a phone call. A scoring system for the knowledge about DFs was employed. ResultsOnly 31.4 % of participants reported formal education as the source of knowledge about DFs, and 3.7 % of them reported practicing them on patients. The mean score of knowledge was 5.9 ± 2.5 (out of 14). High level of knowledge was observed in only 25 % of the participants, where females, older and experienced pharmacists, and those working in Beirut region were more significantly knowledgeable. Around 67 % of participants were willing to be trained in this field to expand their field of practice and improve their income. ConclusionsLebanese community pharmacists are not yet ready for this new dimension in the career. Legislative procedures, training, licensing, and developed pharmacy curriculum must precede the practice of DFs by pharmacists in Lebanon.

Saudi pharmacy students' perceived knowledge and attitude on their role in public health services.

This study aimed to explore the preparedness of pharmacy students to actively participate in public health services by examining their attitude towards and knowledge about the national public health programmes (NPHPs). A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire survey of the students in Unaizah College of Pharmacy (UCP) and College of Pharmacy Main Campus (CPMC), Qassim University, between October 2019 and February 2020. A total of 100 out of 125 students responded to the questionnaire at a response rate of 80%. While the majority (77%) of the participants agreed on the necessity for pharmacists to know about the NPHPs, 71% reported they did not learn about National Health Policy in their pharmacy curriculum. Also, a small number of pharmacy students, at 16%, believed that their current knowledge about the NPHPs was sufficient or very sufficient. Lastly, 81% of the participants felt that they had an important or very important role to play in the NPHPs. The majority of the participants expressed interest in more education on public health during their pharmacy education. Their interest supports the advancement of public health education to facilitate greater involvement of pharmacists in public health services.

Student attitudes regarding timing of immunization training within the pharmacy curriculum: Optimizing immunization training in pharmacy schools in the United States

IntroductionThe pharmacist's role in vaccination efforts continues to increase; therefore, it is essential to ensure that pharmacy students receive effective training to be confident and competent administering immunizations. The purpose of this research was to assess the impact of immunization training timing on students' hands-on experience and perception during pharmacy school. MethodsOne hundred forty-five pharmacy schools were surveyed to determine details of their immunization training programs. A follow-up survey was sent to select schools to determine student comfort immunizing during introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) and paid employment in pharmacy settings. Quantitative data regarding the number of immunizations delivered during IPPEs and work was collected. Questions also assessed attitudes regarding timing of immunization training and missed opportunities to immunize. ResultsResults indicated students trained during their third professional year (PY3) were less comfortable giving immunizations during their IPPEs or work than those trained during the first professional year (PY1) or second professional year (PY2) (IPPE P < .01; work P < .01 PY1; P = .01 PY2). PY3s were more likely to prefer training earlier in the curriculum. PY2s and PY3s were more likely to believe the timing of their immunization training caused missed opportunities to deliver immunizations. The earlier the immunization training occurred in the curriculum, the more vaccinations the student administered. ConclusionsProviding immunization training programs to pharmacy students earlier in their curriculum provides students with superior experience and instills confidence.

Current state of career placement and employment opportunities for Doctor of Pharmacy graduates: A cross-sectional analysis from a college of pharmacy, Saudi Arabia

BackgroundTraditionally, graduates from colleges of pharmacy in Saudi Arabia work mainly in hospital settings, and only a few graduates work in other practice settings. However, several initiatives and national plans have recently been introduced to facilitate employment in community pharmacies and the pharmaceutical industry/companies. Consequently, the objectives of this study were to explore the current state of career placement, type of employment sectors, and practice settings that Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) graduates join based on recent developments in the profession. MethodsThis study is a cross-sectional, descriptive study. The target population was PharmD graduates from Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. Consequently, all 162 graduates from three recent cohorts (2018–2020) were contacted to participate in this survey. ResultsA total of 157 graduates participated in this study, yielding a response rate of 96.91 %. Of the participants, 92 (58.6 %) were female graduates. The overall rate of employment was 84.7 %. Moreover, a higher proportion of male graduates than female graduates (97.1 % versus 73.7 %, P = 0.006) were employed. In this study, the three main sectors that the graduates joined were the pharmaceutical industry and companies (41.2 %), community pharmacies (29.4 %), and medical cities, hospitals and clinics (23.5 %). In addition, almost the same proportions of male and female graduates joined the pharmaceutical industry and companies (40.3 % versus 42.1 %). However, a higher proportion of male graduates than female graduates joined community pharmacies (32.3 % versus 26.3 %). Conversely, a higher proportion of female graduates joined medical cities, hospitals and clinics compared to male graduates (28.1 % versus 19.4 %). ConclusionThe current employment of PharmD graduates in the job market is generally high, but further improvement could be made, especially for female graduates. Moreover, the study findings showed that jobs are shifting toward community pharmacies and the pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, we believe that decision-makers in pharmacy education and curriculum developers must consider these trends and ensure that there is adequate preparation for careers in community pharmacy practice and other sectors of the profession in the curriculum.

Pharmacy students’ perceptions of a transition to a virtual curriculum and their mental health implications

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess pharmacy students' satisfaction with a transition to a remote pharmacy curriculum in the pandemic setting. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Autumn 2020. Participating pharmacy schools distributed an anonymous survey link to their pharmacy students. The survey evaluated student perceptions of virtual learning, barriers to success, solutions, mental health, and the validated Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Results: A total of 488 students responded to the survey. The majority of participating students were female (78%), 25-30 years old (68%), and racially diverse. Feelings of isolation were reported by 62% of students. Three-quarters of students disagreed or strongly disagreed that their motivation to study increased during quarantine. During quarantine, the PSS-10 revealed a statistically significant decline in mental health. Conclusion: This study identified barriers and solutions to student success in a virtual curriculum. The results also highlighted the need for support for pharmacy students' mental health resources and advocacy.

The Daily Dose: Utilizing WhatsApp to engage pharmacy students in clinical discussion

Background and purposeThere are many challenges associated with longitudinally applying therapeutic knowledge in the pharmacy curriculum. This study investigated student participation using the messaging platform, WhatsApp (Meta Platforms, Inc.), as a discussion-based platform for pharmacy students. Educational activity and settingThe created WhatsApp group chat discussion, “The Daily Dose,” was a longitudinal learning experience occurring during pharmacy students' last year of clinical rotations or third year of didactic learning. Students were asked daily clinical questions in the application and participation was primarily assessed. This study included a pre-survey, discussion participation assessment, and a post-survey. The surveys assessed student self-evaluations of their learning, clinical confidence levels, board preparedness, and program learning experience feedback. FindingsA total of 115 questions were asked and 37 students voluntarily joined. Students participated by responding to 97% of questions. Of the 37 students who joined, 81% were experiential education students and 19% were didactic education students. A moderator needed to prompt for participation for 34% of the questions. The majority of students (95%) learned something new. Experiential education students were more likely to participate than didactic education students. A moderator may be beneficial to keep the discussion active. Students' self-evaluations of clinical confidence and board preparedness increased after participating in The Daily Dose. SummaryThe Daily Dose is an innovative way to engage student discussion and reinforce pharmacy therapeutic knowledge. This tool could be expanded to use with multiple pharmacy learners.

Defining core conceptual knowledge: Why pharmacy education needs a new, evidence-based approach

IntroductionNo pharmacy program, however well-resourced, has sufficient time or resources to teach students all current, practice-relevant knowledge. And while the volume of potential pharmacy education curriculum content increases exponentially each year, available time for direct instruction continues to decline. Given these constraints, pharmacy curricula must focus on promoting deep learning of the most critical, fundamental, broadly applicable, and lasting knowledge. Yet, in terms of didactic knowledge, pharmacy education currently has no agreed upon, evidence-based criteria for determining which foundational concepts are most important to teach nor any research-based assessment tools to demonstrate how well students have learned those core concepts. PerspectiveThis lack of consensus regarding core conceptual knowledge makes disparities in learning outcomes both more likely to occur and less likely to be detected or addressed. Over the past 30 years, several scientific disciplines undergirding pharmacy have developed research-based lists of core concepts and related concept inventories, demonstrating their transformative educational potential. Core concepts are big, fundamental ideas that experts agree are critical for all students in their discipline to learn, remember, understand, and apply. Concept inventories are research-based, psychometrically validated, multiple-choice tests designed to uncover learners' prior knowledge and potential misconceptions and determine their depth of understanding of disciplinary core concepts. ImplicationsThis commentary proposes adapting and applying this evidence-based core concepts approach to enhance pharmacy education's overall effectiveness and efficiency and outlines an ongoing, multinational research initiative to identify and define essential pharmacy concepts to be taught, learned, and assessed.

Simulation-Based Education Implementation in Pharmacy Curriculum: A Review of the Current Status.

Simulation-based education (SBE) is a fundamental teaching method that complements traditional teaching modalities. SBE has improved students’ knowledge, understanding, and numerous essential skills within undergraduate pharmacy education, similar to traditional teaching methods. However, SBE has become crucial for developing students’ teamwork, decision-making, and communication skills. Even though the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) has acknowledged the benefit of SBE in interprofessional education (IPE) and the introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE). This article provides evidence that SBE can be effective beyond that. This narrative review is focused on the literature related to SBE modalities and the assessment methods of student learning outcomes in the undergraduate pharmacy curriculum. The review illustrates that SBE is an effective teaching method that could be utilized within the pharmacy curriculum. The review also could help pharmacy educators decide on the best modality and placement of integrating patient simulation within the pharmacy curriculum. Combining multiple simulation techniques may be the best way to achieve the desired student learning outcomes.

Strategic job market-guided development of pharmacy bachelor‘s curriculum and its importance in maintaining the profession viability in the Middle Eastern countries: Colleges of pharmacy in the UAE as a model

The Middle East has high youth population; however, it is challenged by uncertain economic situation. Higher education plays a crucial role in the development of nations by equipping generations with the knowledge and skill through cumulative curriculum development. Like other professions, pharmacy is a dynamic field of study where continuous improvements are required to keep the viability of the profession and endow future generations with up to date skills. This article describes a strategy for pharmacy curriculum development considering four layers. The strategy starts from the understanding of the current situation in a university, looking into national, international accreditations and job market. The strategy covers development from program to subject’s level. The strategy is applied to pharmacy programs in the UAE. Upon analysis, several recommendations were obtained for curriculum improvements. At individual university level, there is a need to work on clinical oriented topics in the curriculum to fit with international accreditation and country’s vision. Details on this can be taken form deeper analysis of job market and stakeholders in the UAE. On the national level, unifications of total credit hours for the degree across universities needs to be envisaged with limits on contact experiential hours. The strategy has the potential of extrapolating to other Middle Eastern countries.

Students' knowledge and perceptions of social determinants of health utilizing interactive computer simulation-based learning

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to assess if using computer simulations as a supplemental tool for teaching social determinants of health (SDoH) would impact first-year pharmacy students' knowledge and perceptions of SDoH. MethodsA brief lecture and online poverty game were followed by completion of two, in-class, computer-simulated SDoH clinical scenarios and corresponding case discussion. Students completed a pre- and post-quiz and perception survey with two open-ended questions. Qualitative analysis of the open-ended questions and quantitative analyses of the poverty game choices, quiz, and perception survey were conducted.Results: In total, 132 students were enrolled in this study. Thematic analysis of the open-ended question asking students what they learned included empathy (42%), general SDoH knowledge (30%), culture/religion (18%), and economic impact (15%). Student perceptions for all teaching modalities had a mean score of 4. Mean quiz scores on the pre- and post-class quizzes were 2.31 (SD 0.93) and 2.51 (SD 0.89), respectively. ConclusionsComputer simulations can be utilized as a supplemental tool to teach and apply clinical patient cases focused on SDoH. Strategically threading SDoH throughout the pharmacy curriculum is recommended to further develop SDoH knowledge and clinical skills.