Development and evaluation of an elective course designed to prepare pharmacy students for advanced pharmacy practice experiences

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 871-876
Author(s):  
Jasmine D. Gonzalvo ◽  
Andrew N. Schmelz ◽  
Brian M. Shepler
Keyword(s):  
Pharmacy Practice ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
Elective Course

A Research Elective Course on Dietary Supplements to Engage Doctor of Pharmacy Students in Primary Literature Evaluation and Scholarly Activity

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 577-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed A. Islam ◽  
Simi Gunaseelan ◽  
Seher A. Khan
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Supplements ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Pharmacy Practice ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
Scholarly Activity ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Primary Literature ◽  
Elective Course ◽  
Doctor Of Pharmacy

Purpose: To develop and implement a research elective course to enhance skills of pharmacy students on primary literature evaluation and evidence-based practice on dietary supplements and generate scholarly publications. Methods: A 2 credit hour independent research elective course was designed and implemented in the third-year doctor of pharmacy curriculum. The course involved student-led research activities that included formulating research project, reviewing of primary literature, collection and evaluation of data, and writing of review articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals. An online survey was administered to evaluate students’ perceptions of the course. Results: Students successfully completed the course. The course resulted in peer-reviewed publications through student–faculty collaboration. Pharmacy students enrolled in the elective course perceived that the course helped them enhance their analytical reasoning, critical thinking and drug-literature evaluation skills, gain evidence-based knowledge, and apply the knowledge into practice during their advanced pharmacy practice experiences community pharmacy rotations. Conclusions: The course provided opportunity to the pharmacy students to not only critically search and evaluate the literature but also publish in peer-reviewed journals. Other pharmacy schools/colleges can adopt this course model to create opportunities for student–faculty collaborations toward scholarly accomplishments.

scholarly journals Remote OSCE Experience: What First Year Pharmacy Students Liked, Learned, and Suggested for Future Implementations

Pharmacy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Savage ◽  
Lana M. Minshew ◽  
Heidi N. Anksorus ◽  
Jacqueline E. McLaughlin
Keyword(s):  
Concept Maps ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Pharmacy Practice ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
Objective Structured Clinical Examination ◽  
First Year ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Assessment Strategies ◽  
Frequency Counts

During the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools quickly transitioned their teaching and assessment strategies to online formats. In Spring 2020, a 3-station remote Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was implemented for first-year pharmacy students. The day following the remote OSCEs students answered three open-text prompts about the remote OSCE experience: (1) “I liked...”, (2) “I learned…”, and (3) “I suggest…”. Responses were open-coded and frequency counts were calculated to determine the most prevalent codes. Concept maps were created to visualize and explore connections between the codes. Out of 157 students, 156 students completed the reflection assignment, a 99.36% response rate. The three major themes in the Liked data were: Logistics (n = 65, 41.7%), Differences In-person Versus Remote (n = 59, 37.8%), and Skill Development (n = 43, 27.6%). The three major themes in the Learned data were: Technology (n = 66, 42.3%), Communication (n = 58, 37.2%), and Skill Development (n = 56, 35.9%). The three major themes in the Suggest data were: Logistics (n = 89, 57.1%), Technology (n = 31, 19.9%), and Continuation of Remote OSCE (n = 31, 19.9%). Overall, the remote OSCE experience was well-received, and students described it as applicable to their future pharmacy practice. Future work should explore the design, implementation, and outcomes of remote OSCEs.

scholarly journals A new experimental community pharmacy internship module for undergraduate pharmacy students in western Nepal: overview and reflections

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangita Timsina ◽  
Bhuvan K.C. ◽  
Dristi Adhikari ◽  
Alian A. Alrasheedy ◽  
Mohamed Izham Mohamed Ibrahim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Pharmacy ◽  
Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting ◽  
Pharmacy Practice ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Case Presentation ◽  
Business Plans ◽  
Inappropriate Use ◽  
Hands On

Community pharmacies in Nepal and other South Asian countries are in a mediocre state due to poor regulation and the fact that many pharmacies are run by people with insufficient training in dispensing. This has led to the inappropriate use of medicines. The problems due to poor regulation and the mediocre state of community pharmacies in South Asia encompass both academia and clinical practice. In this paper, a 2-week community pharmacy internship programme completed by 2 graduating pharmacy students of Pokhara University (a Nepalese public university) at Sankalpa Pharmacy, Pokhara, Nepal is illustrated. During the internship, they were systematically trained on store management, pharmaceutical care, counselling skills, the use of medical devices, pharmaceutical business plans, medicine information sources, and adverse drug reaction reporting. An orientation, observations and hands-on training, case presentation, discussion, and feedback from 2 senior pharmacists were used as the training method. A proper community pharmacy internship format, good pharmacy practice standards, and a better work environment for pharmacists may improve the quality of community pharmacies.

scholarly journals Ethics Education for Contemporary Clinical Pharmacy Practice in Nigeria: Shortfalls and Needs

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Roland N. Okoro
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Pharmacy ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Ethics Education ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Pharmacy Practice ◽  
Pharmacy Education ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
Pharmacy Ethics

The past decade has witnessed a shift in the ambitions of pharmacists away from the core role of dispensing medicines towards more interesting and rewarding relationships and responsibilities with other healthcare providers and patients. The patient-centred role of pharmacists has allowed ethical issues experienced in medical practice to surface in pharmacy practice, resulting in an increase in the number and variety of ethical dilemmas that pharmacists face in their routine pharmacy practice. Pharmacy education prepares pharmacy students for practice and must be in tune with the professional dynamics. Many countries that provide patient-centered pharmacy services have redesigned pharmacy ethics education while others are in various stages of revision of their curriculum in order to adequately equip future pharmacists with the rudiments required to handle ethical issues in clinical pharmacy practice. In contrast, in Nigeria, little or no pharmacy ethics is taught to pharmacy students and the challenge lies with the curriculum design and method of teaching.

scholarly journals Assessing Pharmacy Students’ and Preceptors’ Understanding of and Exposure to Antimicrobial Stewardship Practices on Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences

Pharmacy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Revolinski ◽  
Jacqueline Pawlak ◽  
Ciara Beckers
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Pharmacy Practice ◽  
Response Rates ◽  
Student Understanding ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
Medical College ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Integral Role ◽  
School Curricula

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is commonly employed, and may be required, in multiple healthcare settings, with pharmacists playing an integral role in developing and conducting AMS techniques. Despite its prevalence, AMS is minimally taught in pharmacy school curricula. In order to increase student and preceptor understanding and application of AMS techniques, the Medical College of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy required introductory pharmacy practice students to complete three checklists and reflections of AMS techniques observed at three different practice settings: inpatient, ambulatory, and community (retail) pharmacy. Student and preceptor understanding and application of AMS techniques were then assessed via voluntary survey. Survey response rates were 43% for pharmacy students, while preceptor response rates were 27%. Student understanding and application of AMS techniques increased after completion of the AMS checklist, with the largest magnitude of change seen with antibiotic selection recommendations and guideline and policy development. Preceptor understanding was minimally impacted by the activity; however, an increase in understanding was seen for allergy assessments, antibiotic time-outs, and vaccine assessments and recommendations. AMS is an important component of pharmacy practice today. Implementation of a checklist and reflection activity within experiential education increases perceived student understanding and application of relevant AMS techniques.

Evaluation of pharmacy students' rural placement program: preparation for interprofessional practice

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 85 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Khalil ◽  
A. Leversha ◽  
J. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Rural Health ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Pharmacy Practice ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
Social Awareness ◽  
Interprofessional Learning ◽  
Holistic Management ◽  
Job Opportunities ◽  
Few Data

Objective To date, there are few data on pharmacy-specific placement programs and their impact on students’ work after graduation. The present study evaluated an innovative rural pharmacy placement program targeted at influencing students to work and live in rural areas after graduation. A secondary aim of the study was to explore the students’ intentions to come back and practice in rural areas as a result of their involvement in the rural pharmacy program. Methods A questionnaire was distributed, by hand, to a total of 58 third and fourth (final) year pharmacy students undertaking their rural placement in the Gippsland region, in rural Victoria in 2011 and 2012. Results Fifty-seven responses were returned (response rate = 98%). Students stated that understanding pharmacy practice from a rural perspective, visits to rural health professionals and sites and the attitude of their preceptors were essential to their satisfaction with their rural placements. A significant number of students (72%) intend to seek employment in rural areas if opportunities arise as a result of their increased rural awareness. The key components for a successful rural placement program were described by the surveyed students as social awareness, recognising job opportunities and interprofessional learning. Conclusion The evaluation of the rural placement program revealed that students valued their visits to rural sites and their interaction with other rural health professionals the most. What is known about the topic? Rural undergraduate student programs have been initiated as a result of several Australian government strategies to address shortages in rural health workforce. Subsequently, various rural placement programs have been integral parts of several disciplines, including medicine, dentistry, nursing, occupational therapy and pharmacy among others. To date, there are few data on pharmacy-specific placement programs and their impact on students’ work after graduation What does this paper add? The rural pharmacy program is important in influencing students’ perceptions and interest in a career in rural areas. The key components for a successful rural placement program were described by the surveyed students as social awareness, recognising job opportunities and interprofessional learning. What are the implications for practitioners? Interprofessional learning and collaboration are inevitable due to the shortage of health professionals and the move towards holistic management of patients in healthcare settings. The development of an interprofessional rural education that combines rural medical and pharmacy students together highlights the importance of an interprofessional approach to preparing students to work in rural areas.

A mobile health technology workshop to evaluate available technologies and their potential use in pharmacy practice

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimon C Miranda ◽  
Erini S Serag-Bolos ◽  
Timothy Dy Aungst ◽  
Rowshan Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Pharmacy Practice ◽  
Health Technology ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
Personal Health ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Mhealth Technology ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Potential Use

The objectives of this workshop were to characterise the use of mobile health (mHealth) devices among second year pharmacy students, discover perception of their potential use in practice and obtain workshop feedback. The workshop consisted of two sessions. The first session introduced the concept of mHealth and allowed for hands-on experience with wireless mHealth devices such as blood pressure cuffs, scales and smart body analysers, personal health devices and glucometers. The second session consisted of a facilitated discussion and lecture that addressed these concepts. Students completed a preworkshop and postworkshop survey. 106 students completed the preworkshop survey and 96 students completed the postworkshop survey. 22% of the class owned an mHealth device and a majority of students reported increased knowledge of mobile health devices due to this simulation. The workshop was successful in introducing mHealth technology. The change in students’ perception that such devices could be useful in practice or easily incorporated could be due to technical difficulties and cost of the devices.

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