Addressing the Challenges of Precepting Students Enrolled in Remote Research Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences

Student Pharmacist Perspectives of a Remote Ambulatory Care and Community Pharmacy Dual-Cohort APPE

OBJECTIVE

The primary aim of the study is to describe the development and implementation of a remote required ambulatory care and required community pharmacy dual-cohort Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotation from the student pharmacist perspective. The secondary objective is to identify elements of a remote APPE to integrate into traditional onsite rotations.

METHODS

An electronic post-survey was developed to evaluate rotation effectiveness based on the Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education (CAPE) outcomes, and to identify rotation attributes to inform future rotations. Students from different graduating classes on rotation between April and June 2020 participated in the survey. Likert-scale, ranked-response, and fixed-answer-choice questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and comparisons between cohorts and rotation groups were completed using the Chi-squared statistic (alpha .05). Open-ended questions were assessed for recurring themes. Study was exempted by university's Institutional Review Board.

RESULTS

Twenty-four of 45 invited students completed the survey (53% response rate). Of the surveyed CAPE outcomes, agreement was highest (95.7%) that the rotation improved students' abilities within 1.1 Learner, 2.2 Manager, and 4.4 Professional subdomains. Diversity of experiences and topic discussions were elements most frequently identified for inclusion in future rotations.

CONCLUSION

Student feedback was largely positive and indicated the remote APPE rotation experience was meaningful and improved abilities on key CAPE outcomes. Although remote rotations are unique, aspects including diverse learning experiences and preceptor collaboration may be considered for integration into traditional onsite rotations.

The Benefits and Challenges of Precepting Pharmacy Students Virtually in Interprofessional Primary Care Teams

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to identify pharmacists' perspectives on the benefits and challenges of precepting pharmacy students during circumstances that require using virtual care in team-based primary care practices.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey was disseminated through Qualtrics software from July 5, 2021, to October 13, 2021. We used a convenience sampling technique to recruit a sample of pharmacists working in primary care teams across Ontario, Canada, who were able to complete a web-based survey in English.

RESULTS

A total of 51 pharmacists participated in the survey and provided complete responses (response rate of 41%). Participants noted benefits at 3 levels of precepting pharmacy students in primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic: (1) benefits to pharmacists, (2) benefits to patients, and (3) benefits to students. Challenges of precepting pharmacy students were: (1) difficulty training students virtually, (2) students not being ideally prepared to begin a practicum training during a pandemic, and (3) reduced availability and new workload demands.

CONCLUSION

Pharmacists in team-based primary care highlighted substantial benefits and challenges for precepting students during a pandemic. Alternative mechanisms of experiential education delivery can provide new opportunities for pharmacy care yet can also restrict immersion into interprofessional team-based primary care and diminish pharmacist capacity. Additional support and resources to facilitate capacity are critical for pharmacy students to succeed in future practice in team-based primary care.

Pragmatic Model and Faculty Toolkit for PharmD Student Engagement in Social and Administrative Pharmacy Research

OBJECTIVE

We aim to describe the development of a pharmacy student workgroup as an experiential education model to provide social and administrative pharmacy research opportunities and provide a toolkit for faculty seeking to increase student research engagement via this model.

METHODS

Three pharmacy faculty with diverse training backgrounds but a common interest in opioid medications established a workgroup named the Opioid Research Workgroup. The workgroup consisted of first-year pharmacy students, research interns, and advanced graduate trainees. A hierarchical leadership model of supervision was implemented, whereby students reported progress on research tasks directly to an advanced graduate trainee leading a project team. To understand students' perspectives on the research experience and educational outcomes, students were asked to complete an anonymous voluntary survey after a year of participation.

RESULTS

Since its establishment, the workgroup has published multiple conference abstracts, manuscripts, and grants. Students' overall satisfaction with the Workgroup on a scale of 1-5, 5 being very high, was 4.69. The successful scalability and longevity of this model are dependent on administrative support that protects faculty resources. The toolkit provided offers resources for those interested in adapting this model.

CONCLUSION

Our experience with the pragmatic model of pharmacy student engagement in research proved successful in terms of research output and student training experience. Although the model can be applied across a variety of health science clinical and research topics, and faculty can leverage this approach to increase productivity in research output, faculty must ensure that resources are available to support this effort.