Integrating Patient Safety Discussions with First-Year Doctor of Pharmacy Students in a Skills Lab Course

The patient safety problem has been well established for over 20 years in the United States (U.S.), and there is a recognized focus on ensuring that health professions' trainees receive explicit education in various patient safety principles and practices. While the literature provides examples of different approaches towards patient safety education for pharmacy students, there are few that focus on first-year pharmacy students. This educational observational study describes the implementation and evaluation of two 20 min patient safety learning activities integrated into a required pharmacy skills lab course. The first learning activity utilized a mock prescription and patient safety checklist that had students identify patient safety problems on the prescription, followed by a group discussion of implications for the patient. The second learning activity used images of common safety problems with a facilitated group discussion to have students identify systems-based solutions to those problems. Our study's findings revealed that students were able to identify basic patient safety problems and safety solutions, although some additional foundational information may be needed, particularly for students who may not have pharmacy work experience. Additional research is needed to continue building a literature base on patient safety education approaches, particularly for first-year pharmacy students.

Teaching Independent Decision-Making Through a Computer-Based Drug Utilization Review Simulation

Background: Drug utilization review (DUR) skills are important for pharmacists across all settings. Computer-based DUR simulations to teach student pharmacists are currently scarce. This article describes a computer-based DUR simulation that required limited faculty and financial resources and was implemented in collaboration among 3 institutions. Objective: To describe the innovation of a computer-based DUR simulation and its impact on pharmacy students' knowledge and confidence of DUR skills. Methods: This pre-post educational study assessed a computer-based DUR simulation that replicated the DUR process in dispensing systems. First- and third-year pharmacy students at 3 institutions were guided through simulated patient cases with various medication-related problems. The self-paced activity provided students with immediate, formative feedback and rationale for each option after an attempt was made in lieu of faculty intervention. Students completed pre-and post-assessments to evaluate changes in knowledge and confidence. Knowledge was assessed by comparing results of multiple choice and matching questions on the pre- and post-assessments. Confidence was assessed by the change in self-reported confidence scale measurements. Results: Students at all institutions (N = 405) had nonsignificant changes in knowledge scores from the pre-assessment to the post-assessment, with the exception of 1 question. All confidence survey questions significantly improved from pre- to post-assessment. Conclusion: The DUR educational innovation had a nonsignificant overall impact on students' knowledge but significantly improved confidence in their abilities. Skills-based instruction provides additional practice to increase student confidence.

"Brown bag" simulations to teach drug utilization review

OBJECTIVE

To teach drug utilization review (DUR) skills to pharmacy students and assess their abilities and confidence before and after training.

DESIGN

Profile reviews and online and live drug-utilization-review activities of increasing difficulty were incorporated into the first (P1), second (P2), and third (P3) years of the Pharmacy Skills Training Laboratory sequence in a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum.

ASSESSMENT

An online survey instrument was administered to gauge how comfortable students were with specific DUR skills before and after the activities. Students' confidence in performing specific DUR skills improved after completing the activities.

CONCLUSION

Profile reviews, as well as online and live medication reviews, gave students numerous opportunities to practice drug utilization review skills throughout the first 3 years of the pharmacy curriculum. Students' confidence in performing specific drug utilization review skills improved after the activities. Students' ability to perform the skills also improved as measured with the developed checklist in section V and VI of the Pharmacy Skills Laboratory sequence.

A prescription analysis exercise in a pharmaceutical care laboratory course

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of a new prescription analysis exercise in a second-year pharmaceutical care laboratory course.

DESIGN

A new prescription analysis exercise was created and implemented that shifted the focus from strictly identifying errors and omissions to identifying and correcting them. Students used electronic label templates and mock prescription materials to correct various errors and omissions commonly seen in practice.

ASSESSMENT

Forty-one percent of students received full credit for the exercise using the new method compared to the previous method where 9.1% of students received full credit. Ninety-four percent of respondents preferred the new method versus the original method, with reasons given including the new method seemed more practical, applicable, and realistic.

CONCLUSION

The new prescription analysis exercise addressed many inconsistencies noted with the original method. Students performed better on graded assessments using the new method and preferred it over the old method of prescription analysis.