Objectives. To characterize the use of high-fidelity mannequins and standardized patients in US pharmacy colleges and schools.Methods. A survey instrument was sent to 105 doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) programs to collect data on the use of simulation and to identify barriers to using simulation-based teaching methods.Results. Eighty-eight colleges and schools completed the survey instrument (response rate 84%). Of these, 14 did not use high-fidelity mannequins or standardized patients within the curriculum. Top barriers were logistical constraints and high resource cost. Twenty-three colleges and schools used simulation for introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs), 34 for interprofessional education, and 68 for evaluation of at least 1 core competency prior to advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs).Conclusions. Although the majority of US colleges and schools of pharmacy use simulation-based teaching methodologies to some extent in the pharmacy curricula, the role of simulation in IPPEs, i...

Objectives. To assess the effectiveness of human patient simulation to teach patient safety, team-building skills, and the value of interprofessional collaboration to pharmacy students.Design. Five scenarios simulating semi-urgent situations that required interprofessional collaboration were developed. Groups of 10 to 12 health professions students that included 1 to 2 pharmacy students evaluated patients while addressing patient safety hazards.Assessment. Pharmacy students’ scores on 8 of 30 items on a post-simulation survey of knowledge, skills, and attitudes improved over pre-simulation scores. Students’ scores on 3 of 10 items on a team building and interprofessional communications survey also improved after participating in the simulation exercise. Over 90% of students reported that simulation increased their understanding of professional roles and the importance of interprofessional communication.Conclusions. Simulation training provided an opportunity to improve pharmacy students’ ability to recogn...

To implement a simulation-based introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) and determine its effectiveness in assessing pharmacy students' core domain abilities prior to beginning advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE). A 60-hour IPPE that used simulation-based techniques to provide clinical experiences was implemented. Twenty-eight students were enrolled in this simulation IPPE, while 60 were enrolled in hospital and specialty IPPEs within the region. The IPPE assessed 10 out of 11 of the pre-APPE core domain abilities, and on the practical examination, 67% of students passed compared to 52% of students in the control group. Students performed better on all 6 knowledge quizzes after completing the simulation IPPE. Based on scores on the Perception of Preparedness to Perform (PREP) survey, students felt more prepared regarding "technical" aspects after completing the simulation experience (p<0.001). Ninety-six percent of the respondents agreed with the statement "I am more aware of medication errors after this IPPE." Simulation is an effective method for assessing the pre-APPE abilities of pharmacy students, preparing them for real clinical encounters, and for making them more aware of medication errors and other patient safety issues.

A proliferation of articles describe the importance of interprofessional education (IPE) to promote a collaborative practice workforce. As pharmacy programs implement, develop, and assess impactful IPE activities and experiences in their didactic and experiential curricula, it is important to consider various IPE frameworks and accreditation expectations. The purpose of this article is to elucidate best practices for high-quality IPE with consideration given to the recently released 2022 Curriculum Outcomes and Entrustable Professional Activities (COEPA), 2023 Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Competencies, and 2025 Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Standards. Multiple factors were identified as important considerations for building and sustaining effective IPE programs, including: (1) institutional readiness, (2) institutional culture, (3) infrastructure, (4), financial considerations, (5) faculty development, (6) curricular programming, and (7) outcomes assessment. Evidence supports these factors as best practices for quality IPE and articulates how these elements can be used to mitigate challenges and/or barriers experienced in developing, implementing, and advancing IPE. Equipping learners with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to work effectively as part of an interprofessional team is key to developing a collaborative practice-ready pharmacy workforce. The 2023 IPEC Competencies, which serve as a consensus framework to advance interprofessional education, informed the development of the interprofessional collaboration elements in the 2022 COEPA and 2025 ACPE Standards. Individual programs should leverage best practices related to institutional considerations, curricular development, and assessment to establish successful IPE programs.

Early provision of interprofessional education (IPE) is imperative to ensure effective communication between healthcare professionals. However, there are several barriers to offering adequate IPE, including space restrictions and lack of human resources, prompting exploration of alternative modalities. In 2019, an IPE activity was offered in person with 213 pharmacy and 45 physician assistant (PA) students participating in one-on-one team huddles focusing on managing an acutely ill patient. In 2020, the same IPE activity, including 194 pharmacy and 45 PA students, was offered virtually. Peer evaluations, an attitudes survey, and confidence surveys were administered to evaluate the impact of the IPE activity. A student t-test and descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze the data. On average, PA students in the virtual group rated their peers higher than PA students in the in-person group, with little difference in the pharmacy peer evaluation of their PA partner. Ninety percent of pharmacy students and 91% of PA students in the virtual group felt that “they learned something new regarding therapeutic management” from their partner versus 84% of pharmacy and 81% of PA students in the in-person group. In conclusion, using a virtual modality for a communications-focused IPE was not detrimental to student attitudes and did not adversely affect peer perceptions.

Background: The main objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the impact of a classroom activity involving music on anxiety associated with preparing for and taking an assessment. Methods: Two hundred and two (202) pharmacy students were randomly assigned to one of two conditions of the experimental study: active music playing (n = 103) versus passive music listening (n = 99). All students completed a pre-test, a mid-test, and a post-test including: an “Attitudes and Perceptions” survey, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults (STAI Survey), and a knowledge assessment. Data were analyzed to determine the impact each of the music interventions had on students’ test anxiety. Results: Both types of musical interventions produced similar results in terms of anxiety reduction. Faced with an upcoming test prior to the musical intervention, average state-trait anxiety scores increased; after the musical intervention, state-trait anxiety scores decreased. Conclusions: The use of music helped to reduce test anxiety, even after one brief musical intervention, regardless of whether students passively listened to music or actively played music.