Sustainability of a Practice-based Interprofessional Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience Course

Am J Pharm Educ. 2015 Jun 25;79(5):62. doi: 10.5688/ajpe79562.

Abstract

Objective: To describe a successfully sustained interprofessional introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) in which third-year pharmacy students were paired with nonpharmacist practitioners.

Methods: Course data were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed to reveal details about the program. Provider participant numbers and student perception data were reviewed and reported on.

Results: The number of students and providers participating increased during the 13 years of the program. On average, preceptors participated for 3 years and hosted 4 pharmacy students. Students consistently agreed the course helped increase student communication competencies and integration into interdisciplinary practice (mean agreement of 88.4% and 91.6%, respectively).

Conclusion: A required interprofessional IPPE course designed to develop students' self-confidence working and communicating with nonpharmacist practitioners has been successfully sustained for more than a decade. Students report improvements in self-confidence and achievement of the course's primary outcomes.

Keywords: experiential training; interprofessional education; introductory pharmacy practice experience; pharmacy student.

MeSH terms

  • Curriculum*
  • Education, Pharmacy*
  • Humans
  • Pharmacies
  • Pharmacy
  • Program Development / methods
  • Program Evaluation / methods
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Students, Pharmacy