Interprofessional activity using a situation, background, assessment, and recommendation structured method of communication to teach safe prescribing practices.

Interprofessional education (IPE) can prepare health sciences students to communicate effectively within interdisciplinary teams to deliver safe and effective health care with fewer medical errors. The IPE Collaborative Core Competencies were used to develop and evaluate a course-based, faculty-planned, IPE activity for health professions students. Nurse practitioner and physician associate students were paired with Doctor of Pharmacy students to simulate a professional interaction between prescriber and pharmacist; student pairs used current evidence and the verbal situation, background, assessment, and recommendation method of communication to resolve a case-based prescription safety issue.

A Multisite, Longitudinal Study Assessing Prevalence of Anxiety in Student Pharmacists.

Objective: Conduct a multisite, survey-based study assessing rates of self-reported anxiety symptoms among student pharmacists enrolled in the first 3 professional years (PY1 to PY3) of a 4-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curricula.

Methods: This study followed a cross-sectional observational design conducted at Washington State University, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (WSU) and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Pharmacy (UAMS). Student pharmacists in PY1 to PY3 of the PharmD curricula were invited to voluntarily complete the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale in order to self-report measures of anxiety.

Exploring the Utility and Fairness of a Multi-institutional Situational Judgment Test.

Objective: To pilot a situational judgment test (SJT) developed to assess empathy, integrity, and teamwork and explore differences in performance between first-year (P1) and fourth-year (P4) student pharmacists based on gender, race or ethnicity, and geographical region.

Methods: An SJT was developed to assess empathy, integrity, and teamwork, using best practices. The SJT was piloted tested with P1 and P4 student pharmacists at 5 institutions.

A Cycle of Reinforcing Challenges and Ideas for Action in Experiential Settings.

Evidence suggests that both pharmacy students and preceptors are struggling in the experiential setting. Underlying this phenomenon is a potential interconnected and cyclic set of behaviors being reinforced between students and preceptors. These behaviors can contribute to or are the result of higher levels of burnout and a decrease in the development of student clinical skills and subsequent performance on rotation.

A multisite, longitudinal study assessing prevalence of depression in student pharmacists.

Objective: Conduct a multisite, survey-based study assessing rates of self-reported depressive symptoms among student pharmacists enrolled in the first 3 years (P1-P3) of 4-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curricula.

Methods: This study followed a cross-sectional observational design conducted at Washington State University, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Pharmacy. Student pharmacists in the first 3 years of pharmacy school (P1-P3) of the PharmD curricula were invited to voluntarily complete the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) to collect self-reported measures of depression.

Opening the Black Box: Agreement and Reliability of a Situational Judgment Test Across Multiple Institutions.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to examine the levels of agreement and reliability of a situational judgment test (SJT) using a diverse pool of pharmacy practice faculty as subject matter experts. Secondary aims included analyses to build support for test validity and fairness.

Methods: An SJT containing 18 scenarios and 118 responses assessing empathy, integrity, and teamwork was developed and delivered to pharmacy practice faculty at 5 schools of pharmacy across the United States.

Implementing Mental Health First Aid Training in a Doctor of Pharmacy Program.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to describe the implementation of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training as a required curricular component in a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program; and analyze the impact of MHFA training on student pharmacist's perceptions of stigma, comfort, confidence, and willingness to intervene when someone is experiencing a mental health issue.

Methods: Student pharmacists completed an all-day MHFA training as a required element of the PharmD curriculum during the spring of 2022. Pre- and post-survey was completed by students during the in-person training.

PharmD Education Program Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Aligning Accreditation, Curricula, and the Oath.

In November 2021, the Oath of a Pharmacist was updated to include the following statement, "I will promote inclusion, embrace diversity, and advocate for justice to advance health equity." These words underscore the responsibility of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education to reconsider how diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism are integrated within curricula and programmatic processes. To fully embrace the new Oath, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and PharmD programs should consider the incorporation of diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism concepts utilizing the recommendations of external expert bodies with overlapping and complementary frameworks.

A systematic review of patient interactions with student pharmacists in educational settings.

Background: Patients may contribute to various aspects of student pharmacists' education within clinical, experiential and educational settings. There is an emerging body of literature describing and evaluating the contribution of patients to health care education; however, little is known about patients' contribution to pharmacy education specifically within educational settings.

Objective: To explore the evidence relating to the involvement of patients in the education of student pharmacists, in terms of the nature, extent, and outcomes of their contribution.

A call to action: Community pharmacists to address COVID-19-related behavioral health concerns.

Owing to the extended nature and worldwide exposure of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, it is likely that the presence and impact of behavioral health conditions will increase. For example, it is anticipated that individuals living with a major depressive disorder could reach as high as 60% of the population owing to the ongoing disruption from COVID-19. In 2017, the annual rate of individuals experiencing a major depressive episode was only 7.

The impact of a mental health course elective on student pharmacist attitudes.

Background And Purpose: A mental health first aid elective course was developed at a four-year doctor of pharmacy program. The objectives of the course were to de-stigmatize the attitudes of enrolled student pharmacists and provide tools to triage and manage mental health crises. The purpose of this work is to investigate the impact of a newly developed mental health first aid elective course.

Developing Self-Directed Learners.

To discuss the meaning of self-directed learning, challenges with implementation, and strategies to overcome obstacles in educational settings. In this paper we define self-directed learning, differentiate it from similar terminology, and discuss the empirical evidence for its development and strategies for its use within higher education. Self-directed learning as a defined teaching pedagogy has been around since the 1960s and can be used in classroom and experiential settings.

Consideration of Aggressive and Strategic Approaches to Address Declining Enrollment in US Pharmacy Schools.

Members from Cohort 13 of the Academic Leadership Fellows Program (ALFP) 2016-2017 were challenged to present a debate on the topic: "In Turbulent Times, Pharmacy Education Leaders Must Take Aggressive Action to Prevent Further Declines in Enrollment" at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy INfluence 2017 meeting in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. This paper is the result of thoughtful insights emerging from this debate. We present a discussion of the question of whether pharmacy education leaders must take aggressive action or strategic approaches to prevent further declines in enrollment.

Addressing Unmet Patient Care Needs Through Curricular Development of Student Pharmacist Leadership and Entrepreneurial Skills.

To develop, deliver, and evaluate an innovative curriculum designed to increase student pharmacists' skills and confidence in addressing unmet patient care needs and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's (IHI) Triple Aim goals in the community pharmacy setting. Course modules developed collaboratively between the University of Washington and Washington State University focused on student pharmacist exposure to and direct application of leadership theory in addressing real world challenges. Both programs delivered the curriculum to all second-year student pharmacists during the fall 2015 and fall 2016 semesters.

Moving from Novice to Expertise and Its Implications for Instruction.

To address the stages of expertise development, what differentiates a novice from an expert, and how the development and differences impact how we teach our classes or design the curriculum. This paper will also address the downside of expertise and discuss the importance of teaching expertise relative to domain expertise. Experts develop through years of experience and by progressing from novice, advance beginner, proficient, competent, and finally expert.

Management of Refractory Intracranial Pressure.

Patients with refractory intracranial pressure represent a challenge to the multidisciplinary critical care team. Myriad diagnoses: traumatic brain injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracranial hemorrhage, and ischemic stroke, are among the causes commonly seen in patients with elevated intracranial pressure. Clinicians tasked with caring for these patients must be aware of available interventions and management strategies to improve outcomes.

Variability of Brain Death Policies in the United States.

Importance: Brain death is the irreversible cessation of function of the entire brain, and it is a medically and legally accepted mechanism of death in the United States and worldwide. Significant variability may exist in individual institutional policies regarding the determination of brain death. It is imperative that brain death be diagnosed accurately in every patient.

Simulation-based training in brain death determination.

Background: Despite straightforward guidelines on brain death determination by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), substantial practice variability exists internationally, between states, and among institutions. We created a simulation-based training course on proper determination based on the AAN practice parameters to address and assess knowledge and practice gaps at our institution.

Methods: Our intervention consisted of a didactic course and a simulation exercise, and was bookended by before and after multiple-choice tests.

A tool to assess student performance in a Clostridium difficile infection simulation scenario.

Objective: To develop and validate an evaluation tool to assess student pharmacists' performance in a simulation scenario involving a patient with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).

Methods: The authors used an expert panel review process to establish content validity of the tool. Four faculty members used the tool to evaluate student pharmacist groups during 2011 and tested a modified version of the tool in 2012.

Can a new ultra-long-acting insulin analogue improve patient care? Investigating the potential role of insulin degludec.

The basal-bolus concept of delivering insulin to diabetic patients makes physiological sense, as it mimics normal insulin release in people without diabetes. In line with this concept, a major effort put forth by insulin manufacturers has been to develop the ideal exogenous basal insulin product. The perfect basal insulin product would be injected into subcutaneous tissue without causing irritation, release insulin continuously at a constant rate for at least 24 hours, be stable, not contribute to weight gain, have a low risk of allergic reactions and, very importantly, minimize the risk of hypoglycaemia.

Using human patient simulation to prepare student pharmacists to manage medical emergencies in an ambulatory setting.

Objective: To implement a simulation-based educational experience focused on medical emergencies in an ambulatory pharmacy setting.

Design: Second-year student pharmacists were assigned randomly to groups and played the role of pharmacists in a community pharmacy setting in which a simulated patient experienced 1 of 5 emergency scenarios: medication-related allergic reaction, acute asthma attack, hypoglycemia, myocardial infarction, and stroke. The students were expected to use patient assessment techniques to determine which emergency the simulated patient was experiencing and the appropriate intervention.