INNOVATIONS in pharmacy (Iip - E-Journal)
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Integrative Student Learning: An Effective Team Learning Activity in a Learner-Centered Paradigm
Get PDFPurpose: An Integrative Student Learning (ISL) activity was developed with the intent to enhance the dynamic of student teamwork and enhance student learning by fostering critical-thinking skills, self-directed learning skills, and active learning.
Case Study: The ISL activity consists of three portions: teambuilding, teamwork, and a facilitator driven "closing the loop" feedback discussion. For teambuilding, a set of clue sheets or manufacturer's drug containers were distributed among student pairs who applied their pharmaceutical knowledge to identify two more student pairs with similar clues or drugs, thus building a team of six. For teamwork, each team completed online exams, composed of integrated pharmaceutical science questions with clinical correlates, using only selected online library resources. For the feedback discussion, facilitators evaluated student impressions, opened a discussion about the ISL activity, and provided feedback to teams' impressions and questions. This study describes three different ISL activities developed and implemented over three days with first year pharmacy students. Facilitators' interactions with students and three surveys indicated a majority of students preferred ISL over traditional team activities and over 90% agreed ISL activities promoted active learning, critical-thinking, self-directed learning, teamwork, and student confidence in online library searches.
Conclusions: The ISL activity has proven to be an effective learning activity that promotes teamwork and integration of didactic pharmaceutical sciences to enhance student learning of didactic materials and confidence in searching online library resources. It was found that all of this can be accomplished in a short amount of class time with a very reasonable amount of preparation.
Type: Case Stud
Comparison of Traditional Versus Evidence-Based Journal Club Formats
Get PDFPurpose: The objective of the study was to compare a traditionally structured journal club with an evidence based structured journal club during an advanced clinical pharmacy rotation and to determine the best utilization that aligns with recent changes to the pharmacy school accreditation standards.
Methods: The study included 21 students who completed journal club utilizing the traditional journal club format and 24 students who utilized an evidence based journal club format. Background characteristics, student reported beliefs, and mean critical evaluation skills scores were evaluated and compared in each group.
Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the two cohorts in mean overall percentage grade for the activity. Students in the traditional cohort received significantly higher grades for the Study Analysis and Critique section (90.97 + 12.18 versus 81.25 + 11.18, P=0.01) as well as for the Preparedness section (96.11 + 8.03 versus 85.0 + 17.13, P=0.002). Students in the evidence based cohort received statistically superior grades for the Presentation Skills section (96.43 + 6.39 versus 82.47 + 14.12, P=0.0004).
Conclusion: An evidence based journal club is a reasonable and effective alternative to the traditionally structured journal club when the primary objective is to assist students in understanding evidence based concepts and to apply current literature to clinical practice
Patient And phaRmacit Telephonic Encounters (PARTE) in an Underserved Rural Population with Asthma: Methods and Rationale
Get PDFPurpose: Methods used to deliver and test a pharmacy-based asthma care telephonic service for an underserved, rural patient population are described.
Summary: In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), the Patient And phaRmacist Telephonic Encounters (PARTE) project is assessing the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of providing pharmacy-based asthma care service telephonically. The target audience is a low income patient population across a large geographic area served by a federally qualified community health center. Ninety-eight participants have been randomized to either standard care or the intervention group who received consultation and direct feedback from pharmacists via telephone regarding their asthma self-management and medication use. Pharmacists used a counseling framework that incorporates the Indian Health Services 3 Prime Questions and the RIM Technique (Recognition, Identification, and Management) for managing medication use problems. Pharmacists encouraged patients to be active partners in the decision-making process to identify and address the underlying cause of medication use problems. Uniquely, this trial collected process and summative data using qualitative and quantitative approaches. Pharmacists' training, the fidelity and quality of pharmacists' service delivery, and short term patient outcomes are being evaluated. This evaluation will improve our ability to address research challenges and intervention barriers, refine staff training, explore patient perspectives, and evaluate measures' power to provide preliminary patient outcome findings.
Conclusion: A mixed method evaluation of a structured pharmacist intervention has the potential to offer insights regarding staff training, service fidelity and short term outcomes using quantitative and qualitative data in an RCT. Results will provide evidence regarding the feasibility and quality of carrying out the study and service delivery from the multiple perspectives of participants, clinicians, and researchers.
Type: Original Researc
Performance and Perceptions of Pharmacy Students using Team-based Learning (TBL) within a Global Health Course
Get PDFPurpose: Team-based learning (TBL) has been shown to be a very useful active learning tool in a variety of disciplines and educational settings. The objectives of this study in a Global Health elective course within a PharmD curriculum were to (1) determine whether TBL contributes to performance (as measured by iRAT scores, tRAT scores, and grades); and (2) evaluate students' perceptions of TBL as an instructional strategy.
Case Study: TBL sessions were incorporated into a new elective course in Global Health along with other teaching methodologies. Student performance was evaluated during the TBL sessions and course team projects, among others. An anonymous student qualitative survey explored their perceptions of and experiences with TBL at the end of the course. Students' performance in the TBL sessions improved as reflected in the comparison of individual Readiness Assurance Tests (iRATs) and the team Readiness Assurance Tests (tRATs) scores. Overall students' performance in the course resulted in over 88% earning the letter grade A. Students' performance in the TBL sessions, especially their iRATs, was reflected in their overall course grades. Over 75% of the students believed that TBL increased their analytical skills and nearly 50% believed that learning utilizing TBL would have the most lasting effect on their careers.
Conclusion: TBL was successfully implemented in a Global Health elective course in a PharmD curriculum and students perceived it as a beneficial instructional strategy. This study adds to the TBL literature by providing some evidence of the applicability of TBL in a course not traditionally taught in the PharmD curriculum (i.e., Global Health). Future research and intervention(s) leading to the development and growth of TBL in pharmacy education are recommended.
Type: Case Stud
What's Past is Prologue: The History of the Discipline of Pharmacy Administration
Get PDFType: Commentar
Chemical Stability of Hydrocortisone in Topical Preparation in Proprietary VersaPro™ Cream Base
Get PDFThe United States Pharmacopeia-National Formulary (USP-NF) suggests beyond use dating ((BUD) for compounded topical preparations containing active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) [1]. The beyond the use dates of the preparations are based on the conservative and empirical guidelines of USP 795. Hydrocortisone (HC) content compounded in the VersaPro™ base cream was quantified using a HPLC method at time zero and after 30 and 60 days of storage at both room temperature and 4°C. The analysis suggests that the compounded preparations retain > 95% of the stated initial potency of HC regardless of storage conditions. Thus HC creams prepared in VersaPro™ cream base can be safely assigned a beyond the use date of two months when stored at room temperature.
Type: Original Researc
Evaluating Pennsylvania Pharmacists' Provision of Community-based Patient Care Services
Get PDFObjective: To identify and describe Pennsylvania pharmacists who currently provide or are interested in providing community-based patient care services and are interested in joining a statewide practice network.
Design: Cross-sectional survey.
Setting: February to June 2009 in Pennsylvania.
Participants: 1700 pharmacists.
Intervention: Mailed and electronic survey.
Main outcome measures: Number and geographic location of pharmacists providing or interested in providing community-based patient care in Pennsylvania. Description of patient care documentation methods; physical space; services provided; perceived barriers to providing patient care; training needs; and interest in joining a statewide practice network.
Results: The final analysis included data from 1700 pharmacists. Approximately one-third of pharmacists (n=554) were providing patient care services to community-based patients. Most were routinely documenting (67.5%) and many had a semi-private or private space to provide care. MTM and immunizations were the most common services provided. Respondents reported the most significant barrier to providing MTM, diabetes education, and smoking cessation education was time constraints, whereas training was a barrier for immunization provision. Most pharmacists were not being compensated for patient care services. Of the 869 pharmacists interested in joining a statewide network, those providing care were more interested in joining than those who were not (70.8% vs. 43.8%, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Pennsylvania pharmacists are interested in providing community-based patient care services and joining a statewide practice network focused on providing community-based patient care services. This research serves as a foundation for building a pharmacist practice network in Pennsylvania.
Type: Original Researc
Using Multiple Choice Questions Written at Various Bloom's Taxonomy Levels to Evaluate Student Performance across a Therapeutics Sequence
Get PDFObjective: To evaluate the results of a prospectively developed plan for using multiple choice questions (MCQs) developed at defined Bloom's levels to assess student performance across a Therapeutics sequence.
Methods: Faculty were prospectively instructed to prepare a specific number of MCQs for exams in a Therapeutics sequence. Questions were distributed into one of three cognitive levels based on a modified Bloom's taxonomy, including recall, application, and analysis. Student performance on MCQs was compared between and within each Bloom's level throughout the Therapeutics sequence. In addition, correlations between MCQ performance and case performance were assessed.
Results:A total of 168 pharmacy students were prospectively followed in a Therapeutics sequence over two years. The overall average MCQ score on 10 exams was 68.8%. A significant difference in student performance was observed between recall, application, and analysis domain averages (73.1%, 70.2% and 60.1%; p
Conclusions: As students progress through the curriculum, faculty may need to find ways to promote recall knowledge for more advanced topics while continuing to develop their ability to apply and analyze information. Exams with well-designed MCQs that prospectively target various cognitive levels can facilitate assessment of student performance.
Type: Original Researc
Is Mail Service Pharmacy Cost Beneficial to Plan Sponsors?
Get PDFThe objective of this study was to describe and compare prescription drug costs charged to a plan sponsor for the top 50 maintenance medications provided through retail and mail service procurement channels. Data were obtained for covered beneficiaries of a health plan sponsored by an employer with just over 3,000 covered employees The analytics team at the PBM administering the plan sponsor's prescription drug benefit provided de-identified claims information for the top 50 maintenance prescription drugs delivered through either mail service or retail procurement methods for this employer over a one year period (7/1/2008 to 6/30/2009). Based on these data, (1) dollar amount difference (mail service minus retail), and (2) percentage difference between mail and retail costs (as a percentage of the lower net cost per day) were computed. The findings revealed that 76 percent of the medication products studied were associated with a lower net cost per day to the plan sponsor through mail service procurement and 24 percent were associated with lower net cost through retail procurement.
Type: Original Researc