Role of the hospital pharmacy director in experiential education

Pharmacy departments in community hospitals frequently function as teaching sites for the externship component of the pharmacy curriculum. With the entry-level doctor of pharmacy degree replacing the bachelor of science degree at several colleges of pharmacy, the use of community hospitals as sites for experiential education will undoubtedly increase. This article explores the role of the director of pharmacy in providing an optimal environment for experiential education to take place. The following topics are emphasized: maximizing the usefulness of the hospital pharmacy department as a teaching site; fulfilling the needs and requirements of the college, the hospital pharmacy, and the student; and using educational methods that promote student learning without placing unacceptable demands upon the director's time.