Evaluation of OTC self-medication reports as an instructional strategy for clinical education

A novel instructional strategy for clinical education, the "Pharmacist Assisted Self-Medication Case Report," was introduced into a community practice externship in 1982. The purpose was to create an experimental tool which developed informational and problem solving skills of pharmacy students in the area of OTC self medication. The case report requires that the student conduct a patient interview, evaluate the patient's condition, decide on an appropriate recommendation and provide appropriate consultation. Students must complete four reports during their externship experience. The instructional method was evaluated by review of 132 consecutive reports, by evaluation of their content and by review of student and perceptor evaluations. Case reports were found to be an effective strategy which provided valuable information about experiential learning and allowed for consistent evaluation of student clinical experience. Content data were also helpful in evaluating didactic preparation for clinical experiences.