Integrating an elective self-care experience with a required advanced pharmacy practice community experience

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Self-Care Medication Management
• Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE)

Background:

• New Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) standards require enhanced self-care education.
• Existing community APPEs need integration of nonprescription medication (self-care) experiences.
• The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Pharmacy sought to address these requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development, planning, implementation, and integration of a novel self-care APPE.
• To provide enhanced self-care education and skill development for Doctor of Pharmacy students.
• To meet new ACPE standards effective July 2007.

Main Methods:

• Development of a dedicated Advanced Community Pharmacy Over-The-Counter APPE.
• Integration of the self-care experience into the existing APPE structure at UAMS.
• Faculty involvement and insights were documented.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive self-care APPE was successfully developed and implemented.
• The APPE provides a structured environment for students to gain practical self-care knowledge.
• Faculty provided valuable insights into the process and outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The implemented self-care APPE effectively enhances student education and skill development.
• This initiative successfully integrates critical self-care components into pharmacy practice training.
• The program serves as a model for other institutions adapting to new ACPE standards.