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Repeated testing to improve skills in a pharmacy practice laboratory course
Kimberley Begley1, Michael S Monaghan, Yongyue Qi
1School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA. kimbegley@creighton.edu
American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education
|August 23, 2013
Summary
Repeated simulations and testing significantly improve pharmacy students' skills in areas like patient counseling and drug reviews. This approach enhances learning and performance in essential pharmacy practice activities.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacy Education
- Skills Development
- Experiential Learning
Background:
- Pharmacy practice skills are crucial for patient care.
- Traditional education may not adequately develop or retain these skills.
- Innovative teaching methods are needed to enhance pharmacy student competency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effect of repeated simulations and assessments on Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students' practical skills.
- To determine if increased complexity in simulated scenarios impacts skill acquisition.
- To evaluate the long-term impact of repeated practice on essential pharmacy competencies.
Main Methods:
- Redesigned a pharmacy practice skills laboratory to incorporate timed, repeated learning experiences.
- Increased the complexity of simulated medication problems throughout the semester.
- Analyzed student performance data over a 5-year period for skills practiced 4+ times.
Main Results:
- Significant score improvements were observed in drug utilization reviews and patient counseling simulations (p <0.001).
- Prescription and sterile product verification scores also improved significantly after 3 assessments (p <0.001).
- Performance on prescription and sterile product verification plateaued with further assessments, indicating a potential limit to improvement.
Conclusions:
- Multiple opportunities for simulated pharmacy practice activities enhance student learning and performance.
- Repeated testing and simulation are effective strategies for developing and retaining critical pharmacy skills.
- The study highlights the benefits of iterative practice in foundational pharmacy skills.
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