Sustainability of a Practice-based Interprofessional Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience Course

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Interprofessional Practice
• Experiential Learning

Background:

• Interprofessional education is crucial for modern healthcare.
• Pharmacy students require practical experience in diverse clinical settings.
• Bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world practice is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a sustained interprofessional introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE).
• To evaluate the long-term success of pairing third-year pharmacy students with non-pharmacist practitioners.
• To assess the impact of the IPPE on student communication and integration into interdisciplinary teams.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review and analysis of course data over 13 years.
• Tracking of student and provider participation numbers.
• Analysis of student perception data regarding communication and integration.

Main Results:

• Consistent increase in student and provider participation over 13 years.
• Preceptors averaged 3 years of participation, hosting 4 students each.
• High student agreement (88.4% and 91.6%) on improved communication and interdisciplinary integration.

Conclusions:

• A required interprofessional IPPE course has been successfully sustained for over a decade.
• The program effectively enhances student self-confidence in working with non-pharmacist practitioners.
• Students report significant improvements in primary course outcomes, including communication competencies.