Effectiveness of a Medication Reconciliation Simulation in an Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience Course

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Medical Simulation
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Medication reconciliation is a critical patient safety process.
• Effective training methods are needed to ensure pharmacy students master medication reconciliation skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a simulated learning exercise on pharmacy students' medication reconciliation performance.
• To evaluate students' perceptions of their ability and the training's effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• Third-year pharmacy students were assigned to a lecture-only group, a lecture and workshop group, or a control group.
• Following interventions, all students performed a simulated medication reconciliation with a standardized patient.
• Pre- and post-intervention surveys were administered to gauge student perceptions.

Main Results:

• The group participating in both lecture and workshop demonstrated the highest performance in the simulated medication reconciliation activity.
• Students in the combined intervention group reported high satisfaction and a desire for more integrated simulation exercises.
• Performance scores indicated significant improvement for students receiving comprehensive simulation-based training.

Conclusions:

• Simulated learning exercises are effective in enhancing pharmacy students' medication reconciliation skills, including accurate list retrieval, discrepancy identification, and resolution.
• Integrating simulation-based training into pharmacy curricula is crucial for developing essential practice skills.
• Simulation offers a valuable tool for improving medication reconciliation competency among future pharmacists.