Pharmacy Student Perceptions of the Entrustable Professional Activities

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Pharmacist Training
• Entrustable Professional Activities

Background:

• The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy established 15 core entrustable professional activities (EPAs) for new pharmacy graduates.
• Assessing pharmacy students' perceptions of these EPAs is crucial for curriculum development and ensuring graduate readiness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate pharmacy students' perceptions of the relevance and expected performance of the 15 core EPAs.
• To assess pharmacy students' self-reported preparedness and need for supervision in performing these EPAs across different academic years.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students from all four professional years at four universities.
• Students rated the relevance and expected performance of each EPA, and their self-perceived entrustability and need for supervision.
• Participants identified EPAs they felt most and least prepared to perform.

Main Results:

• The vast majority of students (≥85%) considered all EPAs relevant to pharmacy practice.
• A significant percentage (≥67%) agreed that pharmacists are expected to perform these activities in various settings.
• Students' self-perceived need for supervision generally decreased from the first to the fourth professional year, though complexity sometimes led to regression.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacy students consistently recognize the core EPAs as relevant and essential components of pharmacy practice.
• Students' self-reported preparedness and decreasing need for supervision suggest a positive progression in their readiness for post-graduate pharmacy roles.
• Curriculum adjustments may be beneficial to address specific EPAs where students perceive lower preparedness or increased complexity.