Intervention documentation of second- to fourth-year pharmacy students during clinical experiential rotations

The objective of this study was to evaluate pharmacy student intervention documentation during their clinical experiential rotations and to gain insight on their perceptions of this experience.

This was an institutional review board approved descriptive study of pharmacy student interventions documented during one academic year. Students documented interventions using a pharmacy-specific system in the electronic medical record. Pharmacy student feedback regarding the process and utility of intervention documentation was assessed using a brief anonymous, voluntary, three-min online survey tool.

In total, 894 clinical interventions were documented by 32 students (585 by 11 fourth-year students, 309 by 21  second- and third-year students). Most interventions were categorized as other (28%), followed by change in dose, frequency or, route (26.5%). The acceptance rate was 89.5% and associated cost savings were $166,551 ($186.30 per intervention). Student survey responses were generally positive and recommended continuing the documentation process in the future.

This study provides insight into the concept of second- and third-year pharmacy student clinical intervention documentation, with comparison to fourth-year documentation. Future studies exploring pharmacy student intervention documentation may be valuable (e.g., expanding pharmacy services, demonstrating student impact on patient care, strategies to best facilitate learning).