Patient Safety Education in Entry to Practice Pharmacy Programs: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Patient Safety
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Patient safety is a critical component of healthcare, necessitating its integration into pharmacy education.
• Existing literature on patient safety in pharmacy curricula requires synthesis and quality evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and evaluate quantitative and qualitative literature on patient safety in pharmacy education.
• To analyze the content, delivery methods, and outcomes of patient safety education in pharmacy programs.
• To explore student and faculty perspectives on integrating patient safety into pharmacy curricula.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of four databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, ScienceDirect) from 2000-2019.
• Article selection based on prespecified criteria following PRISMA guidelines.
• Data extraction and quality assessment using the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool by two independent reviewers.

Main Results:

• Twenty-five articles were included, primarily from the United States.
• Patient safety content focused on principles, medication error identification, disclosure, and management.
• Lack of standardization in curriculum integration; interprofessional and experiential learning approaches were common.
• Student perceptions and attitudes improved significantly post-intervention.

Conclusions:

• Patient safety education is incorporated into pharmacy programs through various content and delivery methods.
• Interprofessional and experiential learning are promising approaches for patient safety education.
• Longitudinal studies are recommended to evaluate the long-term impact on graduate practice and health outcomes.