Pilot Evaluation of Generation Rx Ambassadors Virtual Training to Prepare Students for Medication Safety Outreach

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy education
• Public health initiatives
• Substance abuse prevention

Background:

• Generation Rx (GenRx) is a student-led program for community medication safety education.
• A virtual training program, Generation Rx Ambassadors, was developed to enhance facilitator skills.
• The pilot study aimed to assess the impact of this virtual training on knowledge and confidence.

Discussion:

• The virtual training demonstrated significant knowledge gains across participants.
• Training aligned participants' self-perceived abilities with objective knowledge, particularly in medication safety outreach.
• Formal training is crucial for student pharmacists engaging in community prevention education.

Key Insights:

• The Generation Rx Ambassadors program is an effective tool for training facilitators in medication safety.
• Participants showed improved understanding of safe medication practices.
• The training successfully bridged the gap between perceived and actual competence in delivering GenRx education.

Outlook:

• Future research should involve larger cohorts to validate findings.
• Assessing the program's effectiveness in real-world community settings is a key next step.
• Expanding the virtual training to a broader audience could enhance medication safety outreach nationwide.