Impact of Longitudinal Case-Based Learning on Students' Ability to Articulate the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process

To evaluate how Synthesis, a case-based learning experience, influenced student pharmacists' ability to articulate their medication review process, and its alignment with the Pharmacists' Patient Case Process (PPCP).

During Synthesis, students used the PPCP to identify and prioritize medication therapy problems and develop person-centered, evidence-based care plans. Students completed pre- and post- surveys describing their process for evaluating medication regimens. The post-Synthesis survey also prompted students to rate their confidence in performing PPCP-related tasks, the extent to which their process had changed, and to describe how their process had changed. Scaled/count data were analyzed descriptively. Free-text responses were coded descriptively for the 4 PPCP stages. Assess-coded response text segments were further coded for inclusion of medication therapy problems. Free-text responses describing how processes had changed were analyzed interpretively.

Pre- and post- surveys were completed by 168 students (100% response rate). Student confidence increased from 3.43 ± 0.83 (pre-series) to 4.43 ± 0.59 (post-series). In the written descriptions of their medication review process, responses most frequently included Collect and Assess and least frequently included Plan/Implement and Follow Up/Monitor. For the post descriptions, indication was the most reported indication, effectiveness, safety, and adherence element, and adherence was the least mentioned. Overall, students reported moderate changes in their process, including taking a more structured approach and shifting from information gathering to information assessment.

Our results suggest that Synthesis was associated with increased confidence and changes in students' written articulation of their medication review process, although these changes were not consistently reflected across all elements of the PPCP.