Bridging distances by delivering rural pharmacy education through a virtual elective course

Rural communities across Canada experience healthcare inequities that health professional programs can address, yet rural-specific courses are limited in pharmacy education. This case report describes a virtual rural pharmacy course and examines students' perceptions of rural practice and students' and community partners' (CPs) experiences with the course.

In 2024, the first elective on rural pharmacy practice launched in the Entry-to-Practice PharmD Program at the University of British Columbia. This primarily asynchronous online course included a virtual community-engaged learning (CEL) project where students worked with CPs that served rural communities. Using a qualitative descriptive design, three students and two CPs participated in semi-structured interviews (25% and 67% response rates, respectively). Transcripts were analyzed through inductive reflexive thematic analysis.

Students reported shifts in rural practice perceptions after completing the course. The asynchronous, self-paced aspect drove disengagement, while multi-modal delivery involving rural voices fostered engagement. Students' experiences with the virtual CEL were shaped by the project's output, peer collaboration, and level of perceived CP support. CPs discussed needing to intentionally bridge connections between students and rural communities in virtual partnerships. CPs perceived the CEL projects' health resources as contributing to knowledge mobilization for their organizations and the communities they serve.

Virtual delivery and CEL can offer meaningful and accessible rural pharmacy education to students, with reciprocal benefits for CPs. Intentional synchronous opportunities could address limitations with student engagement and community connections. These findings offer insights for integrating rural health content into pharmacy education through virtual course and CEL approaches.