Search Results (267)

Objectives: This study aimed to assess pharmacy students’ curricular exposure to deprescribing, their attitudes and preparedness to perform core deprescribing steps, and their understanding of interprofessional roles in the deprescribing process. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey that included undergraduate pharmacy students in their fifth or sixth year of study, who were enrolled in Saudi universities during the academic year 2025/2026. A 43-item self-administered validated questionnaire was used. The independent-samples t-test was used to examine differences in attitudes and preparedness among participants via SPSS 27. Results: In total, 367 students from 23 universities participated in the study; 54.0% were female, and 62.1% were in their fifth year. Familiarity with the term ‘deprescribing’ was reported by 55.3% of participants. Participants demonstrated highly positive attitudes toward the benefits of deprescribing, moderate toward misconceptions, and low toward barriers, with mean percentage scores of 85.08%, 66.50%, and 41.93%, respectively. Participants indicated moderately positive perceptions toward the non-experiential curriculum preparedness to identify and practice deprescribing and self-perception of the ability to perform core deprescribing steps, with mean percentage scores of 70.2% and 77.24%, respectively. Statistically significant differences were observed in the perception of curriculum preparedness by gender (p = 0.038), familiarity with the term deprescribing (p < 0.001), and exposure to deprescribing in the required pharmacy curriculum (p < 0.001). Participants perceived clinical pharmacists as having the greatest role across most stages of the deprescribing process. Conclusions: Undergraduate pharmacy students in Saudi Arabia recognize the value of deprescribing but have limited curricular exposure and moderate perceived preparedness to deprescribe. Full article

Background/Objectives: Self-medication and keeping medicine inventory in households are common practices, even among healthcare professionals and healthcare professions students. Despite their knowledge of appropriate medicine use and storage, these practices are not always responsible and may pose health risks. This study aimed to describe self-medication practices, contents of home pharmacies, and habits of keeping medicine inventories in households of medical and pharmacy students at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka. Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted in 2025, 60 third-year medical and pharmacy students interviewed members of their households regarding contents of home pharmacies and self-medication practices and compiled inventories of medicines kept at home. Results: Of the participating students, 70.0% were female. Healthcare professionals (physicians or pharmacists) were present in 23.3% of households. Medicines were stored in a designated location (“home pharmacy”) in 65.0% of households, whereas only one household reported having no medicines. Expired medicines and/or medicines with an unknown purpose were found in 41.6% of households. No household reported that medicines were accessible to children younger than 14 years. Inventories of stored medicines were obtained from 54 households (90.0%). Analgesics and antipyretics were present in 92.6% of households and were used for self-medication in 96.0% of them. Cough and cold preparations were found in 35.2% of households and used for self-medication in 94.7%. Antibiotics were present in 31.5% of households and used for self-medication in 52.9%, while anxiolytics were found in 16.7% of households and used for self-medication in 33.3%. Conclusions: Stocking medicine supplies and practicing self-medication are common among households of third-year medical and pharmacy students at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka. Analgesics and antipyretics were the most frequently stored medicines used for self-medication. The presence of expired medicines and the self-medication of prescription-only medicines highlight the need for greater emphasis on responsible self-medication, safe medicine storage, and rational medicine use within healthcare professions education. Full article

Resilience, the capacity to recover from adversity, manage stress, and maintain well-being, is vital for pharmacy students to manage academic stress, clinical challenges, and future professional demands. Despite its recognised importance, pharmacy curricula often lack structured resilience education. This pilot study aimed to design, implement, and evaluate resilience-focused activities within Monash University’s Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons)/Master of Pharmacy program. This study employed a descriptive cross-sectional educational evaluation design using a single post-intervention survey to explore student perceptions following participation in curriculum-integrated resilience activities within the Skills Coaching program. Sessions used reflective frameworks and interactive small-group activities facilitated by staff and pharmacists across the Australian and Malaysian campuses. In 2022, 1061 students participated, with feedback response rates between 26 and 40%. Students reported perceived improvements in their understanding of resilience following participation in the sessions. Likert-scale responses indicated improved understanding of resilience and highlighted strong engagement with case discussions and reflective exercises. Findings from this pilot inform curriculum refinement, assessment design, and faculty development to support sustainable integration of resilience education in pharmacy programs. This work also supports the lead author’s doctoral research to develop a comprehensive resilience curriculum for undergraduate pharmacy education. Full article

Objective: To explore fourth-year student pharmacists’ perspectives of the skills they develop by completing a research project in the pharmacy curriculum at one United States College of Pharmacy. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of fourth-year student pharmacists until thematic saturation was achieved. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify main themes. All records were reviewed by two researchers, and consensus was sought at each step of the analysis. Results: Eleven interviews were conducted. Three themes related to skills developed by students while completing a research project were apparent from the final reconciled code list: Theme 1—critical analysis skills; Theme 2—residency preparedness skills; and Theme 3—interpersonal skills. Critical analysis skills helped students review the literature and appropriately translate the findings into clinical settings. Residency preparedness skills described how students perceived completing a research project would prepare them for a residency program. Interpersonal skills were inter-related and consisted of collaboration, communication, conflict resolution, leadership, and project management skills. Conclusions: These study findings should be considered by curriculum committees as changes to the pharmacy program are considered. Future research is suggested to explore other perspectives of the research process. Full article

Background: Pharmacy students in France complete an equivalent six-month full-time hospital placement during the fifth year of their university curriculum. At our school, it includes a clinical pharmacy within a medical ward, with daily supervision by a clinical pharmacist and a pharmacy resident. This training has been strengthened by the introduction of a workplace-based formative assessment conducted at the end of the clinical pharmacy rotation, alongside weekly clinical case discussions at the school, culminating in an end-of-year oral assessment. Objective: To assess the performance, determinants, and acceptability of this assessment model. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, single-center study over ten academic years (2013–2023). The evaluation combined three complementary components: the workplace-based clinical assessment based on real patient interactions, the case-based oral assessment, and students’ satisfaction. Results: Nearly one thousand students were included. Students’ performances remained stable over time. Higher scores were observed among students with prior clinical experience and those enrolled in hospital-focused training pathways. Student satisfaction was high, particularly in settings with direct pharmaceutical supervision, which was strongly associated with improved perceived learning, engagement, and supervision quality. Conclusions: Beyond performance measurement, this model appears to foster clinical reasoning, professional development, and student engagement, suggesting its relevance for competency-based pharmacy education. Full article

Background: Inappropriate antibiotic use in companion animals contributes to antimicrobial resistance within the One Health context. Educational interventions targeting non-health companion animal owners, particularly undergraduate students who frequently make day-to-day animal care decisions, have remained limited. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted among undergraduate students who owned companion animals in Maha Sarakham Province, Thailand. Participants were randomly assigned to a research group (n = 31) or a control group (n = 33). The research group received pharmacy-led digital educational materials, including videos and posters, delivered via an online platform over three consecutive days, while the control group received no educational materials. Antibiotic knowledge was assessed using a structured questionnaire before and after the intervention in both groups. Confidence in rational antibiotic use and satisfaction with the educational materials were assessed in the research group. Nonparametric statistical tests were applied for within- and between-group comparisons. Results: Baseline characteristics and antibiotic knowledge scores were comparable between groups. After the intervention, the research group demonstrated significantly higher antibiotic knowledge scores than the control group (9.58 ± 0.76 vs. 7.82 ± 1.31; p < 0.001). The mean improvement in knowledge score was greater in the research group (Δ = 1.55 vs. 0.09; p < 0.001). Confidence in rational antibiotic use increased significantly following the intervention (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Pharmacy-led digital education improved antibiotic knowledge and confidence among undergraduate companion animal owners, supporting the role of pharmacists in antimicrobial stewardship within a One Health framework. Full article

Objective: Describe a mobile health clinic program led by pharmacists to provide services in a primary care shortage area. Methods: ONU HealthWise is a comprehensive pharmacy service offered by Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy with a mobile clinic initiated in 2015. ONU HealthWise is located in an HRSA-designated medically underserved and primary care shortage area and the mobile health clinic visits 11–18 locations monthly plus additional sites for screening or vaccinations. Medical residents from a health-system attend some locations and collaborative practice agreements allow pharmacists to initiate and adjust medications. Student pharmacists rotate through the mobile clinic to gain experiential training toward their Doctor of Pharmacy. The mobile clinic is an integral part of the learning and precepting for ONU HealthWise PGY-1 residents. Results: Over a 12-month period (July 2024–June 2025), the mobile clinic held 148 clinics across 7 rural counties in northwest Ohio. A total of 1265 screenings were conducted at 713 patient encounters (604 unique patients). Of the screenings, 38.1% of blood glucose, 21.6% of cholesterol, and 60.1% of blood pressures were abnormal. All abnormal tests resulted in either a medication adjustment, scheduled follow-up at future mobile clinic, or referral to a provider. Student pharmacists spent more than 3670 h on the mobile health clinic in experiential education. Conclusion: Pharmacists can be an integral healthcare provider by increasing access to primary care services through a mobile health clinic in a medically underserved area. The service provides learners with vital patient experiences. Full article

Virtual patients (VPs) and artificial intelligence (AI) are being implemented in pharmacy education across various countries in order to learn different techniques to improve communication skills, identify drug-related problems, assess the pharmacist’s role in the self-medication process or assess students’ knowledge acquisition. The objective of this study was to assess the benefits of integrating VPs and AI in pharmacy education, particularly their impact on pharmacy students’ knowledge and skills in self-medication counselling. A literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases. Studies focused on the integration of VPs and AI tools in pharmacy education and their impact on students’ knowledge, counselling and communication skills related to self-medication, were evaluated. Eligible studies were full-text, peer-reviewed research articles published in English. No restrictions were applied regarding publication year. A total of 857 articles were identified through electronic databases and 9 met the inclusion criteria. Six studies were conducted in the USA and one each in Portugal, Sweden and Indonesia. Most studies employed a pre–post-study design. Six studies utilized VP simulations, while the remaining three implemented AI-based tools. Key outcomes covered in analyzed articles included improvements in knowledge score, communication, and consultation skills, along with positive perceptions, including increased student satisfaction and confidence levels. Using VP simulations and AI tools in pharmacy education could positively impact students by enhancing their knowledge as well as their confidence and counselling skills. Full article

Teaching organic chemistry is also important for pharmacists to understand the synthesis and mechanism of action of organic drug molecules. Unfortunately, organic chemistry is considered one of the most difficult subjects. This impression affects students’ motivation. To provide students with a learning aid and hopefully boost their motivation, this pilot study tested the integration of 28 elevenies—a special form of short poem—during a semester in an organic chemistry lecture for pharmacists. An anonymous and voluntary questionnaire was conducted at the end of the lecture sessions to assess perceptions of the use of elevenies as a teaching tool. Overall, the student feedback on the implementation of elevenies was positive. In general, students felt (with nearly 94% agreement) that a wider variety of learning methods, such as elevenies, should be incorporated into university teaching. They found elevenies, a type of literature, suitable for summarizing content of organic chemistry, a natural science. The majority (about 65%) stated that they secretly looked forward to the presentation of the elevenies during the lecture, indicating an increase in motivation. In addition, 83% of the respondents wanted to adduce elevenies to repeat and learn the teaching material. However, only about 20% could imagine writing elevenies themselves as part of the learning process. With 94% approval, the respondents gave a clear vote to retain elevenies in future semesters. This suggests the students’ perception of elevenies as an educational tool. Their ease of use could certainly be extended to other subject areas, provided that the topics addressed are not too complex. Full article

The easily defanged myth that baby rattlesnakes (genera Crotalus and Sistrurus) are more dangerous than adults has persisted in North America despite all evidence to the contrary. The most often cited reason for the babies-more-dangerous (BMD) myth is the venom-dump (VD) hypothesis: babies, in contrast to adults, cannot control how much venom they expend, and therefore inject all of it when biting. We undertook three approaches to explore the origin, transmission, and prevalence of this myth and its most frequent explanation. First, we examined historical newspaper accounts. From 130 newspaper stories mentioning the relative danger of baby rattlesnakes, we identified a timeline in which (1) most stories prior to 1969 were factually correct; (2) the BMD myth and VD hypothesis likely originated in the mid-to-late 1960s and became entrenched in California, especially, from 1970 to 1999; (3) factually incorrect statements subsequently prevailed throughout North America from 2000 to 2014; and (4) factually correct stories regained prominence with apparent effective messaging success from 2015 onward. We further learned that general information stories about rattlesnakes, more often citing subject experts like university professors, were much more likely to provide accurate information than local snakebite stories, which more often cited health professionals (e.g., physicians, veterinarians, pharmacists) and emergency responders (e.g., police and fire officers) who frequently supplied misinformation. Second, we surveyed familiarity with the BMD myth and VD hypothesis among 53 university classrooms (including one high school) representing 3751 students across 29 states within the United States. Consistent with the California media’s outsized influence on misinformation transmission, familiarity with the myth was greatest in the southwestern states (52.6%) and declined moving north and east, with the least familiarity in the northeastern states (16.4%). Third, a small survey of 75 emergency responders and health professionals from Southern California revealed that a whopping 73.3% actually believed the BMD myth. Numerous organizations generally regarded as authoritative further amplified the misinformation, especially on the internet, where some content persists to this day. Unfortunately, belief in the BMD myth and VD hypothesis can lead to negative consequences, including misinformed risk-taking by those encountering snakes, unwarranted fear among snakebite victims, and inappropriate care delivered by misinformed or patient/family-pressured medical professionals. Our findings target health professionals and emergency responders as priority audiences for education. Full article

(1) Background: In response to the educational challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, APPE preceptors implemented the Intention/Reflection (I/R) practice as a structured engagement tool. I/R is designed to promote engagement, motivation, metacognitive growth, and self-awareness among student pharmacists with the goal of enhancing learning experiences in diverse APPE settings. This project aimed to assess the impact of I/R strategies on student pharmacist engagement during APPEs in the post-pandemic landscape, with the overarching goal of identifying and advancing best practices in experiential pharmacy education. (2) Methods: This retrospective qualitative study included 20 student pharmacists from two U.S. colleges who participated in APPE elective rotations featuring I/R activities. Student pharmacists’ responses to five structured I/R prompts were collected and thematically analyzed by two independent researchers using qualitative data analysis software. (3) Results: Four themes were identified in the I/R responses: two themes each from the intention and reflection responses. The intention themes “Embracing Discomfort as a Catalyst for Confidence, Engagement, and Leadership Growth” and “Purposeful Precision: Growing into Adaptive Leadership” both illustrate the students’ journeys as they develop greater confidence and resilience in overcoming challenges. The reflection themes “Reflection as a Catalyst for Professional Learning and Engagement” and “Reflection as a Tool for Focused Growth and Self-Awareness” synthesized the evolution of the student pharmacist and forward thinking for future career. (4) Conclusion: Overall, participants perceived the I/R practice as transformative, citing benefits such as sustained learning, increased confidence, and continued professional development. These findings suggest that integrating I/R into experiential pharmacy education can significantly enhance student engagement and contribute to best practices for post-pandemic pharmacy training. Full article

(1) Background: Simulation is an effective way to develop practical pharmacy skills; combining simulation and self-reflection can increase impacts on learning. While existing literature highlights the benefits of reflection in developing self-awareness, critical thinking, and professional skills, there are few specific insights into how reflective practices enhance learning in patient counselling role-plays. This study aimed to explore pharmacy students’ perceptions of self-reflection and peer and educator feedback on the development of patient counselling skills. (2) Methods: Thematic analysis of student reflections on learning in patient counselling activities. Responses to four structured self-reflection prompts were collected and analyzed thematically. (3) Results: Reflections from 201 students were analyzed. We identified four themes and ten associated subthemes: impact of peer feedback (subthemes supportive peer dynamics and developing a personal counselling style through peer practice); impact of self-reflection and assessment (subthemes goal setting through self-reflection and video review as a tool for skill refinement); impact of educator feedback (subthemes feedback variation in learning growth and addressing self-doubt); and professional identity (subthemes value pharmacists can bring, struggles in real-life practice, incorporating feedback to working opportunities, and reinforcing skills to self-reflect in future practice). (4) Conclusions: Integrating consistent, high-quality feedback from educators and peers with self-reflection in patient counselling activities is perceived as valuable to enhancing enhances students’ learning experiences and preparing them for professional practice. Full article

As pharmacy career pathways diversify, professional doctoral programs such as PharmD face increasing pressure to demonstrate measurable workforce readiness outcomes within accreditation-constrained curricula. This study describes and evaluates PharmReaDy, a longitudinal, theory-informed workforce readiness platform embedded within a U.S. PharmD program. Guided by Tinto’s student retention framework, the platform integrates curricular, co-curricular, and experiential elements, including an industry-focused elective course, national professional competitions, targeted skills workshops, micro-credentialing opportunities, and experiential placements. Outcomes were assessed using enrollment trends, aggregate course evaluation data, academic performance indicators, and downstream participation in industry-aligned opportunities. Enrollment in the elective increased from 8 to 20 to 30 students across three offerings. Mean course evaluation scores across seven learning domains remained consistently high, ranging from 3.7 to 3.9 on a 4-point scale, with no statistically significant differences between cohorts (Welch’s t-tests, adjusted p > 0.05) and small positive effect sizes observed over time (Hedges’ g ≈ 0.20–0.29). Students demonstrated strong academic performance and increased participation in industry-focused competitions, scholarships, and post-graduate fellowship pathways. Findings from PharmReaDy indicate that workforce readiness can be meaningfully operationalized as a structured educational function embedded within professional curricula rather than being exclusively deferred to post-graduate training. Full article

Critical thinking is emphasized across ACPE Standards 2025, the Pharmacist Patient Care Process, interprofessional education (IPE) frameworks, and licensure preparation (NAPLEX). Despite this, pharmacy education lacks a practical, theory-grounded framework that operationalizes critical thinking as an observable, assessable reasoning process, particularly in team-based and interprofessional contexts. We developed the AIM (Analyze–Interpret–Manage) framework by integrating the Delphi Consensus definition of critical thinking with the AAC&U VALUE framework, translating foundational theory into a concise, measurable, stage-based model applicable to both individual and collective cognition. AIM was tested using qualitative analysis of transcripts of student team discursive narratives of an assigned IPE scenario. Reasoning behaviors were coded by AIM stage and mapped to the 2016 IPEC Core Competencies and the 2025 NAPLEX competencies to ensure professional relevance and external validity. AIM reliably distinguished discrete stages of critical thinking across teams, revealing consistent patterns in how learners analyzed information, interpreted clinical and ethical significance, and managed decisions collaboratively. Mapping demonstrated strong alignment between AIM stages and IPEC and NAPLEX competencies. Our novel AIM framework offers a scalable approach for defining, teaching, and assessing team-based critical thinking in pharmacy education. By operationalizing critical thinking as a staged reasoning process aligned with professional standards, AIM fills a critical gap between educational theory, interprofessional practice, and licensure preparation. Full article

The use of Connected Medical Devices (CMDs) is growing significantly throughout the world. Although they are not dispensed in pharmacies and are not part of the pharmacy-only drug dispensing system, clinical pharmacists must be able to support patients in the use of these new technologies, which are central to their care. The aim of this study is to identify the role of the community pharmacist in supporting patients who use CMDs, using the case of connected watches in electrophysiology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between 15 February and 20 April 2024 by a pharmacy student. The questionnaires were drafted in collaboration with a pharmacist, a cardiac electrophysiologist, a methodologist specializing in the evaluation of medical devices, and an ethical philosopher specializing in the support and acceptability of new technologies. The aim of these questionnaires was to study the use of connected watches and support for patients who own them. A total of 4 cardiac electrophysiologists and 10 cardiac electrophysiology patients were interviewed, and then 6 pharmacists were also questioned about the roles identified by physicians and patients. This study identified a major need on the part of specialist physicians for clinical pharmacist support in helping patients use connected watches. Patients expressed a high level of confidence in their pharmacists to support them, and in the motivation of pharmacists’ ability to take up these challenges. A number of challenges remain, such as the effective integration of this support into pharmacy practice, remuneration, and the organization of collaboration between clinical pharmacists and hospital electrophysiologists. Full article