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Background: Gamification is the process of adding game elements into classroom activities to encourage student participation and motivation. Classcraft® is a gamified learning system designed to integrate easily with normal classroom activities and to enhance collaboration and teamwork. Educational activity and setting: This study explored the use of the Classcraft® system in an Immunology and Immunization Training course, specifically examining students’ motivation to use the system and potential impacts on their motivation.  Findings: Results showed that value and enjoyment motivated students to use Classcraft®. Furthermore, the ease of use of the system positively impacted students’ enjoyment of the system. Students’ choice regarding how much they were required to engage with the system positively impacted the value and enjoyment that they experienced with the system. Summary: Students’ demonstrated motivation to use Classcraft® provides a foundation for further research into the use of gamified learning systems within pharmacy classrooms. Research is needed to understand if use of a gamified learning system positively impacts learning outcomes.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge of pharmacists’ on Halal medications. In addition, it was a review of Halal medications in order to understand which resources need to be implemented to make this information readily available to support the health beliefs of patients and improve medication adherence. Methods: Self-administered, anonymous questionnaires were distributed to pharmacists via Qualtrics by email, text message, and social media. Questionnaires assessed pharmacists’ knowledge on Halal medications and resources. Inclusion criteria included registered pharmacists working in any healthcare setting. Results: A total of 121 voluntary pharmacists participated in the study. Over half (57.85%) of participants reported working in a retail setting. Only 14.05% had ever served a patient requesting Halal medications. When asked about awareness of Halal medications, only 4.13% were very aware. While 56.2% were familiar with dietary restrictions, only 1.65% were very aware of which medications to substitute if a patient cannot take a prescribed medication due to its ingredients and only 1.65% were aware of where to look to find alternative Halal medications. Over half of the participants were unaware of Halal pharmaceuticals, Haram ingredients, resources to utilize, or medications to use as an alternative. Conclusion: Pharmacists are familiar with dietary restrictions due to medications derived from animal products but the majority are unaware of where to search for Halal medication alternatives, ingredients, or products. Resources are needed to make this information readily available. The more informed pharmacists are, the more likely they are to ask the right questions to ensure that patients’ religious beliefs are taken into consideration. Type: Student Paper

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The benefits of running for cardiovascular health have long been established, but no relationship between runners/non-runners and their usage of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications has been established. A comprehensive survey was sent out via Facebook, Inc., to self-identified runners to assess runners' first response to 5 common self-care situations. The results were compared to the national average of the U.S. population who take prescription and OTC medications. What was also assessed was the relationship between average weekly miles run and the likelihood to choose OTC medications. 714 runners, residing predominately in the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area, completed the survey and their results were drastically different than the national average use for prescription and OTC medication in the general (non-runners) population. Approximately 30% of the runners in this study are on daily prescription medications versus a national average of 70% of the U.S. population. In each of the 5 common self-care situations, less than 50% of runners chose an OTC medication as their first option for self-care vs. the national average of 80%. Results of the study also showed that runners with a weekly mile average of 30 miles or more were less likely to choose an OTC option for self-care than runners with a weekly average of 15 miles or less. Overall, results of this survey suggest that runners are less likely to take medications and may be healthier than the average U.S. citizen overall.

A student survey was conducted to determine perceptions of such things as differential treatment due to gender, level of preparedness for courses in the hard sciences, and gender performances of students in the sciences. Additionally, students' grades of sixteen courses with a heavy hard science focus were analyzed by taking the percent of a letter grade sorted by male or female to determine if there was a significant gender difference in the final grades. Our objectives were to: 1) determine if the underrepresentation of women in some health-related jobs is due to discouragement of females to enter these professions or perceptions of success in hard science courses, 2) examine grades in courses with a strong biology and chemistry focus to see if a significant difference due to gender exists. We concluded that a gender gap in hard sciences grades at the School of Pharmacy did exist but the gap was not large and was not present in all courses. The majority of women were not discouraged to pursue a science based career, but there was a difference in the perceived confidence that many females exhibit in the ability to learn material in the hard science courses and in their preparedness for hard science exams.

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