Objective. To implement an introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) curricular sequence in a manner that optimized preceptor availability, fostered significant learning, and addressed the new standards for experiential education. Design. A 4-course, 3001 hour IPPE sequence was developed with 1 module in each semester of the first 2 professional years. Semesters were 18 weeks in length with IPPE taking place in the middle weeks as dedicated time blocks when no concurrent didactic courses were scheduled. Learning exercises were developed to build a progressive foundation in preparation for advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE). Assessment. During 2 academic years, 161 students participated in the IPPE program. Eighty-one students completed the 4-course sequence and another 80 students completed the first 2 courses. Collectively, 486 individual IPPE placements were made at over 120 community pharmacies and 60 hospital pharmacies or alternative practice sites located over a broad geographic region. Student evaluations by preceptors, evaluation of student journals by faculty, and surveys of students and preceptors demonstrated that course objectives were being achieved.Conclusion. An innovative approach to scheduling IPPE optimized preceptor availability, exceeded the minimum number of IPPE hours required by current accreditation standards, and achieved development of desired competencies.
Objective. To create a service-learning project to provide poison prevention education to preschool through fifth-grade students. Design. The School of Pharmacy collaborated with the Illinois Poison Center and campus departments to train pharmacy students as poison prevention educators. Seventy-eight first-year pharmacy students developed and gave age-appropriate, interactive presentations to more than 8,000 students at preschools and elementary schools. Assessment. Preintervention and postintervention evaluations and reflections were collected from the pharmacy students. Ninety-nine percent agreed that they enjoyed the experience and 88% stated that they would continue to provide poison prevention presentations. Based on written assessment of the presentations, most of the preschool and elementary teachers agreed or strongly agreed that the presentations were organized, clear, appropriate for the students, and relevant, and that the pharmacy students appeared knowledgeable and professional. Conclusion. Poison prevention education was an appropriate service-learning project for pharmacy students and provided a beneficial service to the community.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.