Objective. To describe the development, implementation, and assessment of an internal medicine introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) that was integrated with an existing advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) in internal medicine. Design. A structured IPPE was designed for first-, second-, and third-year pharmacy (P1, P2, and P3) students. Activities for the IPPE were based on the established APPE and the individual learner's educational level. Assessment. Students reported a greater understanding of clinical pharmacists' roles, increased confidence in their clinical skills, and better preparation for APPEs. Peers viewed the approach as innovative and transferable to other practice settings. Participating faculty members provided a greater number of contact hours compared to traditional one-time site visits. Conclusions. Integrating an IPPE with an existing APPE is an effective and efficient way to provide patient care experiences for students in the P1-P3 years in accordance with accreditation standards.Keywords: pharmacy education, experiential education, introductory pharmacy practice experience, advanced pharmacy practice experience, internal medicine
INTRODUCTIONTraditional introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) offered by faculty members practicing in the internal medicine service at the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy (OUCOP) consisted of the student making a single visit to the practice site where they primarily observed patient care activities. While faculty members felt that even this minimal exposure to internal medicine pharmacy practice was valuable, the limited time spent at the practice site did not allow opportunities for students to be involved in patient care. Additionally, the experience was not progressive in nature and seemed unlikely to prepare students for advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). According to the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), IPPEs should involve actual practice experiences and permit students to assume direct patient care responsibilities.
1The Center for the Advancement of Pharmaceutical Education (CAPE) Educational Outcomes place an emphasis on student provision of patient-centered care in collaboration with patients, prescribers, and other healthcare professionals.2 Furthermore, in 2007 ACPE standards increased the required number of IPPE contact hours to at least 300. 1 Colleges and schools of pharmacy have taken different approaches to address the required increase in IPPE hours. [3][4][5] One such approach was a longitudinal experience that spanned the first 3 years of a PharmD program and focused on caring for patients in residential settings. Students' level of involvement in patient care progressively increased from the P1 to the P3 year. Students established relationships with actual patients, assessed medication therapy, developed care plans, and mentored students in earlier classes. Ninety-seven percent of students received grades of "satisfactory" or "excels" based on their performance in p...