An Assessment System for Mapping CAPE Outcomes in an Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Program

Abstract

Objective. To implement and evaluate an assessment system based on the 1998 Center for the Advancement of Pharmaceutical Education's (CAPE) Outcomes for students in advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). Description. The system requires each preceptor to create a summative assessment tool by choosing the most important 20-30 CAPE competencies and sub-elements necessary for his/her pharmacy practice with each to be scored by him/her on a 4-point scale from ''exceeds expectations'' to ''below expectations. Students' grades are determined by an examination committee based on the preceptors' assessments. The system contains a mechanism to assist students with competency deficits and permits a student's yearlong performance in the APPE program to be considered when assigning grades for individual APPE courses. Evaluation. The assessment system permits each student's performance in individual APPE courses to be mapped to the CAPE competencies for grading purposes. It permits class performance in an APPE program to be mapped to the CAPE competencies for quality assurance and school planning.Conclusion. An assessment system based on the 1998 CAPE Educational Outcomes competencies has been successfully introduced for students in APPE training.

Preparing competent graduates for delivering pharmaceutical care: an experience from Northern Cyprus

“…The Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy (CAPE) within the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy has developed CAPE outcomes as an ability-based framework or competencies to guide pharmacy educators and preceptors in setting pharmacy curricula for both didactic and practical courses’ objectives and outcomes [13]. Objectives matching the following CAPE outcomes were assigned to the course: to become a Learner, Caregiver, Manager, Promoter, Educator, Communicator, Self-aware and Professional [14]. The courses utilized a wide variety of teaching and learning activities with a minimum requirement from the students per week, including one formal and two informal case presentations, four inpatient assessments and follow ups, in-service (i.e., prepare a poster or deliver a presentation topic to the healthcare team) therapeutic newsletter preparation, two discharge patient counselling quizzes and presenting at least a journal club.…”

New fitness-to-practice requirements for pharmacists in Ireland: Implications for undergraduate pharmacy education

“…While pharmacy training will always, necessarily, be built on a strong scientific background (Florence 2002;Florence 2004), the new fitness-to-practice requirements provide an opportunity to review the balance of practice and science in undergraduate curricula and the teaching methods by which they are delivered McRobbie 2004;Academic Pharmacy Group 2005;Wilson et al 2005;Jesson et al 2006;Taylor 2007). Novel teaching and assessment methods such as competency-based assessment, that are more focused on professional acculturation and the training of competent practitioners, may equip Irish pharmacy graduates more thoroughly for the new legal requirements (World Health Organisation 1998; Davies et al 2002;Merrigan 2002;Goldsmith et al 2003;Hill et al 2006;Turner et al 2006;Taylor 2007;Goldie 2008;Petit & Foriers 2008). However, educators must not lose sight of their academic freedom and responsibility in providing a broad and academically rigorous educational experience that equips their students to work in many areas of pharmacy, science, education, and beyond.…”

“…There have been several attempts to develop competency-based assessment in pharmacy training at both undergraduate and post-qualification levels McRobbie et al 2002;Merrigan 2002;Goldsmith et al 2003;Hill et al 2006;Kelley & Demb 2006;Turner et al 2006;McMahon & Henman 2007;Duke et al 2008;Petit & Foriers 2008;Pfleger et al 2008). Within the US, the implementation of competency-based assessments has been largely focused on the experiential, latter portion of the course, with other subjects being examined by more traditional examination methods.…”

A Strategy to Develop Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences

“…The UCDHSC-SOP implemented a competencybased APPE assessment system in 2004 and, of the 372 students who have completed a partnership APPE since that time, only 1 received a failing grade (for reasons not associated with patient care activities). 13 …”