An Educational Tool for Teaching Medication History Taking to Pharmacy Students

Abstract

Objective. To implement and evaluate the use of a situated-learning experience to prepare second-year pharmacy students to conduct medication history interviews in preparation for introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPE) at ambulatory clinic sites. Design. Second-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students (n5200) used the Medication Mysteries Infinite Case Tool, a game-like educational tool in which groups of 3 students assumed the roles of pharmacist, patient, and observer and rolled a die and drew cards to determine the drugs, patient personality, medication problems, and other variables that guided a medication history taking session. Assessment. After the laboratory session, faculty members assessed students' medication historytaking skills. One hundred sixteen (58%) and 78 (39%) of 200 students achieved excellence or competence, respectively, on the final assessment. Two weeks after the assessment, 53 of 200 (26.5%) students completed a survey instrument. The respondents indicated that their self-confidence in conducting medical history taking significantly improved following completion of the learning experience. Conclusion. Using the Medication Mysteries Infinite Case Tool increased students' confidence and skills in conducting medication history taking prior to their clinical IPPE experience.Keywords: medication reconciliation, medication history, self-efficacy, introductory pharmacy practice experiences INTRODUCTIONThe 2012 Joint Commission cites the need to "maintain and communicate accurate patient information" as a National Patient Safety Goal in a variety of healthcare settings. The process of medication reconciliation is intended to identify and resolve discrepancies and involves comparing the medications a patient is taking (or should be taking) with those newly prescribed.1 The ability to perform a patient interview is identified by the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality as a key training component for the process of medication reconciliation. 2In various healthcare settings, pharmacist involvement in medication reconciliation has been shown to reduce preventable adverse drug events. [3][4][5] Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) standards for pharmacy education include conducting patient interviews to gather patient information as an important learning objective for introductory as well as advanced pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs and APPEs). Education on the process of medication reconciliation during transitions of care is also suggested as content to include within the basic clinical sciences curriculum. 6 A white paper from the American College of Clinical Pharmacy recommends that medication reconciliation and the performance of other activities related to care transitions be included in IPPEs as well as APPEs. Also, the importance of effective communication by pharmacists is emphasized by the ACPE as well as the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy's Center for Advancement of Pharmaceutical Education Educational Outcomes. 6,8 In order to provide s...

Educational Games as a Teaching Tool in Pharmacy Curriculum

“…36, [38][39][40][41][42]46 The 13 studies that met the inclusion criteria were published between 1995 and 2013 from pharmacy schools in the United States. Fewer studies on games in pharmacy education than those in other health related disciplines, such as medical and nursing fields, are available.…”

“…37,42,46 Basically, the use of games in pharmacy schools was not intended to present new content, but to review or reinforce existing knowledge. 36, 44,48 In 10 studies, moderators or other faculty members assisted in game setup and introduction, guiding students through different stations and helping in the debriefing session.…”

“…45 Sando et al reported the usefulness of Medication Mysteries Infinite Case Tool (MMICT) in preparing students for conduct medication history interviews. 46 To increase students' interaction with course material, Tietze developed an extra-credit bingo game with different educational activities that helped students review course material. 47 Further, Persky et al presented 3 different games, PK Poker, Pharmacy Scene Investigation (PSI), and Clue Game to promote students' learning in pharmacokinetics.…”

“…17 Even though a large number of studies have investigated using different active-learning approaches such as team-based learning, [18][19][20][21][22][23] case-based learning, [24][25][26][27] problem-based learning, [28][29][30][31] and simulations in pharmacy schools, [32][33][34][35] fewer studies have examined the usefulness of games in that context. [36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48] Additionally, there is no review to date that summarizes and validates the positive outcomes associated with educational games used in pharmacy schools.…”

A Roadmap for Educational Research in Pharmacy

“…14 A common example of action research is evaluating student perceptions of pedagogical approaches as demonstrated by Zolezzi's evaluation of an online psychiatric pharmacy course, 52 and the assessment of an educational tool for teaching medication history by Sando and colleagues. 53 Most published action research studies are descriptive and restricted to a single classroom, program, or school, 43 which limits generalizability and reduces validity. Because action research is viewed as a practical research methodology that enables teachers to investigate their own teaching and their students' learning, there is often a tendency to use less rigorous approaches to these studies.…”