Interprofessional clinical education of medical and pharmacy students

Abstract

Pharmacists have become increasingly involved in influencing prescribing. Pharmaceutical education has changed accordingly, with increased teaching in therapeutics, partly on hospitals wards, giving students an insight into diseases and helping communication with clinicians. To extend this idea we have designed joint therapeutics teaching sessions with pharmacy and medical students. The scheme involves final year pharmacy students who have completed a course in clinical pharmacy and medical students who have completed their second MB. Interdisciplinary pairs of students are assigned a patient with common medical and therapeutic problems, such as arthritis, diabetes and cardiac failure; patients on multiple drug treatments are preferred. They jointly obtain a history: the medical student performs basic clerking, while the pharmacy student obtains the medication history. The medical student subsequently presents a brief medical history, with a summary of the patient's current problems. For each problem, the pharmacy student presents the current therapy, its rationale and how it is to be monitored. Experience with 73 students over 3 years has shown that almost all found sessions with students from another discipline useful. Few felt that members of the pairs contributed unequally. The main problem appeared to be insufficient time (although 2 1/2 h were allowed). Most students favoured more such sessions. Little difference in ability appeared between the two disciplines; there was considerable co-operation and little nascent 'professional rivalry'. The medical students were more comfortable interviewing patients, and the pharmacy students more confident analysing drug therapy. It is concluded that such interdisciplinary sessions are a successful method of clinical teaching and should be encouraged.

Communications Training in Pharmacy Education, 1995-2010

“…This category was separated from interpersonal communication skills because the learning activity emphasized giving rather than sharing information, and did not require any participation of the second party (even if feedback could be given or questions answered). Within these studies, the presentation of a patient case was a common activity, 13,23,42 as was presentation of research. 32,33 The subcategory of interpersonal communication skills (interaction with 1 or a few others, eg, counseling) was further divided into patient, interprofessional, and general.…”

“…Interdisciplinary activities reported in the studies reviewed typically involved pharmacy students coordinating and working in groups with students of other health professions, including medicine, nursing, physiotherapy and occupational therapy, nutrition, podiatry, psychiatry, dentistry, and medical imaging and technology. 13,14,23,27,71 However, 2 studies separated the more clinical elements from the interdisciplinary experience, and thus involved students from communication studies and media courses, 28 as well as from critical thinking and writing. 29 In this case, the interdisciplinary format was used so students could gain experience dealing with other communication styles and with students outside the pharmacy program, without being specific to pharmacy practice.…”

“…29 In this case, the interdisciplinary format was used so students could gain experience dealing with other communication styles and with students outside the pharmacy program, without being specific to pharmacy practice. Interdisciplinary activities are commonly combined with a simulated or standardized patient scenario as part of a seminar 13,14 or pharmacy practice experience. 26 Seminars differ from lectures in that they typically involve more discussion and interaction between the speaker and students.…”

“…26 Seminars differ from lectures in that they typically involve more discussion and interaction between the speaker and students. A seminar may be standalone, delivered in a workshop-type format 13,14,30 ; secondary to a lecture-dominated course (individual 27,34 or series 11,31,35 ); or the entire basis of a course. 32,33 The majority of seminar activities described in the studies in this review were secondary to or connected to a communications course.…”

Canadian Educational Approaches for the Advancement of Pharmacy Practice

“…54 The World Health Organization defines interprofessional collaboration as "a patient-centered, team-based approach to health care delivery that synergistically maximizes the strengths and skills of each contributing health professional." 56 Medicine and pharmacy may be separate fields, but are ultimately interdependent professions.…”