Report of the 2016-17 Academic Affairs Standing Committee: Entrustable Professional Activities Implementation Roadmap

Abstract

(PPCP); 2) Provide ways EPA statements can be used to communicate core skills that are part of the entry-level pharmacist identity; 3) Suggest a potential roadmap for AACP members on how to implement EPA statements.

Striving for excellence in experiential education

“…The AACP EPAs are a collection of statements derived from educational outcomes that explicitly describe a professional's work activities rather than focus on the professional's underlying knowledge, skills, and attitudes 14‐16 . The EPA statements, one of the most notable developments over the past decade in health professions education, were developed to guide experiential learning in medical training 14 .…”

“…The EPA statements have now been developed for several medical specialties as well as for veterinary medicine and pharmacy 15,17 . Fifteen core EPAs for new pharmacy graduates were developed by the AACP academic affairs committee and endorsed by the AACP board of directors in 2016 after input from 10 pharmacy organizations (including ACCP) and 25 individuals recognized as leaders in pharmacy 15‐17 …”

“…One key concept embedded in using the EPAs to guide experiential learning activities is the element of trust 14,16,17 . The supervisor's or preceptor's degree of trust in the learner's ability to perform the task determines the level of autonomy granted to the learner 16,18 . Students and residents are expected to develop their abilities and competency over time with repeated practice and feedback.…”

Striving for excellence in experiential education

“…The EPA statements, developed by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), describe the essential activities and tasks that a professional must be able to perform without supervision 9‐11 . The EPAs provide students with a clear picture of the core responsibilities and activities that pharmacists will be entrusted with, thereby increasing the relevance of the prerequisite instruction and foundational experiences.…”

“…education programs 1 . These updates to the college's 2008 white paper and position statement on quality experiential education were undertaken to support colleges and schools of pharmacy (C/SOPs) in providing high‐quality experiential education and to reflect the changes in accreditation standards, core educational outcomes, interprofessional competencies, use of the entrustable professional activities (EPAs), and advances in higher education, pharmacy practice, and health care 2‐11 …”