The Impact of Problem-based Learning on Students' Perceptions of Preparedness for Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences

Abstract

Objectives. To evaluate graduating pharmacy students' perceptions of their preparedness for advanced pharmacy practice experiences and the effectiveness of problem-based learning in their preparation. Results. Students reported that the areas in which problem-based learning prepared them most effectively for advanced pharmacy practice experiences were retrieval of medical information (80%), discussion of disease states and drug therapies at the basic science level (56%), and evaluation of the appropriateness of a medication regimen based on patient specific information (50%). Areas in which students reported being inadequately prepared included identifying and utilizing drug assistance programs (42%) and processing prescriptions/hospital orders (40%). Conclusion. Data from 2 consecutive graduating classes supports that problem-based learning is an effective format for preparing pharmacy students for advanced pharmacy practice experiences in a variety of areas.

Online Virtual-Patient Cases Versus Traditional Problem-Based Learning in Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences

“…The implementation of PBL has correlated with pharmacy students' reports of increased confidence in patient scenarios, which they encountered in APPE courses. 3 The slight additional improvement in the PBL group compared with the virtualpatient group may be attributed to 1 of many educational learning models.…”

Pharmacy Students' Perceptions of Their Preparedness to Provide Pharmaceutical Care

“…6 In some cases, researchers have used annual surveys of graduates to effectively detect trends over time in student perceptions of the curriculum 7 and the adequacy of preparation in a problem-based learning curriculum. 8 Perhaps the most detailed and rigorous analysis of this type was conducted by Ried et al, who developed an instrument called Perceptions of Preparedness to Provide Pharmaceutical Care (PREP). This survey asked students to provide their opinions regarding their ability to perform advanced pharmacy practice competencies at the end of each academic year.…”

Pharmaceutical Care Plan Examinations to Identify Students at Risk for Poor Performance in Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences

“…1 PBL activities within pharmacy schools and colleges improve GPA, 2 examination scores, 3 and student perceptions of enhanced critical thinking, 4 problem-solving, 5 self-learning skills, 6 and preparation for advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE). 7 Need for more research has been cited by numerous authors to include the development of valid and reliable measures to assess PBL outcomes as well as different methodologic approaches to provide multiple perspectives. 1,3,6 This analysis retrospectively evaluated the use of 4 TPCP reports performed as part of a 2-semester PBL curricular sequence.…”