Objective. To determine the impact of an interprofessional simulation using the SBAR (situation-background-assessment-recommendation/request) communication tool on pharmacy students' self-perception of interprofessional competence and reactions towards interprofessional collaboration. Design. Ninety-six pharmacy students participated in an interprofessional simulation within a required applications-based capstone course. Pharmacy students collaborated with nursing students on multiple patient cases in various settings using the SBAR communication tool over the telephone. Assessment. Pharmacy students' responses to all 20 items on the Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS) completed after participating in the simulation indicated significant positive changes. The themes identified in students' reflection papers indicated the simulation was beneficial and student responses on satisfaction surveys were positive with a mean score of 4.2 on a 5-point Likert scale. Conclusion. Implementation of an interprofessional simulation using the SBAR communication tool improved pharmacy students' self-perception of interprofessional competence and attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration.

An Interprofessional Simulation Using the SBAR Communication Tool.

Objectives To survey the knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards safe medication use of first-year college students in Taiwan Methods One hundred forty-seven departments in 27 universities were sampled by stratified randomization Three sections of the questionnaire were developed, including 10 true/false questions to measure knowledge, 4 questions for attitude in a 5-point scale, and 10 questions for practice in a 5-point scale Results A total of 6270 subjects completed the survey instrument for a valid response rate of 919% Students who were health science majors had safer medication practices than non-health science majors However, students in both groups had low scores on appropriate antibiotics use, with a correctness rate of 458% Knowledge relating to antacid use had the lowest number of correct responses among the 10 items included in the survey Overall, the students showed positive attitudes toward (126 ± 22) and trusted (36 ± 07) pharmacists' consultation Conclusions College 

Survey of medication knowledge and behaviors among college students in Taiwan.

Objective. To examine and compare the prevalence of mental health problems, help-seeking attitudes, and perceptions about mental health problems among US pharmacy and medical students. Methods. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using existing, anonymous survey data collected in the Healthy Minds Study during the 2015-2016 academic year. The analysis included 482 students (159 pharmacy students and 323 medical students) from 23 institutions in the United States. Analyzed topics included demographic characteristics, mental health status and symptoms, substance abuse, stigma related to mental health, help-seeking behaviors and attitudes, and mental health treatment perceptions. Results. Pharmacy and medical students experienced similar rates of depression (18% met clinical cut-offs), but pharmacy students were more likely to meet clinical cutoffs for anxiety (21% vs 11%). Pharmacy students were less likely to seek help from student counseling services (only 11% vs 49%) and also less likely to know where to seek help on campus if needed. Pharmacy students also reported having higher levels of stigma regarding mental health treatment. Conclusion. There are differences between pharmacy and medical students with regards to their experience of mental health symptoms, willingness to seek help, and perception of stigma. Despite the small sample, this analysis of national data indicates that opportunities exist to improve campus-based mental health education and offerings for pharmacy and medical students.

Pharmacy and Medical Students' Mental Health Symptoms, Experiences, Attitudes and Help-Seeking Behaviors.

The coronavirus identified in 2019 (COVID-19) has caused dramatic disruptions in pharmacy experiential education. Administrators and programs have worked to help external preceptors, faculty members, and students cope with the new realities of virtual or remote experiences and new or increased use of telemedicine. Clear and effective lines of communication as well as well-reasoned and resourced alternative plans are necessary to help manage the current issues and prepare for future challenges. Doctor of Pharmacy programs should enhance their focus not just on the physical health and well-being of students, faculty members, and external preceptors, but also on their mental and emotional health. The full scope of the impact of the pandemic on experiential education in pharmacy is still unclear, but this situation should serve as a stimulus for innovation and rethinking the paradigm of how pharmacy programs educate and prepare students for pharmacy practice.

A Paradigm Shift in US Experiential Pharmacy Education Accelerated by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Effects of mindfulness meditation on mindfulness, mental well-being, and perceived stress.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe 2016-2017 AACP Student Affairs Standing Committee addressed charges related to recruitment to the profession of pharmacy and a national awareness campaign for pharmacy careers, as well as promotion of student wellness and stress management. The Committee report provides six recommendations to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) and one proposed policy statement for the AACP House of Delegates related to recruitment to the pharmacy profession. The Committee report also provides three recommendations to AACP and one proposed policy statement for the AACP House of Delegates related to student wellness and stress management. In addition, this report provides recommendations for future AACP Student Affairs Standing Committee work.

Report of the 2016-2017 Student Affairs Standing Committee.

Recent parallel developments in the fields of medicine and the social sciences are providing us with new insights and resources that have the potential for improving the effectiveness of drug safety communication and decision-making. These developments include medicine’s new look at patient safety with its emphasis on complex adaptive systems, education’s new appreciation for learning as an internal change process and risk communication’s evolving recognition that relevant knowledge may not be the exclusive property of ‘experts’. Eight principles are drawn from this analysis: (i) there cannot be a safer drug until there is a safer system; (ii) all stakeholders are equal partners and have an equal voice in all deliberations; (iii) paternalism must be eliminated; (iv) the expertise for determining acceptable benefit and risk is dispersed throughout society; (v) patients and all stakeholders serve as both teachers and learners; (vi) all stakeholders are involved in the identification of their learning needs, processes and evaluation of outcomes; (vii) in a complex adaptive system all individual actions are interconnected and; (viii) patients must be involved in the continuous feedback and redesign of the evolving drug safety information system. The conclusion is that we are not asking the right questions; ‘what information should we communicate?’ and ‘how do we communicate more effectively?’ should be reframed to ask ‘how do we provide an equal voice for patients with the other stakeholders in the determination and communication of benefit-risk information?’ Some patients are not waiting. The International Alliance of Patient Organizations (IAPO), the Database of Individual Patient Experience (Dipex) and the Self-Help Group Clearinghouse are examples of international patient driven efforts to actively participate in their own care. The author suggests that the emerging discipline of inter-active management can contribute methodologies for creating citizenship models to generate the collective wisdom and translate it into action. A future research agenda calls for creating new models of public accountability that support these evolving systems of engaging the entire community in benefit-risk determination, communication and management.

Effective communication of drug safety information to patients and the public: a new look.

Objective. To improve the quality of admissions interviews for a doctor of pharmacy program, using a multiple mini-interview (MMI) in place of the standard interview.Methods. Stakeholders completed an anonymous web-based survey. This study characterized perceptions of the MMI format across 3 major stakeholders (candidates, interviewers, admissions committee members) and included comparative cost estimates.Costs were estimated using human and facility resources from the 2012 cycle (standard format) and the 2013 cycle (MMI format).Results. Most candidates (65%), interviewers (86%), and admissions committee members (79%) perceived the MMI format as effective for evaluating applicants, and most (59% of candidates, 84% of interviewers, 77% of committee members) agreed that the MMI format should be continued. Cost per candidate interviewed was $136.34 (standard interview) vs $75.30 (MMI).Conclusion. Perceptions of the MMI process were favorable across stakeholder groups, and this format was less costly per cand...

Perceptions and Cost-Analysis of a Multiple Mini-Interview in a Pharmacy School Admissions Process

Objective. To implement and assess the impact of a course utilizing reflective learning to explore the complex, psychosocial human issues encountered in pharmacy practice. Design. A 1-credit-hour elective course, The Heart of Pharmacy, was offered to all pharmacy students. The course utilized both content and reflective techniques to produce a mutual exploratory learning experience for students, staff, and faculty members. Faculty and staff facilitators observed competencies and used a single group posttest design to assess students’ attitudes. In year four, students’ written reflections for each session were added and reviewed on a continuous basis throughout the course. Assessment. Faculty and staff observations indicated that educational outcomes were achieved and student perceptions and evaluations of the course were highly positive. Three major themes were identified in the students’ qualitative responses: a recognition of communal support among student and faculty colleagues; a grounding for persona...

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Heart of Pharmacy: A Course Exploring the Psychosocial Issues of Patient Care

This overview of the Educating for Safety supplement issue explores the context and urgency of the problem of unsafe care, what we have learned about improving both safety and quality in health care, and the implications of this for educators. This supplement issue is a response to the charge of the AACP Council of Deans (COD) and the Council of Faculties (COF) Medication Safety Task Force to address the role of colleges and schools of pharmacy in responding to the national patient safety agenda. The articles included are intended to serve as a nexus for pharmacy education in developing curricula and promoting best practices as they relate to the importance of medication safety.

Eleanor M. Vogt

Papers

Report of the 2016-2017 Student Affairs Standing Committee.

Effective communication of drug safety information to patients and the public: a new look.

Perceptions and Cost-Analysis of a Multiple Mini-Interview in a Pharmacy School Admissions Process

Heart of Pharmacy: A Course Exploring the Psychosocial Issues of Patient Care

Educating for safety in the pharmacy curriculum.