Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience at Libyan International Medical University during COVID-19 Era: PharmD Preceptors’ and Students’ Perception toward Virtual Training
Main Article Content
Abstract
Introduction: As the COVID-19 pandemic continued, pharmacy experiential training shifted dramatically, including healthcare facilities-oriented training. The curriculum development committee at the Faculty of Pharmacy at Libyan International Medical University put a proposal to facilitate virtual case discussions and to create teaching materials that could be utilized for virtual clinical rotations during Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience.
Aim: This study aimed to investigate the Pharm-D preceptors’ and students’ perception toward the virtual training experience during the Covid-19 era.
Method: Curriculum Development Committee members and preceptors at the Faculty of Pharmacy met regularly to develop a training strategy that covers intended training skills and competencies. Cases were collected from Benghazi hospitals with all filed investigations and management information. Cases manuals and specifications were created for each rotation; preceptor guide and reference guidelines were developed for each case; and case-based discussion session guide and evaluation forms were announced to students. Accordingly, cases were implemented in virtual training as case-based discussion session, via MOODLE. During the session, each student shares his/her knowledge and information with colleagues and preceptor by answering the guiding questions structured in the patient data care form to cover six aspects including; problem identification, desired outcome, therapeutic alternatives, optimal plan, outcome evaluation, and patient education. At the end of the session, the preceptor summarises the discussion and evaluates the students using a predesigned evaluation form noting that oral feedback is provided by all parties.
Results: Motivation, performance, and outcomes gained by students during the virtual training experience reflect its success.
Conclusion: The adaptability of the virtual training package by the Faculty of Pharmacy, is well established in terms of available scenario creation and simulation training. The next step is to include these virtual cases -collected from real-life situations- within MyDispense in its new version.
Article Details
The Medical Research Archives grants authors the right to publish and reproduce the unrevised contribution in whole or in part at any time and in any form for any scholarly non-commercial purpose with the condition that all publications of the contribution include a full citation to the journal as published by the Medical Research Archives.
References
2. Newsome JS, Wallace-Gay TD, Shoair OA. Virtual Versus Paper-based Cases in Reinforcing the Collect and Assess Elements of the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process. Am J Pharm Educ. 2020 Jul;84(7):ajpe7806. doi: 10.5688/ajpe7806. PMID: 32773834; PMCID: PMC7405293.
3. Fuller KA, Heldenbrand SD, Smith MD, Malcom DR. A paradigm shift in US experiential pharmacy education accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. AmJ Pharm Educ. 2020;84(6):692-696.
4. Al-Dahir S, Bryant K, Kennedy KB, Robinson DS. Online virtual-patient cases versus traditional problem-based learning in advanced pharmacy practice experiences. Am J Pharm Educ. 2014 May 15;78(4):76. doi: 10.5688/ajpe78476. PMID: 24850938; PMCID: PMC4028585.
5. Costelloe, M. MyDispense: Lessons from Global Collaboration in Developing a Pharmacy Educational Simulation Tool. INNOVATIONS in pharmacy. 2017; 8(1).
6. Curley, L.E., McDonald, M. & Aspden, T. Use of a fictitious community-based virtual teaching platform to aid in the teaching of pharmacy practice skills: Student perspectives after initial implementation. J of Pharm Policy and Pract. 2016; 9, 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-016-0077-3
7. Romanelli F, Rhoney DH, Black EP, et al. Pharmacy education crosses the Rubicon. Am J Pharm Educ. 2020;84(6):664-666.
8. Smith MA, Siemianowski LA, Benedict N. Virtual Patient Case Sharing Across Two Schools of Pharmacy. Am J Pharm Educ. 2016 Nov 25;80(9):153. doi: 10.5688/ajpe809153. PMID: 28090102; PMCID: PMC5221835.
9. Phanudulkitti, C., Kebodeaux, C., & Vordenberg, S. E. Use of MyDispense among pharmacy programs across the United States. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 8827. doi:10.5688/ajpe8827. 2022
10. Nadeem MF, Samanta S, Mustafa F. Is the paradigm of community pharmacy practice expected to shift due to COVID-19? Res Social Adm Pharm. 2021 Jan;17(1):2046-2048. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.05.021. Epub 2020 May 27. PMID: 32565052; PMCID: PMC7255229.
11. Johnson, A. E., Barrack, J., Fitzgerald, J. M., Sobieraj, D. M., & Holle, L. M. (2021). Integration of a virtual dispensing simulator ―MyDispense‖ in an experiential education program to prepare students for Community Introductory Pharmacy Practice experience. Pharmacy, 9(1), 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy9010048
12. Rude TA, Eukel HN, Ahmed-Sarwar N, Burke ES, Anderson AN, Riskin J, et al. An introductory over-the-counter simulation for first-year pharmacy students using A virtual pharmacy. Am J Pharm Educ [Internet]. 2022 ;8940. Available from: https://www.ajpe.org/content/early/2022/03/21/ajpe8940.abstract
13. Amatong, A., Asentista, H., Diasnes, C., Erispe, K., Malintad, K., Paderog, H., … Faller, E. Review of Learners’ Perceptions on My Dispense Virtual Simulation in the Philippines. Philippines: International Journal of Innovative Research in Science Engineering and Technology. 2022
14. McDowell J., Styles K., Sewell K., Trinder P., Marriott J., Maher S., Naidu S. A Simulated Learning Environment for Teaching Medicine Dispensing Skills. Am J Pharm. Educ. 2016;80:1. doi: 10.5688/ajpe80111.
15. Chuang S, Grieve KL, Mak V. Analysis of dispensing errors made by first-year pharmacy students in a virtual dispensing assessment. Pharmacy (Basel) [Internet]. 2021; [cited 2022 Oct 18];9(1):65. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4787/9/1/65
16. Khera, H.K., Mannix, E., Moussa, R. et al. MyDispense simulation in pharmacy education: a scoping review. J of Pharm Policy and Pract 16, 110 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-023-00618-0
17. Pires, C. Perceptions of Pharmacy Students on the E-Learning Strategies Adopted during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review. Pharmacy, 2022, 10(1), 31. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy10010031
18. Angela M. Pagaran, Exa Mae S. Matute, Grace L. Agad, Maria Angelika S. Dabon, Vincent Ray A. Dungog. Confidence Level in Pharmaceutical Care Skills and Experiences Using MyDispense Virtual Simulation Among Pharmacy Students in The Philippines. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, June 2023; Vol 4, no 6, pp 1506-1518. https://doi.org/10.55248/gengpi.4.623.45486
19. Mospan, G. A., & Gillette, C. Using MyDispense to simulate validation of controlled substance prescriptions in a pharmacy law course. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 2020; 12(2), 193-202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2019.11.014
20. Abdalgalil A, H., Hussein, M.S., Abdelraziq, K., Eltyb Elnour, S.E.E., Habib, H.A., Elmehdaw, R. and Bukhatwa, S., PharmD students’ perception toward using Mydispense during virtual training at Libyan International Medical University. 2022.