Experiential pharmacy education in trying times: Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46542/pe.2022.221.823834Keywords:
COVID-19, experiential education, pharmacy education, pharmacy practiceAbstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a slew of new obstacles for all health professionals, particularly those in charge of training students. Many pharmacy schools had to convert to virtual experiential learning with little to no existing literature, framework, or appropriate time for preparation. This review documents the virtual pharmacy practice training at a university in Lebanon during COVID-19 and several other colleges of pharmacy worldwide that have shared their experiences. A literature review of international publications was performed in PubMed and Google Scholar between 1 March 2022 and 30 May 2022, and relevant articles were included. The narrative offers a variety of approaches to ensure that pharmacy learners prioritise self-care, are adequately prepared to enter pharmacy practice, and reflect on their learning. However, other aspects, such as the use of a variety of online training platforms, the inclusion of more patient-centric activities, and the provision of live virtual patient experiences, should be enhanced in the future.
References
AbuBlan, R. S., Nazer, L. H., Jaddoua, S. M., & Treish, I. M. (2019). A Hospital-based Pharmacy Internship Program in Jordan. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 83(3), 6547. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe6547
Adapting to Unprecedented Circumstances | AACP. (2020). https://www.aacp.org/article/adapting-unprecedented-circumstances
Akel, M. E., Rahal, M., Dabbous, M., Mourad, N., Dimassi, A., & Sakr, F. (2020). Experiential Education in Pharmacy Curriculum: The Lebanese International University Model. Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland), 9(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy9010005
Alkatheri, A. M., Albekairy, A. M., Khalidi, N., Phelps, S. J., Gourley, D. R., Al Jeraisy, M., & Qandil, A. M. (2019). Implementation of an ACPE-Accredited PharmD Curriculum at a Saudi College of Pharmacy. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 83(9), 6237. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe6237
Almetwazi, M., Alzoman, N., Al-Massarani, S., & Alshamsan, A. (2020). COVID-19 impact on pharmacy education in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and opportunities. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 28(11), 1431–1434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2020.09.008
Altwaijry, N., Ibrahim, A., Binsuwaidan, R., Alnajjar, L. I., Alsfouk, B. A., & Almutairi, R. (2021). Distance Education During COVID-19 Pandemic: A College of Pharmacy Experience. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 14, 2099–2110. https://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S308998
Aruru, M., Truong, H.-A., & Clark, S. (2021). Pharmacy Emergency Preparedness and Response (PEPR): A proposed framework for expanding pharmacy professionals’ roles and contributions to emergency preparedness and response during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 17(1), 1967–1977. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.04.002
Assemi, M., Corelli, R. L., & Ambrose, P. J. (2011). Development Needs of Volunteer Pharmacy Practice Preceptors. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 75(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe75110
Barakat, M., Qudah, R., Abu Farha, R., Alsalamat, H., & Akour, A. (2021). Perception of Jordanian Pharmacy Students towards Community Pharmacy-Virtual Training Experience during COVID-19 Outbreak. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-268142/v1
Baumann-Birkbeck, L., Florentina, F., Karatas, O., Sun, J., Tang, T., Thaung, V., McFarland, A., Bernaitis, N., Khan, S. A., Grant, G., & Anoopkumar-Dukie, S. (2017). Appraising the role of the virtual patient for therapeutics health education. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching & Learning, 9(5), 934–944. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2017.05.012
Beck, D., Boh, L., & O’Sullivan, P. (1995). Evaluating Student Performance in the Experiential Setting with Confidence. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 59, 236-249
Bindoff, I., Ling, T., Bereznicki, L., Westbury, J., Chalmers, L., Peterson, G., & Ollington, R. (2014). A Computer Simulation of Community Pharmacy Practice for Educational Use. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 78(9). https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe789168
Boyce, E. G., Harris, C. S., Bingham, A. L., Chan, E., Chapman, S. A., Chilbert, M. R., Dy-Boarman, E., Haines, S. T., Heavner, M. S., Marcus, K. B., Smith, S. E., Strnad, K., & Yunker, N. S. (2020). Striving for excellence in experiential education. Journal of The American College of Clinical Pharmacy, 3(3), 678–691. https://doi.org/10.1002/jac5.1240
Chahine, B., Cherfane, M., Sakr, F., Safwan, J., Dabbous, M., Akel, M., & Rahal, M. (2021). Community pharmacists’ perceptions and role in the management of common dermatological problems in Lebanon: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 29(6), 573–579. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijpp/riab056
Chakraborty, I., & Maity, P. (2020). COVID-19 outbreak: Migration, effects on society, global environment and prevention. Science of The Total Environment, 728, 138882. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138882
Cox, C. E., & Lindblad, A. J. (2012). A Collaborative Approach to Improving and Expanding an Experiential Education Program. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 76(3), 53. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe76353
Dabbous, M., Kawtharani, A., Fahs, I., Hallal, Z., Shouman, D., Akel, M., Rahal, M., & Sakr, F. (2022). The Role of Game-Based Learning in Experiential Education: Tool Validation, Motivation Assessment, and Outcomes Evaluation among a Sample of Pharmacy Students. Education Sciences, 12(7), 434. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12070434
Elnaem, M. H., Nazar, N. I. M., & Rahman, N. S. A. (2020). Pharmacotherapy virtual attachment during COVID-19 pandemic: Use of online experiential assessment in a Malaysian pharmacy school. Pharmacy Education, 20(2), 23–24. https://doi.org/10.46542/pe.2020.202.2324
Farha, R. K. A., Rashad, M., Hasen, E., Mukattash, T., Al-Hashar, A., & Basheti, I. A. (2020). Evaluation of the effect of video tutorial training on improving pharmacy students’ knowledge and skills about medication reconciliation. Pharmacy Practice, 18(1), 1711. https://doi.org/10.18549/PharmPract.2020.1.1711
Fuller, K. A., Heldenbrand, S. D., Smith, M. D., & Malcom, D. R. (2020). A Paradigm Shift in US Experiential Pharmacy Education Accelerated by the COVID-19 Pandemic. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 84(6), ajpe8149. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe8149
UNESCO. (2020, March 4). Education: From disruption to recovery. https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse
Jackson, L. D. (2015). Strategies pharmacy students can use to ensure success in an experiential placement. Canadian Pharmacists Journal: CPJ, 148(6), 308–313. https://doi.org/10.1177/1715163515608775
Karimi, R., Arendt, C. S., Cawley, P., Buhler, A. V., Elbarbry, F., & Roberts, S. C. (2010). Learning Bridge: Curricular Integration of Didactic and Experiential Education. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 74(3), 48. https://doi.org/10.5688/aj740348
Kawaguchi-Suzuki, M., Nagai, N., Akonoghrere, R. O., & Desborough, J. A. (2020). COVID-19 Pandemic Challenges and Lessons Learned by Pharmacy Educators Around the Globe. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 84(8), ajpe8197. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe8197
Khachan, V., Saab, Y. B., & Sadik, F. (2010). Pharmacy education in Lebanon. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 2(3), 186–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2010.04.003
Khan, T. M. (2021). Use of social media and WhatsApp to conduct teaching activities during the COVID-19 lockdown in Pakistan. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 29(1), 90. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpp.12659
Law, E., Scott, M. C., Moon, Y. S. K., Lee, A. J., Bandy, V. T., Haydon, A., Shek, A., & Kang-Birken, S. L. (2021). Adapting pharmacy experiential education during COVID-19: Innovating remote preceptor resources, tools, and patient care delivery beyond virtual meetings. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy: AJHP: Official Journal of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 78(18), 1732–1738. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajhp/zxab192
Lucas, C., Williams, K., & Bajorek, B. (2019). Virtual Pharmacy Programs to Prepare Pharmacy Students for Community and Hospital Placements. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 83(10), 7011. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe7011
Lucas, C., Williams, K., Tudball, J., & Walpola, R. L. (2018). Community, hospital and industry preceptor perceptions of their role in experiential placements- the need for standardization of preceptor responsibilities and evaluations on students. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 10(11), 1447–1455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2018.08.002
Lyons, K. M., Christopoulos, A., & Brock, T. P. (2020). Sustainable Pharmacy Education in the Time of COVID-19. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 84(6), ajpe8088. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe8088
Moreau, C., Maravent, S., Hale, G. M., & Joseph, T. (2021). Strategies for Managing Pharmacy Experiential Education During COVID-19. Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 34(1), 7–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/0897190020977730
MyDispense – Shaping Pharmacy Education. (2022). https://info.mydispense.monash.edu/
Nicola, M., O’Neill, N., Sohrabi, C., Khan, M., Agha, M., & Agha, R. (2020). Evidence based management guideline for the COVID-19 pandemic—Review article. International Journal of Surgery, 77, 206–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsu.2020.04.001
Nizhenkovska, I., Kuznetsova, O., & Narokha, V. (2020). Organising distance learning for Master’s in Pharmacy in Ukraine during COVID-19 quarantine. Pharmacy Education, 20(2), 59–60. https://doi.org/10.46542/pe.2020.202.5960
Owens, K. R. (2006). A Review of “Introduction to Rubrics: An Assessment Tool to Save Grading Time, Convey Effective Feedback and Promote Student Learning.” Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 30(1), 72–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668920500420782
Packeiser, P. B., & Castro, M. S. (2020). Evaluation of simulated drug dispensing and patient counseling in the course of pharmaceutical improvement: 2009 to 2015. Pharmacy Practice, 18(4), 1865. https://doi.org/10.18549/PharmPract.2020.4.1865
Perry, M. W., Kobulinsky, L. R., Seybert, A. L., Kreider, M. S., Williams, V., & Smithburger, P. L. (2022). Interinstitutional simulation of patients with COVID‐19 during a remote acute‐care advanced pharmacy practice experience. Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, 5(4), 442–449. https://doi.org/10.1002/jac5.1596
Rabbani, S. A., Wadhwa, T., Sridhar, S. B., Shareef, J., Ali, A. A., & Rao, P. G. (2021). PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION: Experiential training during COVID-19 pandemic: a virtual attachment experience from a college of pharmaceutical sciences in the United Arab Emirates. Pharmacy Education, 21(1), 51–55. https://doi.org/10.46542/pe.2021.211.5155
Rahman, N. S. A., Nazar, N. I. M., & Elnaem, M. H. (2020). Experiential learning in community pharmacy: Online and remote teaching experience in Malaysian higher education: Innovation in experiential learning or assessment. Pharmacy Education, 20(2), 29–30. https://doi.org/10.46542/pe.2020.202.2930
Reynolds, P. M., Rhein, E., Nuffer, M., & Gleason, S. E. (2021). Educational Methods and Technological Innovations for Introductory Experiential Learning Given the Contact-Related Limitations Imposed by the SARS-CoV2/COVID-19 Pandemic. Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland), 9(1), 47. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy9010047
Ryan, T. J., Grimes, T., Henman, M. C., Sheachnasaigh, E. N., O’Dwyer, M., Roche, C., Ryder, S. A., Sasse, A., Walsh, J. J., & D’Arcy, D. M. (2019). Design and Implementation of an Integrated Competency-Focused Pharmacy Programme: A Case Report. Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland), 7(3), 121. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy7030121
Sabra, R., Safwan, J., Dabbous, M., Rida, A., Malaeb, D., Akel, M., & Sakr, F. (2022). Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of Lebanese pharmacists in providing patient counseling on urinary tract infection and its treatment. Pharmacy Practice, 20(2), 01–10. https://doi.org/10.18549/PharmPract.2022.2.2653
Safwan, J., Cherfan, M., Dabbous, M., Hammoudi, D., Akiki, Z., Saade, F., Akel, M., Younes, S., Rahal, M., Bouraad, E., & Sakr, F. (2022). Faculty perceptions on online education in a school of pharmacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pharmacy Education, 22(1), 450–457. https://doi.org/10.46542/pe.2022.221.450457
Sakr, F., Akiki, Z., Dabbous, M., Salameh, P., & Akel, M. (2022a). The Role of Pharmacists in Providing Immunization to the General Population: Are Lebanese Pharmacists Ready for this Role? Pharmacy Practice, 19(4), 01–08. https://doi.org/10.18549/PharmPract.2021.4.2565
Sakr, F., Dabbous, M., Akel, M., Salameh, P., & Hosseini, H. (2022b). Adherence to Post-Stroke Pharmacotherapy: Scale Validation and Correlates among a Sample of Stroke Survivors. Medicina, 58(8), 1109. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina58081109
Sakr, F., Haddad, C., Zeenny, R. M., Sacre, H., Akel, M., Iskandar, K., Hajj, A., & Salameh, P. (2022c). Work Ethics and Ethical Attitudes among Healthcare Professionals: The Role of Leadership Skills in Determining Ethics Construct and Professional Behaviors. Healthcare, 10(8), 1399. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10081399
Sera, L., & Wheeler, E. (2017). Game on: The gamification of the pharmacy classroom. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching & Learning, 9(1), 155–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2016.08.046
Thomas, D., Marriott, J., Vadlamudi, R., Efendie, B., & Maine, L. L. (2019). Chapter 1—Introduction to Clinical Practice, Research, and Pharmacy Education. In Clinical Pharmacy Education, Practice and Research (pp. 1–9). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-814276-9.00001-5
Thompson, M., Kanmaz, T., Cheryl, C., & Tanzer, K. (2020). Recommendations for participation in experiential education activities during a national, regional or local crisis. Acreditation Council For Pharmacy Education. https://www.acpe-accredit.org/wp-content/uploads/Experiential-Education-ACPE-Proposal-Response-Final.pdf
Toklu, H. Z., & Hussain, A. (2013). The changing face of pharmacy practice and the need for a new model of pharmacy education. Journal of Young Pharmacists: JYP, 5(2), 38–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jyp.2012.09.001
Wahab, I. A., & Zainal, Z. A. (2020). Ensuring Continuity of Undergraduate Clinical Pharmacy Teaching and Learning Activities During Crisis. Education in Medical Journal, 12(2), 69–73. https://doi.org/10.21315/eimj2020.12.2.7
Wilbur, K., Wilby, K. J., & Pawluk, S. (2018). Pharmacy Preceptor Judgments of Student Performance and Behavior During Experiential Training. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 82(10). https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe6451
Younes, S., Mourad, N., Safwan, J., Dabbous, M., Rahal, M., Al Nabulsi, M., & Sakr, F. (2022). Chronic kidney disease awareness among the general population: Tool validation and knowledge assessment in a developing country. BMC Nephrology, 23(1), 266. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-022-02889-2
Zellmer, W. A., Vlasses, P. H., & Beardsley, R. S. (2013). Summary of the ACPE Consensus Conference on Advancing Quality in Pharmacy Education. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 77(3), 44. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe77344
Zeitoun, A., Sacre, H., Hallit, S., Zeenny, R. M., Sili, G., & Salameh, P. (2020). Clinical preceptor competencies for a better pharmacy education: a suggested framework for Lebanon. Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice, 13, 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-020-00217-3
