PharmAssist4ID@USM: Clinical reasoning scaffolding for antimicrobial selection in final-year pharmacy students – A pilot study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46542/pe.2026.261.402414Keywords:
AMS, Clinical pharmacy, Pharmacy education, Scaffolding approachAbstract
Background: Students often struggle to move from recalling guidelines to making systematic, patient-centred decisions about antimicrobials. PharmAssist4ID@USM© was created as a structured framework to help final-year pharmacy students individualise antimicrobial therapy. This pilot study aimed to examine its implementation in an applied therapeutics course and assess students' perceptions of its usefulness.
Methods: A pilot study was conducted in the Applied Therapeutics II course at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia. Ten infectious-disease case studies were discussed in small groups using PharmAssist4ID@USM©, with students presenting their reasoning and receiving immediate feedback.
Results: A total of 64 students completed the voluntary survey. Most rated their ability to assess patient cases after using PharmAssist4ID@USM© as very good (53.1%) or good (40.6%). Students felt very effective (64.1%) or moderately effective (32.8%) in identifying pharmaceutical care issues. They reported high confidence in identifying and solving drug-related problems (96.9%) and in designing a monitoring plan (98.5%). Most believed the tool enhanced their ability to identify problems, propose interventions, and plan monitoring.
Conclusion: PharmAssist4ID@USM© was feasible as a clinical reasoning tool in a final-year clinical pharmacy course. Students found it helpful for assessing infectious disease cases, making antimicrobial decisions, and developing monitoring plans.
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