Impact of Interprofessional Telehealth Case Activities on Students' Perceptions of Their Collaborative Care Abilities.

Objective. To describe the development, implementation, and assessment of simulated interprofessional education (IPE) telehealth case activities. Methods. Faculty from pharmacy and physician assistant schools developed interprofessional cases covering topics addressed in both curricula and designed for specific levels of learners. Using a telehealth format, pharmacy students were paired with physician assistant students and met at specified times in a virtual room. Faculty representing both professions assessed students as they discussed a patient case, determined a diagnosis, and collaborated to develop appropriate treatment options. Pre-experience and post-experience data and student reflections were collected. Results. Pharmacy students' responses to items on the Team Skills Scale (TSS) completed after participating in four IPE telehealth case activities indicated positive changes. Mean total TSS scores significantly improved from pre-experience 62.3 (SD 8.4) to post-experience 72.6 (SD 5.7). Quantitative evaluation of student teams' participation in an interprofessional activity was assessed using the Creighton Interprofessional Collaborative Evaluation (C-ICE) instrument and the average score was 90%. Theme analysis was performed on student reflections and the most prominent themes identified were satisfaction from interacting with other health care professionals, increased confidence in clinical decision-making ability, and affirmation that IPE telehealth cases should be included in each year of the curriculum. Conclusion. Implementation of interprofessional cases using telehealth technology is an effective way for pharmacy schools to incorporate IPE into their curriculum. Students reported improved self-perception of interprofessional competence and attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration after participating in IPE telehealth cases.

A Survey of Dental Patient Attitudes on the Likelihood and Perceived Importance of Disclosing Daily Medications.

An accurate medication history allows the oral health care provider (OHCP) to evaluate a patient's overall health and disease status, as well as assess the effect medications may have on dental treatment and oral health. It has been previously documented that dental patients do not always report an accurate medication list. The aims of this study were to determine dental patients' perceptions regarding the importance and likelihood of accurately disclosing prescription, over-the-counter (OTC), and herbal/supplement medications to their OHCP. A voluntary patient survey was administered from October 2015 through March 2016 to new dental patients at the Creighton University School of Dentistry student-operated clinic. Of 300 surveys distributed, 217 were found to be complete for inclusion in the evaluation (response rate 72.3%). Of the responding patients, 75.6%, 69.1%, and 63.6% reported believing it was very important to inform their dentists of their prescribed, OTC, and herbal/supplement medications, respectively. Additionally, 80.7%, 71.4%, and 62.7% reported that they always informed their dentists of all their prescribed, OTC, and herbal/supplement medications, respectively. Although the majority of these patients agreed on the importance of reporting medication information to their OHCP and reported doing so, this survey found room for improvement, especially regarding OTC and herbal/supplement medications. It is imperative that both the pharmacist and OHCP educate dental and pharmacy students to inform patients of the importance of providing an accurate and complete medication history to ensure the safest possible delivery of their dental treatment.

A Pharmacist's Role in a Dental Clinic: Establishing a Collaborative and Interprofessional Education Site.

BACKGROUND: Dental patients often have comorbidities and take multiple medications, some of which could impact their dental health and treatment. A pharmacist in a dental clinic can assist with the gathering, documentation and evaluation of a dental patient's medication history as it pertains to their dental visit and overall health. PURPOSE: To develop and implement a collaborative and interprofessional education program with a pharmacist providing services in a dental school clinic. SUMMARY: Creighton University School of Dentistry, a student-operated dental clinic located in Omaha, Nebraska, provides dental care by student dentists, faculty and staff to the surrounding community in a learning-focused environment. A pharmacist was incorporated into the dental clinic to create and establish an interprofessional relationship with both dental students and faculty beginning August 2014. Pharmacy students on an ambulatory care advanced pharmacy practice experience rotation were eventually added to the team. The pharmacy team provided medication therapy management services including disease state and medication counseling, medication reconciliation, identifying drug-related problems and dental implications of medications, and recommendations for prescribed medications. CONCLUSION: The pharmacy team's presence was largely accepted by dental faculty, staff, dental students, and patients. Pharmacists can play an important role in a dental clinic by performing thorough health and medication histories and communicating with dental and medical providers involved in a patient's care.

Recommendations for Planning and Managing International Short-term Pharmacy Service Trips.

International pharmacy service trips by schools and colleges of pharmacy allow students to provide health care to medically underserved areas. A literature review (2000-2016) in databases and Internet searches with specific keywords or terms was performed to assess current practices to establish and maintain successful pharmacy service trips. Educational documents such as syllabi were obtained from pharmacy programs and examined. A preliminary draft was developed and authors worked on sections of interest and expertise. Considerations and current recommendations are provided for the key aspects of the home institution and the host country requirements for pharmacy service trips based on findings from a literature search and the authors' collective, extensive experience. Evaluation of the trip and ethical considerations are also discussed. This article serves as a resource for schools and colleges of pharmacy that are interested in the development of new pharmacy service trips and provides key considerations for continuous quality improvement of current or future activities.