Virtual site visits - an emerging option for experiential quality assurance.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Site visits are a valuable tool for experiential quality assurance. There is sparse literature regarding the use of a virtual modality for completion of site visits. This manuscript describes the experience of using of onsite and virtual site visits, including benefits and limitations of each approach, by two pharmacy experiential programs. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: Each experiential program utilizes both virtual and onsite visits to assess site quality, provide preceptor development, and connect with sites and preceptors. Information gathered and documentation processes are similar for both institutions for both visit modalities. The two pharmacy institutions differ in size, geographical location, number of experiential sites, and experiential department structure. FINDINGS: Based on site evaluator feedback from the two institutions, both visit modalities achieved the goals of evaluating sites for quality, fostering relationships with preceptors, and affording opportunities to provide preceptor development. Positive features of virtual site visits were increased flexibility with scheduling, expanded participation and engagement, increased efficiency, and decreased cost. Drawbacks noted with virtual site visits were challenges touring the site, decreased ability to observe group dynamics and culture, and participant multi-tasking. SUMMARY: A virtual approach to completing experiential site visits achieved programmatic goals. Utilizing a combination of virtual and onsite visits may facilitate a customized approach to navigating the advantages and disadvantages of each modality.

Pharmacy students' application of knowledge from the classroom to introductory pharmacy practice experiences.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether and how pharmacy students used knowledge learned in the classroom during their introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) in community and hospital settings. DESIGN: To reinforce course concepts and make connections between coursework and practice, students documented examples of how knowledge from first-year courses was used in IPPEs. ASSESSMENT: Data submitted were categorized by classroom-based pharmacy course, including the frequency with which each course was cited. For community practice experiences, most student examples of knowledge application related to the self-care therapeutics course, pharmacy practice laboratory course, and dose form/compounding laboratory courses. Hospital IPPE examples were most frequently based on the pharmaceutical calculations course, physiology/pathophysiology course, medicinal chemistry course, and pharmacy practice laboratory course. CONCLUSION: All prior classroom-based pharmacy courses were cited by students as being useful during IPPEs, although some were more frequently cited than others. This activity provided useful programmatic assessment data.

Patient perspective of medication information desired and barriers to asking pharmacists questions.

OBJECTIVES: To identify information patients want from a community pharmacist with new and refill prescription dispensing, examine how this varies across certain patient characteristics, and identify perceived barriers to asking pharmacists' questions. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Six states (Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Utah, Montana, and Arizona), from January 2006 to August 2008. PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample of 600 patients or caregivers at community pharmacies. INTERVENTION: Brief, face-to-face, structured interviews. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Information desired by patients when receiving new and refill prescriptions and reasons why patients would not ask pharmacists medication-related questions. RESULTS: Information most often desired at first medication dispensing was adverse effects (58.2%), basic instructions (32.6%), and drug interactions (31%). Less than 9% of patients stated no need for pharmacist-provided information or that written information sufficed. Younger (t = 4.81, P < 0.001) and more educated (X2 = 4.385, P = 0.036) patients were more likely to indicate a desire for adverse effect information than older or less educated patients. When asked about refills, nearly one-half reported wanting information beyond how many refills remain. Of patients, 15% wanted a review of information given when originally dispensed. A review of information was more often desired by patients with less than or equal to a high school education (X2 = 7.830, P < 0.01). Overall, information during refill dispensing was desired more often by those with less education (X2 = 4.786, P = 0.029). CONCLUSION: These results support revisiting current pharmacy practice and practice laws about refill counseling and risk information provision, with greater potential implications for less educated individuals.