Pharmacy Education, Make Way for GenZ.

Although our classrooms are filled with students spanning multiple generations, students entering pharmacy school are largely members of Generation Z (GenZ). To optimize pharmacy education in and outside of the classroom, we must appreciate the distinctions making GenZ unique. GenZ students want to change the world! Although much of this population is currently emerging in classrooms and careers, preliminary observations indicate they are loyal, hard-working, self-sufficient, willing to earn hierarchical advancement, and may change jobs less frequently compared with predecessors. They emerge as one of the most socially responsible generations, passionate about diversity and inclusion.1 They are more likely to choose a career path, workplace, or educational institution for reasons of social responsibility, rather than salary, compared with previous generations. They are also creative, innovative, and willing to try new things without fear of failure, including entrepreneurialism. They are financially astute and careful to make choices ensuring solid return on investment.1 Not surprisingly, most are engaged daily with multiple social media platforms. They care about their digital and social impact and focus on individuality with a desire for customization. GenZ members are uniquely equipped to adapt to today's rapidly changing health care needs. This commentary describes attributes, needs, and perspectives of the GenZ student that must be understood by today's pharmacy educators to assist with tailoring educational strategies. Information presented is summarized from a review of primary and periodical literature, including both research and anecdotal perspectives. We hope that this will be a starting point for further discussion within the academy.

Frequency of essential elements in required advanced pharmacy practice experiences (FEER - APPE).

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluated student reported achievement of essential elements (EE) across three required advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) to identify differences in the frequency of each EE during different delivery modalities. METHODS: APPE students from three different programs were assigned a self-assessment EE inventory after required acute care, ambulatory care, and community pharmacy APPEs between May 2018 and December 2020. Using a four-point frequency scale, students reported exposure to and completion of each EE. Pooled data were analyzed to compare differences in frequencies of EE during standard and disrupted delivery. All standard delivery APPEs were in-person, but during the study period APPEs shifted to a disrupted delivery using hybrid and remote formats. Frequency changes were reported as combined data and compared between programs. RESULTS: A total of 2191 of 2259 (97%) evaluations were completed. Acute care APPEs had a statistically significant change in frequency of evidence-based medicine elements. Ambulatory care APPEs had a statistically significant decrease in the frequency of reported pharmacist patient care elements. Community pharmacy had a statistically significant decrease in frequency in each category of EE except practice management. Statistically significant differences between programs were observed for select EEs. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of EE completion during disrupted APPEs revealed minimal change. Acute care was the least impacted whereas community APPEs experienced the greatest change. This may be attributable to shifts in direct patient interactions during the disruption. Ambulatory care was impacted to a lesser degree, potentially due to utilization of telehealth communications.

In the midst of curricular revision, remember the importance of over-the-counter and self-care education.

INTRODUCTION: Over-the-counter (OTC) and self-care products are frequently utilized by adult patients as initial treatment for common health issues. This availability of OTC/self-care products, coupled with the accessibility of community-based pharmacists, uniquely positions pharmacists to serve as stewards of appropriate OTC/self-care treatment. As a result, community-based pharmacists must be competent in the practice of providing individualized, patient-specific, OTC recommendations and self-care education to assist patients in achieving optimal self-managed health outcomes. COMMENTARY: Schools and colleges of pharmacy often undergo curricular revision/integration. As a result, it is often necessary to reallocate credit hours dedicated to OTC/self-care content. Curriculum committees should therefore be aware of several best-practice resources that may assist them with this task. IMPLICATIONS: The impact on OTC/self-care content during curricular revision/integration directly effects the preparation of graduate ready student pharmacists and ultimately patient's self-managed health outcomes. Considerations include appointing an OTC/self-care champion to oversee the integration of OTC/self-care content as well as post-revision monitoring to ensure core topic areas are being adequately covered in the didactic curriculum and in accordance with best practices.

Report of the 2018-2019 Student Affairs Standing Committee.

The 2018-2019 Student Affairs Standing Committee addressed charges related to examining the institutional leadership models and professional development needs of faculty and staff to optimize achievement of Strategic Priority #1 on the applicant pipeline. The report provides five recommendations to AACP and twelve suggestions for colleges and schools of pharmacy. The committee focused on the need to develop tailored leadership training and mentoring programs for admissions personnel on relevant topics, including change management, holistic thinking, leadership, problem solving, technical knowledge, professional development, paths for promotion, conflict resolution, networking, persuasive communication, and strategic planning. Rather than develop new resources, the committee identified existing professional competencies and assessment resources developed by other organizations for student affairs and admissions personnel that could spur enhanced strategic marketing and professional development opportunities in pharmacy education. It also reaffirmed the need for student diversity and the use of data to drive strategic decisions in recruitment. To identify gaps in knowledge among AACP member institutions, the committee analyzed the results of its fall 2018 survey on the current depth and breadth of student recruitment activities and their perceived effectiveness. The committee also recommended ways institutions can encourage faculty and others outside of the admissions office to participate in student recruitment activities. Finally, the committee concluded that it will be necessary for colleges and schools to collaborate across the academy to promote the benefits of pharmacy profession to prospective students, rather than individual colleges and schools of pharmacy, and be more responsive to the expectations of Gen Z students before the tide in applications will shift in a positive direction.

Professional and pre-professional pharmacy students' perceptions of team based learning (TBL) at a private research-intensive university.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Pharmacy students need to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills as well as be a valuable team member. The use of team based learning (TBL) fosters effective team collaboration, enables continuous active and self-directed learning, and requires both individual and team accountability. The purpose was to evaluate pharmacy students' perceptions and experiences related to TBL in different years of the pharmacy curriculum. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: Two classes, Introduction to the Profession of Pharmacy (intro), a required course, and Self-Care/Non-Prescription Medications (self-care), an elective course, utilize the TBL approach. Students enrolled in both courses were recruited to complete a validated questionnaire during the last class. FINDINGS: There was 100% participation; the majority of students, regardless of course, expressed positive attitudes towards TBL. Variations, relevance of TBL activities and the use of TBL as a learning strategy, between the required intro class and the elective self-care class were observed using a Mann-Whitney U test (p<0.05). DISCUSSION: Both cohorts of pharmacy students positively rated the TBL sessions in terms of learning effectiveness. It's important to consider the differences in professional development in these students and how this may impact their perceptions of TBL. TBL imparts more responsibility and accountability on the individual student allowing for the development of self-directed learners. SUMMARY: Students, regardless of their year, found TBL to be an effective learning strategy. Third professional year (P3) pharmacy students further along in the curriculum are more accepting of TBL and are better able to appreciate the benefits of active and self-directed learning as well as working within a team.

Recommendations for Evaluating Practice-Related Activities of Pharmacy Faculty.

OBJECTIVE: To develop definitions of who pharmacy practice faculty and partners are, identify indicators to measure practice-related activities, and provide guidance for evaluating pharmacy practice faculty. METHODS: A 4-round, online Delphi was conducted. Panelists with experience evaluating pharmacy practice faculty were invited. Consensus was achieved when there was agreement by at least 70% of panelists. Round 1: Panelists were asked to identify the essential distinguishing characteristics of pharmacy practice faculty and practice partners as well as metrics that could be used to measure practice productivity and quality. Responses were grouped into common themes. Round 2: Panelists were asked to agree, agree with changes, or disagree with themes and metrics identified. Round 3: Panelists were asked to agree, agree with changes, or disagree with definitions of pharmacy practice faculty and practice partners. Panelists were asked about procedural elements of evaluation processes that colleges/schools should adopt. Round 4: panelists were asked about areas of uncertainty that had not yet achieved consensus. RESULTS: A total of 17 experts participated. Consensus definitions for pharmacy practice faculty and practice partners were achieved . From 291 submitted indicators, 14 productivity and 10 quality indicators reached consensus along with recommended frequencies for collection and review. Peer review was identified as an important quality indicator. Recommendations regarding who should participate in the evaluation process and how the data should be used also achieved consensus. CONCLUSION: Formal mechanisms for evaluating the practice-related activities of pharmacy faculty are critical to ensure this area of responsibility is fairly recognized and considered.

Processes and Metrics to Evaluate Faculty Practice Activities at US Schools of Pharmacy.

Objective. To determine what processes and metrics are employed to measure and evaluate pharmacy practice faculty members at colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States. Methods. A 23-item web-based questionnaire was distributed to pharmacy practice department chairs at schools of pharmacy fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) (n=114). Results. Ninety-three pharmacy practice chairs or designees from 92 institutions responded. Seventy-six percent reported that more than 60% of the department's faculty members were engaged in practice-related activities at least eight hours per week. Fewer than half (47%) had written policies and procedures for conducting practice evaluations. Institutions commonly collected data regarding committee service at practice sites, community service events, educational programs, and number of hours engaged in practice-related activities; however, only 24% used a tool to longitudinally collect practice-related data. Publicly funded institutions were more likely than private schools to have written procedures. Conclusion. Data collection tools and best practice recommendations for conducting faculty practice evaluations are needed.

A vidcasting project to promote the pharmacist's role in public health.

OBJECTIVE: To develop, implement, and assess an Internet-based vidcasting project to promote the pharmacist's role in public health. DESIGN: This was a collaborative effort for 2 different courses taught at 2 different schools of pharmacy. Faculty members created a special instructional design for students to follow in planning, producing, and publishing video public service announcements on the Internet. ASSESSMENT: Formative and summative assessments, including course examinations, a grading rubric, student survey, and focus group, were implemented to evaluate student learning and public reaction. Students believed Internet video public service announcements served as a useful reference for patients and professionals, aided in promoting disease prevention and wellness initiatives, positively impacted patient-provider relationships, and increased awareness regarding significance and financial impact of disease burden. CONCLUSION: Producing a public health information video and vidcasting it on the Internet increased pharmacy students' self-esteem, respect for peers, creative and critical-thinking abilities, and understanding of the need for and importance of pharmacists providing accurate public health information.

Meeting the challenge of public health information delivery in the digital age.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the current status of public health messaging and how pharmacists can become more active participants. SUMMARY: Public health needs can be addressed by using Internet videos as a model to disseminate medical information. Introducing student pharmacists to new ways of developing and delivering targeted public health messages can increase their awareness that public health intervention is part of the emerging scope of practice. CONCLUSION: For pharmacy to affect change in public health at the local and national level, pharmacists should consider providing public health advocacy messages through virtual platforms.

Development of a peer teaching-assessment program and a peer observation and evaluation tool.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a formalized, comprehensive, peer-driven teaching assessment program and a valid and reliable assessment tool. METHODS: A volunteer taskforce was formed and a peer-assessment program was developed using a multistep, sequential approach and the Peer Observation and Evaluation Tool (POET). A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency and practicality of the process and to establish interrater reliability of the tool. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated. RESULTS: ICCs for 8 separate lectures evaluated by 2-3 observers ranged from 0.66 to 0.97, indicating good interrater reliability of the tool. CONCLUSION: Our peer assessment program for large classroom teaching, which includes a valid and reliable evaluation tool, is comprehensive, feasible, and can be adopted by other schools of pharmacy.

A tool for measuring active learning in the classroom.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a valid and reliable active-learning inventory tool for use in large classrooms and compare faculty perceptions of active-learning using the Active-Learning Inventory Tool. METHODS: The Active-Learning Inventory Tool was developed using published literature and validated by national experts in educational research. Reliability was established by trained faculty members who used the Active-Learning Inventory Tool to observe 9 pharmacy lectures. Instructors were then interviewed to elicit perceptions regarding active learning and asked to share their perceptions. RESULTS: Per lecture, 13 (range: 4-34) episodes of active learning encompassing 3 (range: 2-5) different types of active learning occurred over 2.2 minutes (0.6-16) per episode. Both interobserver (> or = 87%) and observer-instructor agreement (> or = 68%) were high for these outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The Active-Learning Inventory Tool is a valid and reliable tool to measure active learning in the classroom. Future studies are needed to determine the impact of the Active-Learning Inventory Tool on teaching and its usefulness in other disciplines.