Pharmacy student self-assessment of interprofessional behaviors in inpatient general medicine advanced pharmacy practice experiences.

INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization defines interprofessional education (IPE) "as an experience where students from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to…improve health outcomes."1 Recent studies have demonstrated that IPE experiences can produce positive outcomes, and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Accreditation Standards require IPE experiences to be incorporated in both didactic and experiential components of pharmacy curricula. The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of required rotation interprofessional activities on fourth-year pharmacy students' self-assessment of interprofessional collaboration behaviors. METHODS: This was an ambidirectional cohort study conducted among students enrolled in their inpatient general medicine advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) at the University of Texas at El Paso School of Pharmacy during academic year 2020-2021. Students completed the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competency self-assessment instrument at the beginning and end of their six-week APPE. The survey instrument assessed IPEC competencies in the four IPE domains. RESULTS: During the 2020-2021 academic year, 29 APPE pharmacy students completed the pre- and post-assessment during their inpatient general medicine APPE. There was a significant increase (P < .001) in IPEC scores from baseline to post-assessment in each domain. CONCLUSIONS: Students had a positive change in interprofessional collaboration behaviors after completing the required IPE on their inpatient general medicine APPE, which is consistent with prior studies. While students' perceived IPE behaviors improved, further research is needed to elucidate the value of IPE learning activities and impact on learning outcomes.

COVID-19 Testing, Vaccine Perceptions, and Trust among Hispanics Residing in an Underserved Community.

The Borderplex region has been profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Borderplex residents live in low socioeconomic (SES) neighborhoods and lack access to COVID-19 testing. The purpose of this study was two-fold: first, to implement a COVID-19 testing program in the Borderplex region to increase the number of residents tested for COVID-19, and second, to administer a community survey to identify trusted sources of COVID-19 information and factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake. A total of 4071 community members were tested for COVID-19, and 502 participants completed the survey. COVID-19 testing resulted in 66.8% (n = 2718) positive cases. The community survey revealed that the most trusted sources of COVID-19 information were doctors or health care providers (67.7%), government websites (e.g., CDC, FDA, etc.) (41.8%), and the World Health Organization (37.8%). Logistic regression models revealed several statistically significant predictors of COVID-19 vaccine uptake such as having a trusted doctor or health care provider, perceiving the COVID-19 vaccine to be effective, and perceiving that the COVID-19 vaccine does not cause side-effects. Findings from the current study highlight the need for utilizing an integrated, multifactorial approach to increase COVID-19 testing and to identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake in underserved communities.

Cultural and psychosocial moderators of the association between adverse childhood experiences and alcohol and marijuana use among Latinx college students on the U.S./Mexico border.

BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been historically associated with negative life outcomes among the general population. OBJECTIVE: With limited research among Latinx college students, this study assessed how specific constructs moderate the association between ACEs and alcohol and marijuana use. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Latinx participants recruited from a large U.S./Mexico border region university (Females: N = 283, Males: N = 168) completed an online survey which included: demographics, the Center for Youth Wellness Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire (CYW ACE-Q) Teen Self-Report, Drug Use Frequency (DUF), Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), Attitudinal Familism Scale (AFS), The Machismo Measure or The Marianismo Beliefs Scale (MBS), and The Bicultural Self-Efficacy Scale (BSE). METHODS: Hierarchical linear regressions were conducted to test for main and interactive effects and to determine if the individual moderators (i.e., attachment style, self-efficacy, familism, traditional gender norms, bicultural self-efficacy) affect the relationship between ACEs and alcohol and marijuana use. RESULTS: Results indicated that among females, attachment style (ß = 0.04, p = .03), MBS (ß = -65.57, p = .01), and BSE (ß = 0.34, p = .04) moderate the relationship between ACEs and alcohol and marijuana use. No moderation analyses were statistically significant among males. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical implications include, for both substance use and trauma treatment among Latinx college students, the assessment of ACEs and attachment style to promote greater insight into the client's inner struggles and emotional processing in relation to marianismo beliefs and bicultural self-efficacy.

Increased Risky Choice and Reduced CHRNB2 Expression in Adult Male Rats Exposed to Nicotine Vapor.

While the cognitive enhancing effects of nicotine use have been well documented, it has also been shown to impair decision making. The goal of this study was to determine if exposure to nicotine vapor increases risky decision making. The study also aims to investigate possible long-term effects of nicotine vapor exposure on the expression of genes coding for cholinergic and dopaminergic receptors in brain. Thirty-two adult male Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to 24 mg/mL nicotine vapor or vehicle control, immediately followed by testing in the probability discounting task for 10 consecutive days. Fifty-four days after the 10-day vapor exposure, animals were sacrificed and expression of genes coding for the α4 and ß2 cholinergic receptor subunits, and dopamine D1 and D2 receptors, were analyzed using RT-PCR. Exposure to nicotine vapor caused an immediate and transient increase in risky choice. Analyses of gene expression identified significant reductions in CHRNB2 and DRD1 in the nucleus accumbens core and CHRNB2 and DRD2 in the medial prefrontal cortex of rats previously exposed to nicotine vapor, relative to vehicle controls. Results provide data on the negative cognitive effects of nicotine vapor exposure and identify cholinergic and dopaminergic mechanisms that may affected with repeated use.

Perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines in a predominantly Hispanic patient population from the Texas-Mexico border.

BACKGROUND: Compared with nationwide averages, Hispanic individuals have experienced lower routine vaccination rates and have been disproportionately hospitalized for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Few, if any, studies have examined the health beliefs surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines and adult vaccines among this population. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to (1) describe perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines in a predominantly Hispanic patient population in a federally qualified health center (FQHC) situated on the United States-Mexico border and (2) compare patient confidence in recommendations made by local clinic and government to obtain adult and COVID-19 vaccines. METHODS: A bilingual (English or Spanish) written survey was administered to participants recruited from a convenience sample of patients in waiting areas of 4 clinic sites in an FQHC system on the Texas-Mexico border between March and May 2021. Survey items were derived from the Health Belief Model and captured beliefs surrounding perceived effectiveness, perceived harms, protection from the influenza vaccine, trust in the local clinic, and trust in the government. RESULTS: A total of 58 participants aged 19-90 years, with a mean age of 57.28 years, completed the survey between March and May 2021, with 77.6% of respondents indicating they would accept a COVID-19 vaccine for themselves. Results revealed a trend among older adults in the study cohort to be more likely to trust the government in recommending vaccines than younger adults (r = 0.33, P ≤ 0.05) and a tendency toward higher vaccine acceptance among male survey participants (P = 0.026). The highest correlation that emerged was between perceived trust in local clinic provider and the perceived effectiveness of vaccines (r = 0.74, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Trends related to perceptions of adult vaccines among Hispanic patients extend to the COVID-19 vaccines: especially trust in local clinic providers. Increased age may correlate to higher trust in a government-recommended vaccine. Results highlight the importance of the pharmacist giving the patient a clear recommendation to receive vaccination and strong local clinic messaging.

Characteristics associated with marijuana use in Latinx college students.

While marijuana use rates are significantly high within college students, less is known about use patterns and correlates in Latinx groups. This study assessed the relationships between ever use and frequency of use of marijuana, polysubstance use, expectancies, motives, and mental illness symptoms among Latinx college students (n = 345). Results indicated more frequent marijuana use was positively associated with: enjoyment, celebration, social anxiety, low risk, sleep and availability and was negatively associated with: experimentation, boredom, altered perception, and anxiety. Other dual use with tobacco expectancies were also observed. These constructs should be explored prospectively and inform prevention and intervention efforts.

Assessment of Stress and Quality of Life in Non-native and Native English-speaking Pharmacy Students.

Objective. To evaluate the stress and health-related quality of life experienced by native and non-native English-speaking students enrolled in a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program.Methods. This study assessed PharmD students at a single institution using a self-administered online questionnaire. The primary outcome of the study was a comparison of Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) scores. Secondary outcomes were the Medical Outcome Study SF-12 Health Questionnaire scores. An independent samples t test was conducted to compare differences between non-native and native English speakers for both primary and secondary outcomes.Results. The following three criteria were used to evaluate the language status of a student: whether the student preferred to speak English (91/113 participants), whether their primary caregiver as a child spoke English at home (63/113 participants), and whether the student usually thought in English (90/113 participants). Evaluation of the primary outcome of PSS score and secondary outcome of SF-12 mental and physical health revealed no significant differences between native and non-native English speakers based on the three language-related criteria.Conclusion. The results of this study showed that the native language spoken by a pharmacy student was not directly associated with an increase in stress or decrease in quality of life for students in a PharmD program. However, the survey results did indicate that experiencing more stress correlated with a decrease in students' mental health-related quality of life, which indicates the need for further research to identify students at risk for a decrease in mental health-related quality of life during pharmacy education.

Preparing Students to Serve a Refugee Population Through a Health-Focused Interprofessional Education Experience.

Refugees may arrive to their destination country with complex mental and physical health challenges. However, healthcare providers often are unprepared to manage refugees' health-related challenges. An interprofessional team of faculty developed an interprofessional education (IPE) training to help prepare health professions students to address refugees' health needs. This paper describes the development and assessment of the training. A three-hour case-based training was created with the following format: online pre-assessment; introduction; radio story about the experience of local refugees; pre-recorded presentation about healthcare in a detention facility; interprofessional group work in small teams; large group discussion; profession-specific group reflections; and online post-assessment. The training was implemented twice (across two successive years), and an investigation of the study participants' self-perceived learning was completed after each training. In the first training, 62 participants (representing medicine, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, and social work) completed the assessments. In the second training, 151 participants (representing medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, public health, and social work) completed the assessments. In each study, a statistically significant increase in each of four outcome variables was found at post-assessment. The findings of each study suggested that perceived learning about refugees' health and health care improved after participation in a three-hour IPE training.

Assessing the impact of faculty research profile videos on students' perceptions towards research at a school of pharmacy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Innovative delivery of research education and training in pharmacy education improves student perception of, and involvement in, professional pharmacy research. The purpose of this project was to utilize a flipped-classroom video technology approach to introduce our Capstone research experience and to assess the impact of the video technology on student's perceptions of pharmacy research. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: Faculty recorded one-min videos that provided an overview of current research. Each video included a research introduction, explanation of student incorporation into research, and impact of research on the field of expertise. Students were assigned to review faculty videos. To assess impact of the videos on students' perceptions of research, t-tests compared five variables before and after students watched the videos. These variables included research curiosity, research interest, research inspiration, research motivation, and pharmacy research interest. FINDINGS: Across all students, no differences were detected. A statistically significant interaction emerged that suggested prior pharmacy experience may impact research curiosity, interest, and inspiration. SUMMARY: Findings demonstrated that the impact of research videos on pharmacy students' attitudes and perceptions towards research may depend on students' past experiences in a pharmacy setting. Further research is needed to identify factors that impact students' perceptions of pharmacy research. The information from this study provided our faculty members with valuable insights that can be used to better prepare students in the laboratory, classroom, and beyond.

Co-curricular assessment plan for developing pharmacy professionals (RxPro) after the first professional year.

INTRODUCTION: To measure changes in student professionalism from co-curricular activities. METHODS: A prospective cohort study followed first-year pharmacy students at The University of Texas at El Paso School of Pharmacy. Students completed one co-curricular activity each semester. Learning was assessed using the RxPro VALUE rubric and Professionalism Assessment Tool (PAT) at the beginning and end of the first professional year. The RxPro VALUE rubric included six domains (connections to experience, lifelong learning, diversity of communities and cultures, civic identity and commitment, empathy, and reflection and self-assessment) and was rated from 0 (not yet applied) to 4 (exemplary). The PAT contained 33-items in five domains (reliability, responsibility, and accountability; lifelong learning and adaptability; relationships with others; upholding principles of integrity and respect; and citizenship and professional engagement) and was rated from 1 (knows) to 5 (teaches) (maximum score = 165). RESULTS: Mean scores on the RxPro VALUE rubric increased (p < 0.05) from baseline to end of year in five domains: connections to experience (1.44 vs. 2.07), diversity of communities and cultures (1.75 vs. 2.3), civic identity and commitment (1.34 vs. 2.33), empathy (1.44 vs. 2.37), and reflection and self-assessment (1.53 vs 2.19). No significant changes were seen in PAT scores from baseline (M = 114.19, standard deviation = 32.832) to end of year (M = 119.56, standard deviation = 29.63, p = 0.35). CONCLUSIONS: The RxPro VALUE rubric detected growth in professional behaviors among first-year doctor of pharmacy students, while no significant change was observed in the PAT.

Understanding influenza immunization uptake rates among the Hispanic LGBTQIA community.

OBJECTIVES: Most national-level data regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and allies (LGBTQIA) immunizations are limited. The primary objective of this study was to identify factors that influence behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions toward the uptake of the influenza vaccine within the Hispanic LGBTQIA community. METHODS: This was a prospective survey that assessed vaccine acceptability and practices regarding the influenza vaccine within the LGBTQIA community. Collection of data occurred through the use of social media platforms from July 2016 to May 2018. A total of 126 participants (mean age 32.03 ± 11.68 years) completed a 15-minute, 26-item, English/Spanish survey. A number of outcome measures assessed perceptions of vaccine effectiveness and safety. In addition, perceived severity of influenza symptoms and perceived susceptibility to contract influenza was assessed. RESULTS: A logistic regression model assessed the impact of several factors on influenza vaccine uptake. Perceived susceptibility of contracting influenza from the vaccine (P = 0.015) and perceived ease of receiving the influenza vaccine (P = 0.005) were the strongest predictors of vaccine uptake. Results showed no association between disclosure of sexual orientation and influenza immunization uptake (χ2= 3.55; P = 0.17). Exploratory analyses revealed that non-Hispanic patients were more likely to perceive that their health care providers were aware of their sexual orientation compared with Hispanic patients (χ2= 8.66; P = 0.013). CONCLUSION: Several factors emerged as predictors of influenza vaccine uptake in the LGBTQIA population. Further studies are needed to explore additional factors such as disclosure of sexual orientation and variation of uptake based on vaccine type (STD vs. non-STD vaccines).