Pharmacy student self-perception of weight and relationship to counseling patients on lifestyle modification.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of pharmacy students' self-assessment of body mass index (BMI) and determine the relationship of this to comfort level in counseling patients regarding lifestyle modification. METHODS: A prospective, observational, cohort study was conducted that included first-, second-, and third-year pharmacy students who had previously undergone training in BMI self-assessment. Data on students' weight and height were collected and a survey that contained questions on self-perception of body weight and comfort with lifestyle counseling was conducted. Perceived BMI categories (underweight, normal, overweight, and obese) were then compared to actual calculated BMI to determine the accuracy of the student's self-perception. RESULTS: At baseline, participants' accuracy in self-assessment of BMI was 74%, 73.3%, and 75.6% respectively, for first-, second-, and third-year students (p=0.911). Students accuracy increased but not significantly as they progressed through the curriculum (7.2% and 13.3%, respectively; p=0.470 and p=0.209). Neither accuracy in self-assessment of BMI nor students' actual BMI significantly affected students' comfort level with lifestyle modification counseling within healthy weight, overweight, or obese patient categories. However, as the patients' BMI category increased, comfort level differences were observed among students of normal and overweight categories. CONCLUSION: Patients' BMI category may be a significant barrier to pharmacy students' comfort level in providing lifestyle modification counseling. This finding suggests the need to implement curriculum changes to better prepare students for lifestyle modification counseling.

Local and global volunteer opportunities for pharmacists to contribute to public health.

There are many local and global volunteer opportunities for pharmacists to contribute to public health initiatives that help promote health, prevent disease and improve access to care. This article provides perspective and guidance for pharmacists and student pharmacists who desire to take part in volunteer initiatives related to local and global public health needs. The case examples provided are limited to activities that occurred strictly in a volunteer capacity. Pharmacists serving in a volunteer capacity have an opportunity to broaden their depth of practice and patient care responsibilities. Their skills sets and knowledge can be applied in a variety of public health settings to help meet the health care needs of the communities and patients they serve. Emergency response and caring for the underserved are recurring themes within the volunteer opportunities afforded to pharmacists. Examples include, but are not limited to, the US Medical Reserve Corps, health departments, health centres and clinics, medical service trips and disaster relief. Regardless of setting, the volunteer pharmacist will need to consider scope of practice limitations and certain legal protections. An array of volunteer opportunities exists for pharmacists and student pharmacists in the public health arena. Participating in these events allows pharmacists to expand their practice experiences while contributing to public health needs and outreach.

The impact of an immunization training certificate program on the perceived knowledge, skills and attitudes of pharmacy students toward pharmacy-based immunizations / Impacto de un programa certificado de enseñanza sobre conocimiento, habilidades y actitudes percibidos de los estudiantes de farmacia hacia las vacunaciones en farmacia

Objective: To assess the impact of a national immunization training certificate program on the perceived knowledge, skills and attitudes of pharmacy students toward pharmacy-based immunizations. Methods: The study design utilized a pre- and post-survey administered to pharmacy students before and after the American Pharmacists Association's (APhA) Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery program. The primary outcome explored was a change in the perceived knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the pharmacy students. A five-point Likert scale (i.e. strongly agree = 5, strongly disagree = 1) was used for measuring the main outcomes, which was summated by adding the individual item scores in each section to form a composite score for each outcome. Results: The certificate training program resulted in a significant improvement in knowledge (38.5% increase in score, p<0.001) and skills (34.5% increase in score, p<0.001), but not attitudes (1% increase in score, p=0.210). Conclusions: The national immunization training certificate program had a positive impact on the perceived knowledge and skills of pharmacy students. However, no change was observed regarding students' perceived attitudes toward pharmacy-based immunizations (AU)

Objetivo: Evaluar el impacto de un programa nacional certificado de formación sobre conocimiento, habilidades y actitudes percibidas de los estudiantes de farmacia hacia la vacunación en farmacia. Métodos: El diseño del estudio utilizó un cuestionario pre- y post- administrado a los estudiantes de farmacia antes y después del programa de la American Pharmacists Association de administración de vacunas en farmacia. Los resultados primarios explorados fueron el cambio en conocimiento, habilidades y actitudes percibidos de los estudiantes de farmacia. Se utilizó una escala Likert de 5 puntos (fuertemente de acuerdo = 5, fuertemente en desacuerdo = 1) para medir los resultados principales, que se totalizaba sumando la puntuación de los ítems de cada sección para obtener un valor total para cada resultado. Resultados: El programa de enseñanza certificado produjo una mejora significativa en el conocimiento (38,5% de mejoría en la puntuación, p<0,001) y habilidades (34,5% de mejoría en la puntuación, p<0,001), pero no en las actitudes (1% de mejoría, p=0,210). Conclusiones: El programa nacional certificado de enseñanza tuvo un impacto positivo en el conocimiento y habilidades percibidas de los estudiantes de farmacia. Sin embargo, no se observaron cambios en las actitudes percibidas hacia la vacunación en farmacia (AU)

The impact of an immunization training certificate program on the perceived knowledge, skills and attitudes of pharmacy students toward pharmacy-based immunizations.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of a national immunization training certificate program on the perceived knowledge, skills and attitudes of pharmacy students toward pharmacy-based immunizations. METHODS: The study design utilized a pre- and post-survey administered to pharmacy students before and after the American Pharmacists Association's (APhA) Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery program. The primary outcome explored was a change in the perceived knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the pharmacy students. A five-point Likert scale (i.e. strongly agree = 5, strongly disagree = 1) was used for measuring the main outcomes, which was summated by adding the individual item scores in each section to form a composite score for each outcome. RESULTS: The certificate training program resulted in a significant improvement in knowledge (38.5% increase in score, p<0.001) and skills (34.5% increase in score, p<0.001), but not attitudes (1% increase in score, p=0.210). CONCLUSIONS: The national immunization training certificate program had a positive impact on the perceived knowledge and skills of pharmacy students. However, no change was observed regarding students' perceived attitudes toward pharmacy-based immunizations.

My First Patient Program to introduce first-year pharmacy students to health promotion and disease prevention.

OBJECTIVES: To implement and assess the effectiveness of a program to teach pharmacy students the importance of taking personal responsibility for their health. DESIGN: The My First Patient Program was created and lectures were incorporated into an existing first-year course to introduce the concepts of health beliefs, behavior modification, stress management, substance abuse, and nutrition. Each student received a comprehensive health screening and health risk assessment which they used to develop a personal health portfolio and identify strategies to attain and/or maintain their personal health goals. ASSESSMENT: Student learning was assessed through written assignments and student reflections, follow-up surveys, and course evaluations. Students' attainment of health goals and their ability to identify their personal health status illustrated the positive impact of the program. CONCLUSION: This program serves as a model for colleges and schools of pharmacy and for other health professions in the instruction of health promotion, disease prevention, and behavior modification.

A strategy to develop advanced pharmacy practice experiences.

OBJECTIVE: To establish statewide medication, disease management, and other clinical programs to serve as advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) training sites for the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy, and to guarantee year-round support for the programs by providing pharmacy students with the necessary competencies to carry a significant proportion of each program's workload. METHODS: Partnerships with pharmacies willing to use students to expand their scope of clinical practice or support existing programs were established. Partners were asked to choose the clinical program(s) they wished implemented or supported and were guaranteed that APPE students would contribute to carrying each program's clinical service workload for 48 week/year under the supervision of the partners' pharmacists. In addition, partners implementing new programs were offered other support, including equipment, supplies, and training and mentoring for their pharmacists. EVALUATION: Twenty-two partnerships involving anticoagulation, diabetes, immunization, medication reconciliation, and other clinical programs were established with hospital, community, and community health center pharmacies. The partnerships provided 213 APPE placements in the 2006-2007 academic year. CONCLUSION: This work demonstrates that by using innovative approaches, a pharmacy school can form new partnerships with hospital, community health center, and community pharmacies, as well as work with existing clinical programs, to create a variety of medication, disease management, and other APPEs to meet its increasing placement needs and evolving accreditation standards.