| 1. |
- Dobson, Roy Thomas, et al.
(author)
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A quality improvement activity to promote interprofessional collaboration among health professions students
- 2009
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In: American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. - 0002-9459 .- 1553-6467. ; 73:4, s. 1-7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: To develop and evaluate a classroom-based curriculum designed to promote interprofessional competencies by having undergraduate students from various health professions work together on system-based problems using quality improvement (QI) methods and tools to improve patient-centered care.DESIGN: Students from 4 health care programs (nursing, nutrition, pharmacy, and physical therapy) participated in an interprofessional QI activity. In groups of 6 or 7, students completed pre-intervention and post-intervention reflection tools on attitudes relating to interprofessio nal teams, and a tool designed to evaluate group process.ASSESSMENT: One hundred thirty-four students (76.6%) completed both self-reflection instruments, and 132 (74.2%) completed the post-course group evaluation instrument. Although already high prior to the activity, students' mean post-intervention reflection scores increased for 12 of 16 items. Post-intervention group evaluation scores reflected a high level of satisfaction with the experience.CONCLUSION: Use of a quality-based case study and QI methodology were an effective approach to enhancing interprofessional experiences among students.
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| 2. |
- Hendry, Gillian, et al.
(author)
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Qualitative Evaluation of a Practice-based Experience Pilot Program for Master of Pharmacy Students in Scotland
- 2016
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In: American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. - : AMER ASSOC COLL PHARMACY. - 0002-9459 .- 1553-6467. ; 80:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective. To determine the views of pharmacists in central Scotland regarding experiential education for MPharm students. Methods. A thematic analysis was completed by Ms. Gillian Hendry and Dr. Sally Wiggins of interviews conducted with ten practicing pharmacists paired with first-year master of pharmacy (MPharm) students during the 2011-2012 academic year. Relevant comments from the interviews were manually sorted in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to bring similarly themed material together to facilitate the identification and naming of recurring themes and subthemes. Results. The pharmacists were unanimous in their opinion that experiential education was valuable for MPharm students and, in particular, that it helped students to develop self-confidence. The pharmacists derived personal satisfaction in developing mentor/mentee relationships with students. They also recognized the value that students provided to the workforce as well as the educational value to themselves in supervising students. The participants primary dissatisfaction was that the pharmacy workflow limited the time they could spend mentoring students. Conclusion. The results provide guidance to the academic community and the pharmacy practice community in the United Kingdom (UK) regarding the design and integration of experiential education courses in MPharm degree programs.
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| 3. |
- Håkonsen, Helle, 1980, et al.
(author)
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Would Pharmacy Students Advocate Green Pharmacy Given Their Preference for Medicines With Environmental Impact?
- 2024
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In: American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. - 0002-9459 .- 1553-6467. ; 88
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To investigate the preferences among university students in Gothenburg, Sweden for medicines that have a different environmental impact with respect to effect and explore to what extent having received information about pharmaceuticals’ potential harm to the environment is associated with the stated preferences. Methods: A survey was conducted among students in different study programs at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. In all, 704 students received oral and written information about the study at the end of a lecture and were invited to take part (response rate: 83.5%). The questionnaire contained items about medicinal environmental information and 2 scenarios with fictious medicines as options for the treatment or symptom relief of minor ailments in humans. Results: Overall, 53.3% of the students (pharmacy students: 57.8%) had received information about the environmental impact of medicines, and 79.6% (pharmacy students: 80.6%) reported that they had concerns about the consequences. Twenty percent (pharmacy students: 9.0%) named the university as an information source. The students were most satisfied overall with the least effective and most environmentally friendly medicines. Consistently, pharmacy students gave higher scores to the most environmentally harmful medicines, especially compared with medical and health care students. Pharmacy students, who, to the same extent as medical and health care students had received information about medicines’ environmental impact, were less likely to state environmentally friendly options with an inferior effect as their preferred choice. Conclusion: Pharmacy students generally rated the medicines higher than other student groups, despite being aware of the harmful effects on the environment.
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| 4. |
- Mattsson, Sofia, et al.
(author)
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Using a Virtual Tablet Machine to Improve Student Understanding of the Complex Processes Involved in Tablet Manufacturing
- 2016
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In: American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. - 0002-9459 .- 1553-6467. ; 80:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective. To develop and implement a virtual tablet machine simulation to aid distance students' understanding of the processes involved in tablet production.Design. A tablet simulation was created enabling students to study the effects different parameters have on the properties of the tablet. Once results were generated, students interpreted and explained them on the basis of current theory.Assessment. The simulation was evaluated using written questionnaires and focus group interviews. Students appreciated the exercise and considered it to be motivational. Students commented that they found the simulation, together with the online seminar and the writing of the report, was beneficial for their learning process.Conclusion. According to students' perceptions, the use of the tablet simulation contributed to their understanding of the compaction process.
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| 5. |
- Svensberg, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Nordic Pharmacy Schools' Experience in Communication Skills Training.
- 2017
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In: American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. - : Elsevier BV. - 0002-9459 .- 1553-6467. ; 81:9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective. To assess communication skills training at Nordic pharmacy schools and explore ways for improvement. Methods. E-mail questionnaires were developed and distributed with the aim to explore current practice and course leaders' opinions regarding teaching of patient communication skills at all the 11 master level Nordic (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) pharmacy schools. The questionnaires contained both closed- and open-ended questions. Results. There was a variation of patient communication skills training among schools. In general, communication skills training was included in one to five courses (mode 1); varied in quantity (6-92 hours); had low use of experiential training methods; and had challenges regarding assessments and acquiring sufficient resources. However, some schools had more focus on such training. Conclusion. The results show room for improvement in patient communication skills training in most Nordic pharmacy schools and give insights into how to enhance communication skill building in pharmacy curricula. Suggestions for improving the training include: early training start, evidence-based frameworks, experiential training, and scaffolding.
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| 6. |
- Svensberg, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Nordic Pharmacy Students' Opinions of their Patient Communication Skills Training
- 2018
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In: American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. - : American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). - 0002-9459 .- 1553-6467. ; 82:2, s. 152-165
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective. To describe Nordic pharmacy students' opinions of their patient communication skills training (PCST), and the association between course leaders' reports of PCST qualities and students' perceptions of their training. Secondary objective was to determine what factors influence these associations. Methods. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed. The various curricula were categorized into three types (basic, intermediate and innovative training) and students were divided into three groups according to the type of training they had received. Multivariable logistic regression models were fitted with different opinions as outcomes and three types of training as exposure, using generalized estimation equations. Results. There were 370 students who responded (response rate: 77%). Students within the innovative group were significantly more likely to agree that they had received sufficient training, and to agree with the assertion that the pharmacy school had contributed to their level of skills compared to students in the basic group. Conclusion. There appears to be an association between larger and varied programs of training in patient communication skills and positive attitudes toward this training on the part of the students, with students reporting that they received sufficient training, which likely enhanced their skills.
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| 7. |
- Wallman, Andy, et al.
(author)
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A categorization scheme for assessing pharmacy students' levels of reflection during internships
- 2008
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In: American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. - 0002-9459 .- 1553-6467. ; 72:1, s. 05-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To test the reliability, feasibility, and responsiveness of a categorization scheme for assessing pharmacy students' levels of reflection during internships. METHODS: Pharmacy interns at Uppsala University were asked to write a reflective essay about patient counseling at the start and end of their internships. A modified version of Kember's categorization scheme for assessing the level of reflection was used to evaluate these essays. RESULTS: Based on their essay scores, the students' levels of reflection increased during the internship course (p < 0.001) The mean time for categorization was 3 minutes per essay. The interrater reliability of the 182 essays was kappa = 0.63. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of the categorization scheme showed that it has good interrater reliability, feasibility, and responsiveness. This scheme might be useful in pharmacy practice educational settings, but needs further validation.
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| 8. |
- Wallman, Andy, et al.
(author)
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Communications Training in Pharmacy Education, 1995-2010
- 2013
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In: American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. - : Elsevier BV. - 0002-9459 .- 1553-6467. ; 77:2, s. 36-
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The role of the pharmacist as a "communicator" of information and advice between patients, other healthcare practitioners, and the community is recognized as a vital component of the responsibilities of a practicing pharmacist. Pharmacy education is changing to reflect this, although the difficulty is in designing a curriculum that is capable of equipping students with the necessary knowledge and skills, using activities that are effective in promoting communication competency. The objective of this review was to identify published, peer-reviewed articles concerning communication training in pharmacy education programs, and describe which communication skills the structured learning activities aimed to improve and how these learning activities were assessed. A systematic literature search was conducted and the articles found were analyzed and divided into categories based on specific communication skills taught and type of learning activity used. Oral interpersonal communication skills targeted at patients were the most common skill-type described, followed by clinical writing skills. Common teaching methods included simulated and standardized patient interactions and pharmacy practice experience courses. Most educational interventions were assessed by subjective measures. Many interventions were described as fragments, in isolation of other learning activities that took place in a course, which impedes complete analysis of study results. To succeed in communication training, integration between different learning activities and progression within pharmacy educations are important.
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| 9. |
- Wallman, Andy, 1975-, et al.
(author)
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Factors associated with reflection among students after an advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) in Sweden
- 2009
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In: American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. - 0002-9459 .- 1553-6467. ; 73:6, s. 107-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To identify individual and social factors associated with pharmacy students' level of reflection in an advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE). METHODS: A postal questionnaire, including a reflective assignment, was sent to all pharmacy interns (n=262) at Uppsala University, Sweden, for 4 semesters in 2005-2007. RESULTS: In a univariate analysis, 7 factors were found to be associated with students' level of reflection. After controlling for covariates, 3 social factors were found to be independently associated with reflection: having a formal preceptor (OR=5.3), being at a small pharmacy (OR=19.8), and students' perception of the importance of discussing critical thinking with the preceptor (OR=1.2). No correlation could be observed between level of reflection and critical thinking, nor learning style. CONCLUSION: Social components seem to be of higher importance than individual components in students' reflective levels after pharmacy internship experience. Trained preceptors are important to foster reflection skills.
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| 10. |
- Wallman, Andy, et al.
(author)
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Swedish Students and Preceptors Perceptions of What Students Learn in a Six-Month Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience
- 2011
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In: American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. - : American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. - 0002-9459 .- 1553-6467. ; 75:10, s. 1-10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective. To identify what pharmacy students learn during the 6-month advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) in Sweden. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanMethods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 pharmacy APPE students and 17 pharmacist preceptors and analyzed in a qualitative directed content analysis using a defined workplace learning typology for categories. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanResults. The Swedish APPE provides students with task performance skills for work at pharmacies and social and professional knowledge, such as teamwork, how to learn while in a work setting, self-evaluation, understanding of the pharmacist role, and decision making and problem solving skills. Many of these skills and knowledge are not accounted for in the curricula in Sweden. Using a workplace learning typology to identify learning outcomes, as in this study, could be useful for curricula development. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanConclusions. Exploring the learning that takes place during the APPE in a pharmacy revealed a broad range of skills and knowledge that students acquire.
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| 11. |
- Nieters, Alexandra, et al.
(author)
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Smoking and lymphoma risk in the european prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition
- 2008
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In: American Journal of Epidemiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0002-9262 .- 1476-6256. ; 167:9, s. 1081-1089
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Lymphomas are one of the few cancers that have been increasing in incidence over the past decades. So far, only a few established risk factors have been identified, including immunosuppression and viral infections. Recent evidence suggests etiologic heterogeneity of different lymphoma subtypes. Smoking may affect risk differently, depending on the lymphoma entity. The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition was used to study the role of smoking in the etiology of lymphomas and individual subtypes within a prospective study. Information on baseline and lifetime tobacco smoking by 478,590 participants was collected between 1992 and 2000. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to calculate multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. During 3,567,410 person-years of follow-up, 1,371 lymphoma cases (1,304 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and 67 Hodgkin's lymphomas) were identified. Relative risk for smokers at recruitment was more than twofold higher for Hodgkin's lymphoma (hazard ratio = 2.14, 95% confidence interval: 1.18, 3.87) but was not elevated for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (hazard ratio = 1.06, 95% confidence interval: 0.94, 1.19) and individual B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma subtypes. In this prospective study, smoking appeared to increase Hodgkin's lymphoma risk consistently in both genders, whereas B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma risk was not associated. Future analysis should involve viral biomarkers and genetic susceptibility markers to elucidate potential mechanisms of smoking-induced carcinogenesis, particularly for Hodgkin's lymphoma.
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