An introductory pharmacy practice experience using simulated patient care activities in a pharmaceutical care laboratory environment

Objective: To describe an introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) using simulated and actual patient care activities in a pharmaceutical care laboratory environment. Design: A pharmaceutical care laboratory course was identified as having pre-existing learning objectives and activities that included 19 of the 21 suggested IPPE activities in Appendix C of the Accreditation Council for Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) Standards Version 2.0. Course activities were further developed to meet the accreditation standard guidelines for classification as an IPPE. Learning activities and an authentic learning environment were used for students to practice simulated and actual patient-centered care. Assessment: Rubrics and checklists were used to assess student competence. Reflective discussions and reflection papers were used to evaluate student perceptions of simulation and overall course effectiveness. Longitudinal evaluation of the IPPE has shown consistent student performance over time. Conclusion: Simulated and actual patient-centered care activities are valuable to providing students with meaningful learning experiences and can be integrated into pharmaceutical care laboratory environment to meet IPPE requirements.