A Six-Semester Integrated Pharmacy Practice Course Based On Entrustable Professional Activities

Objective. To design and assess the outcomes of a longitudinal, integrated pharmacy course.Methods. A one-credit course, Applications of Pharmacy Practice, was built into a revised curriculum. The course was offered during the first six semesters of the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum and met once every three weeks for a total of five sessions per semester. Each session integrated curricular material from all courses taught during a given semester into an individual, case-based assessment and a team activity. Team activities were evaluated using rubrics developed based on the Core Entrustable Professional Activities for New Pharmacy Graduates.Results. First-year students were automatically enrolled in the inaugural offerings of the course in fall 2018 and spring 2019, and the majority of students achieved final course grades of 70% to 89% for each semester. Students reported that the course helped them to develop critical-thinking skills and to keep up with semester material. Although the majority of students believed the addition of the course to the curriculum was beneficial, some felt the expectation for them to keep up with all course material was excessive.Conclusion. The addition of a longitudinal integrated course, Applications of Pharmacy Practice, appeared to benefit students, helping them integrate material from all of their courses during the semester. This integration of clinical, administrative, and pharmaceutical sciences material reduced compartmentalization of knowledge. Future studies should investigate the impact of this course on student success and performance on standardized assessments.