A Deeper Reflection on the Integration of the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process.

OBJECTIVE: Given the importance of developing student understanding and application of the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process (PPCP), programs may be able to use successful approaches from other institutions to enhance their curricular and experiential learning and assessment of student outcomes. The study objective was to explore successful methods of integrating the PPCP and outline areas of challenge. METHODS: This study used a qualitative study design with semistructured interviews to gain insight from participants' lived experiences. Pharmacy faculty members participating in a national survey or who were authors of articles about PPCP initiatives were recruited to provide greater detail about building successful and innovative curricula. Thematic analysis identified commonalities and differences among the interviewed participants. RESULTS: A total of 10 interviews were conducted. The following 4 overarching themes arose from the data: discussions around intentional integration of the PPCP across multiple core courses may foster innovations in teaching strategies; intentional integration alone does not equate to PPCP integration across the curriculum; intentional integration may enhance program assessment; and PPCP data from experiential coursework may not be widely used in curricular continuous quality improvement. CONCLUSION: Pharmacy programs will ideally involve the entire faculty, including experiential and basic and social/administrative science members, in weaving the PPCP throughout the curriculum. Rigorous assessment can better inform interventions related to student competency in various steps of the PPCP. Pharmacy programs should also clarify how data obtained from preceptors observing student performance in each of the PPCP steps are used to assess student mastery of this critical skill.

Inclusion of the Pharmacist Patient Care Process in Doctor of Pharmacy Curricula.

Objective. With the inclusion of the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process (PPCP) in the most recent Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education standards, institutions must determine how best to vertically and horizontally integrate and assess the PPCP in the curriculum. The objective of this study was to identify the breadth and depth of PPCP implementation as well as faculty involvement in teaching the PPCP at ACPE-accredited institutions.Methods. A survey to address the study objectives was developed, piloted, and distributed electronically to all US pharmacy institutions in candidate or accredited status. Electronic reminders were implemented to improve response rates. The data were analyzed descriptively.Results. Approximately 70% of institutions responded to the survey. Integration of the PPCP was most often championed by an individual faculty member and/or a committee. Practice faculty taught PPCP at nearly all institutions, while only a third of survey respondents reported that foundational and social administrative faculty taught the PPCP. Development related to PPCP curricular integration mainly focused on preceptors. Most institutions integrated the PPCP through the didactic and experiential curriculum in an approach that allowed for reinforcement or mastery of concepts. There were limited integration efforts into interprofessional education. Institutions had a plan for assessing the effectiveness of the integration, but were varied in their approach.Conclusion. Institutions have embraced integrating the PPCP into their curricula, didactically and experientially. Progress still needs to be made regarding inclusion of all faculty in teaching the PPCP as well as integrating the PPCP into other key curricular areas, such as interprofessional learning. Faculty development efforts may be beneficial to address these aspects.

Introducing Teachable Moments Matters.

The Teachable Moments Matter (TMM) category of articles is designed to offer readers insight into a methodological issue identified within a companion article. Written in collaboration with one of the companion article authors, these articles provide an opportunity to focus on a challenge experienced by the authors and, in the process, provide one or more perspectives as to how to successfully navigate this issue. The Journal hopes this case-based approach will help to highlight an issue nuance in context, something that might get "lost" in the entirety of a full-length article.

Academic writing as a journey through "chutes and ladders": How well are you managing your emotions?

INTRODUCTION: By acknowledging the range of emotions that accompany most writing projects, some relief can be offered from the unrealistic expectation that this process "should be easy." In this commentary, we explore the emotional habits of writing as described by Dr. Helen Sword in her book Air & Light & Time & Space and offer strategies to smooth the path that can be hastened and/or challenged by the various "chutes and ladders" that writers can encounter along their journey. COMMENTARY: Using an emotional intelligence framework coupled with self - reflection questions, this commentary explores aspects of self-awareness, self-management, motivation, social awareness, and relationship management, as they relate to writing and the writing process. As each topic is teased apart and related to the writing process, strategies are offered to buoy authors successfully across the turbulence as a variety of "chutes and ladders" appear along the journey. IMPLICATIONS: An author's response to the angle and/or length of the "chutes and ladders" encountered can positively or negatively impact current and future writing productivity. To mitigate a range of emotional hurdles, writers need a core set of strategies that can be derived from the emotional intelligence framework.

Inviting manuscripts to Leadership Experience and Development Reports (LEADeR).

The Journal announces a new section called "Leadership Experience and Development Reports" within our Short Communications manuscript category. Manuscripts in this section seek to share scholarly activities and experiences within the area of leadership development that are rooted in a leadership framework, model, or theory. Submissions can include work related to student pharmacists, pharmacy residents, fellows, graduate students and faculty/staff development.

Factors influencing the pharmacy faculty workforce.

In 2005, the Council of Faculties and the Council of Deans within the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) formed a task force to review the status of the pharmacy faculty workforce and to identify factors that may influence the supply of and demand for pharmacy faculty members. This manuscript summarizes the Task Force on Faculty Workforce's findings and describes specific strategies needed to address the various issues facing the academy. Based on Task Force predictions, the academy will need approximately 1200 new faculty members over the next 10 years due to the creation of new pharmacy programs, the expansion of existing programs, faculty retirements, and recurring vacant faculty positions.