The Impact of Pharmacy Student Participation in the White Coat Ceremony on Professionalization.

Objective. To assess the impact of participation in a formal white coat ceremony on Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students' professionalization by analyzing students' reflective writing. Methods. First-year PharmD students participated in the college's white coat ceremony following orientation. During the Foundations of Pharmacy course in the first semester, students were instructed to reflect on and write about the impact the white coat ceremony had on them as a graded assignment. A grading rubric was developed to standardize assessment of the reflections and to differentiate critical reflection (which cites future behavioral change) from other forms of reflection that are less impactful, such as non-critical reflection, general understanding, and non-reflection. Thematic analysis was conducted and prevalent themes were identified. Each reflection was then reviewed to identify up to three themes. Results. Of the 225 students in the incoming class of 2020, 218 submitted valid reflection assignments. Of these, 92% met critical reflection criteria. Four percent offered "negative connotation," while 75% described an eye-opening experience or realization. Of 483 thematic classifications, six student professionalization themes were identified, as follows: personal achievement (26%), professionalism (21%), welcome to pharmacy (18%), patient care (16.8%), life-long learning (12.8%), and code of ethics (5.2%). Conclusion. For the majority of PharmD students, the white coat ceremony held during first-year orientation had a positive impact on their professionalization. All pharmacy schools should conduct a white coat ceremony that includes recitation of the Pledge of Professionalism as an impactful first step toward student professionalization.

The personality traits of medical technologists: implications for recruitment and retention.

Clinical laboratory science is in the midst of a perfect storm. The turbulent nature of the employment market along with diagnostic pathology's mission to develop new, powerful diagnostic tools imply a future that will be both challenging and rewarding. Yet, success in the future will require immediate attention to current issues of recruitment, retention and expansion of the medical technologist's role. An analysis of the personality traits of medical technologists may provide insight into work preferences as they relate to job satisfaction and willingness to accept the changes in the profession. In this study, we will attempt to gain this insight through examination of a personality profile of a group of medical technologists.

A project management approach to an ACPE accreditation self-study.

In preparation for an on-site evaluation and accreditation by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE), the Albany College of Pharmacy employed project management techniques to complete a comprehensive self-study. A project lifecycle approach, including planning, production, and turnover phases, was used by the project's Self-Study Steering Committee. This approach, with minimal disruption to college operations, resulted in the completion of the self-study process on schedule. Throughout the project, the Steering Committee maintained a log of functions that either were executed successfully or in hindsight, could have been improved. To assess the effectiveness of the project management approach to the the self-study process, feedback was obtained from the College community through a poststudy survey. This feedback, coupled with the Steering Committee's data on possible improvements, form the basis for the lessons learned during this self-study process.

Development and validation of an instrument to determine patient knowledge: the oral anticoagulation knowledge test.

BACKGROUND: Studies examining the relationship between patient knowledge regarding warfarin therapy and its safe and effective use are limited by the lack of validated knowledge assessment tools. OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate an instrument to assess patient knowledge regarding oral anticoagulation therapy. METHODS: Four nationally recognized anticoagulation experts participated in the instrument development process to ensure content validity. The Oral Anticoagulation Knowledge (OAK) test was administered to subjects on warfarin and a group of age-matched subjects not on warfarin to assess construct validity. A subgroup of warfarin subjects were retested approximately 2-3 months after initial testing to assess test-retest reliability. Internal consistency reliability was assessed by calculating a Kuder-Richardson 20 value. Item analysis was used to assess performance of individual questions. RESULTS: An initial 23 item instrument was pilot tested for readability and comprehension. The OAK test was administered to 74 subjects taking warfarin and 27 age-matched subjects not on warfarin. Thirty-two subjects on warfarin repeated the OAK test an average of 75 days following initial administration. Subjects taking warfarin scored significantly higher than those not on warfarin (72% vs 52%, respectively; p < 0.001), supporting the construct validity of the instrument. Test-retest reliability was acceptable, with a Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.81. Internal consistency reliability was confirmed by a calculated Kuder-Richardson 20 value of 0.76. CONCLUSIONS: The OAK test is a brief, valid, and reliable knowledge assessment instrument that may be a useful tool for research and clinical practice to augment patient education programs.

Service preferences differences between community pharmacy and supermarket pharmacy patrons.

Differences in service preferences between patrons of supermarket and chain pharmacies were determined. Subjects fell into two groups: patrons of a supermarket chain's pharmacies and patrons of the same supermarket chain who patronized other community chain pharmacies for prescription drug purchases. Subjects were asked to prioritize services in terms of convenience and impact on pharmacy selection. Differences in service preferences emerged. Community pharmacy patrons were more likely to rate easy navigation through a pharmacy and 24 X 7 hours of operation as key services. Supermarket pharmacy patrons were more likely to rate one-stop shopping and adequate hours of operation as priorities. Both groups rated basic services such as maintenance of prescription and insurance information as priorities. Pharmacies should stress the delivery of basic services when trying to attract customers.