Working environment for historically marginalized faculty, administrators, and librarians in pharmacy education.

INTRODUCTION: Promoting diversity among faculty, administrators, and librarians in schools and colleges of pharmacy (SCOP) would be beneficial for the recruitment and retention of students from diverse backgrounds. Graduating such diverse pharmacists could assist in reducing healthcare disparities. Promoting diversity requires a climate that is inclusive of people from all backgrounds. The goal of this study was to examine the working environment of historically marginalized faculty, administrators, and librarians within pharmacy education. METHODS: An electronic survey was administered to all faculty, administrators, and librarians listed in the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy roster. RESULTS: Responses from 339 participants were analyzed. Twenty-seven percent of these participants either observed or personally experienced misconduct during the previous five years. When action was taken, it resulted in the cessation of the misconduct only 38% of the time. Respondents most frequently identified the following as ways to make it easier to address misconduct: support from supervisors, support from peers, and education on how to address misconduct. CONCLUSIONS: Exclusionary, intimidating, offensive, and/or hostile communication/behaviors towards historically marginalized faculty, administrators, and librarians do exist in SCOP. The academy should work towards promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in SCOP through education and provide administrative and peer support for reporting and managing professional misconduct.

Predictors and Motivation of Preceptors' Interest in Precepting of Pharmacy Interns-Do We Have a Useful Questionnaire?

PURPOSE: To determine the potential value of an adapted questionnaire to discover the predictors of preceptors' higher interest in precepting pharmacy interns and to evaluate preceptors' motivational factors and incentives for teaching as well as their professional satisfaction. METHOD: A link to the survey study of adapted questionnaire (JSAMPPP) was e-mailed to all pharmacists registered with the Pharmaceutical Chamber of the Republic of Srpska. Pharmacists' demographic and work experience characteristics, their attitudes related to motivation for precepting, value of incentives for precepting, job satisfaction, and influence of interns on pharmacists' professional practice were obtained. RESULTS: Half of the preceptors who reported feeling satisfied with their professional life also showed interest in teaching. In addition, teaching pharmacy students positively contributed to the overall job satisfaction of the preceptors. Pharmacy preceptors were found to be most motivated by intrinsic factors. The most valued incentives reported were those related to continuing education. CONCLUSIONS: The adapted questionnaire has potential value and it revealed the following predictors of preceptors' higher interest in precepting: enjoyment of teaching, satisfaction with professional life, satisfaction as a pharmacy preceptor, and interns' influence on preceptors. These identified predictors can be emphasized to improve pharmacy students' internship experiences, thereby reinforcing the pharmacy profession.

Pharmacy educators' views on graduate attributes and case-based learning in an undergraduate degree.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The nature, form, and process of activating graduate attributes is an expanding research focus within the field of professional education. The focus on graduate capabilities has led to higher education institutions interrogating current curricula practices with a view to exploring innovative ways to transform curricula and pedagogy. This article explores pharmacy educators' views on which graduate attributes are important and investigates the role of case-based learning (CBL) in developing graduate attributes in a single university program. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: This qualitative study is based on data drawn from reflective interviews with pharmacy educators on graduate attributes and from document analysis. Data were analyzed against a framework of graduate attributes and grouped into three domains encompassing knowledge and action as well as construction of graduates' identities as members of a profession. FINDINGS: The graduate attributes identified by pharmacy educators resonated with the extant literature, organizational policy documents, and the professional council's accreditation framework. The domains of knowledge (Domain 1) and possessing and displaying (Domain 2) are sufficiently addressed in the curriculum. However, engagement with identity construction and roles and responsibilities (Domain 3) appears to be relatively less-developed through CBL. SUMMARY: While CBL in its current form exhibits limitations with regard to developing Domain 3, it has the potential to develop this through emotionally rich cases, role models, and greater integration of CBL and inter-professional education (IPE) as well as making graduate attributes more explicit within the curriculum.

Pharmacy students as educators: An interprofessional approach to insulin management education.

INTRODUCTION: Student pharmacists may increase the knowledge and comfort level of student nurses and student physicians through peer-assisted teaching (PAT) on insulin management for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Fourth-year student pharmacists completing their primary care rotation provided instruction to third-year student nurses and third-year student physicians on the selection, dosing, administration, and counseling of insulin products in type 2 diabetes. Learners were asked to complete a pre- and post-survey to determine comfort level and knowledge before and after the educational experience. RESULTS: A total of 200 student nurses and student physicians were included in the analysis. All but two questions from the pre- to post-survey resulted in a statistically significant increase in the number of respondents who agreed or strongly agreed with the statements. In both the pre- and post-survey, >90% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that pharmacists add value to the medical team. An overwhelming majority of students indicated that this learning experience would assist them with making clinical decisions regarding insulin therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes during clinical rotations. CONCLUSION: The education provided by student pharmacists improved knowledge and confidence in selecting, dosing, administering, and counseling on insulin products, but not with adjusting therapy. Although the student nurses and student physicians valued pharmacy prior to the study, their willingness to reach out to pharmacists increased. This study demonstrates the usefulness of PAT for collaboration between healthcare professional students for improved knowledge and confidence to ultimately enhance patient-centered care.

Item analysis of emotional exhaustion in pharmacy practice faculty.

INTRODUCTION: The primary objective of this study was to identify the single question on the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Educator Survey (MBI-ES) that correlated with high emotional exhaustion (EE) among pharmacy practice faculty. METHODS: We analyzed data collected from the electronic administration of the MBI-ES to faculty at United States (US) colleges and schools of pharmacy in 2014. For our primary outcome, we used Spearman's rho correlation (rs) to identify a single question on the MBI-ES that was highly correlated with high EE (one of three subscales of MBI-ES). We calculated likelihood ratio statistics for each level of the item with the largest rs with total EE, then converted those to adjusted predicted probabilities of high EE. De-identified data were collected via Qualtrics version 60949 (Provo, Utah) and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics, Version 22.0 (Armonk, NY). RESULTS: The single item, "I feel emotionally drained from my work" (rs = 0.833, p = 0.01), was most correlated with high EE score on the MBI-ES. Faculty who reported "I feel emotionally drained from my work" once per week and few times per week had 62.8% and 93% chance of having high EE, respectively. CONCLUSION: The single item that was most highly correlated with EE may be used for further evaluation of faculty who may be at risk for burnout. Interventions for reducing burnout among pharmacy practice faculty are critically needed for sustaining our pool of faculty.

Comparing faculty evaluations of student journal club presentations with student self- and peer evaluations during advanced pharmacy practice experiences.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Self-evaluation is a critical step in professional development. Peer evaluation may enhance student learning and help peer evaluators recognize their own limitations. However, these evaluations may not accurately assess performance. This study's purpose is to evaluate differences between faculty, self-, and peer evaluations of student journal club (JC) presentations during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: Student JC presentations for three APPE sites were identified between May 2015 and April 2018 and included if at least one faculty, self-, and peer evaluation were complete. Overall grades and individual rubric ratings were compared. FINDINGS: Seventy-four students had complete data sets. The mean overall scores for JC presentations were 82.72%, 86.05%, and 91.01% for faculty, self-, and peer evaluations, respectively. Self-evaluation ratings were significantly higher than faculty on each domain, except for "presentation and communication skills" (mean difference: -0.2, p = .034) and "ability to answer questions" (mean difference: -0.1, p = .247). Linear regression showed a statistically significant relationship between self-evaluation and faculty evaluation ratings for ability to answer questions (beta = 0.5, p < .001). Peer evaluation ratings were significantly higher than faculty and self-evaluations (p < .05). SUMMARY: Faculty scores on JC presentations completed during APPEs were lower compared to student evaluations of themselves and their peers. Further incorporation of self- and peer evaluation throughout pharmacy school curricula may improve student competence in performing these evaluations. Formal training is needed to improve students' ability to complete self and peer evaluations.

Experiential education in the pharmacy undergraduate curricula in Brazil

OBJECTIVE: Considering the curriculum reform process taking place in pharmacy undergraduate programs in Brazil and the importance of practical experience to students throughout their learning process in university, this study aims to provide an overview of pharmacy undergraduate programs in Brazil and their respective internships. METHODS: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. A documentary analysis of pharmacy undergraduate programs in the face-to-face modality was carried out, with data obtained from the Political Pedagogical Projects of the programs, the curricula, and course descriptions containing information on internships, all provided by the Brazilian Ministry of Education. The data collected concerned higher education institutions (HEIs), pharmacy programs and internships. RESULTS: Pharmacy undergraduate programs in Brazil have a median duration of 10 semesters, requiring from students a median of 6 internships, from the 6thsemester on, totalizing 826 hours. The programs lack uniformity among their internships, mainly regarding total hours and the semester in which internships start. The pharmacy internships cover, in greater number, the areas of outpatient and community pharmacy, clinical analysis, and pharmaceutical technology, respectively, being clinical analysis the area with more hours. Public and private HEIs have different internship proceedings in their curricula, hence no homogeneity among them in the different regions of Brazil. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the diversity of pharmacy programs in Brazil in the context of internships, reflecting on the training and the activity of pharmacists in recent decades. Further studies are needed to deepen the understanding of this theme

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A Comprehensive Survey of Infectious Diseases Curriculum Among US Pharmacy Schools.

Objective. To describe what and how infectious diseases (ID) topics are taught in US schools of pharmacy and summarize pharmacy faculty members' and students' perceived successes and challenges in teaching and learning about ID. Methods. A 23-item survey instrument was distributed electronically to ID faculty members at 137 US pharmacy schools. Data collected included curricular hours and format, topics covered, active-learning strategies, and curricular successes and concerns. Results. Surveys were collected from 106 schools (77% response rate). Infectious diseases curricula were allotted a median of 60 (IQR=40) hours of classroom time. Respondents dedicated 33% of curriculum hours to ID fundamentals and 66% to disease states. Greater than 94% of schools taught all tier one ID topics from the 2016 American College of Clinical Pharmacy Pharmacotherapy Didactic Curriculum Toolkit. Curricula were primarily delivered through traditional lectures rather than active learning (75% vs 25% of classroom time, respectively). The median number of active-learning strategies used was four (IQR=3). The most common active-learning modalities used either consistently or frequently were patient case application (98%) and audience response systems (76%). The most common successes cited by faculty members were implementation of active learning, the "real-world" applicability of the ID topics, and the breadth of topics and topic exposure covered in the curriculum. The most common concerns were a lack of time to cover material and the amount of material covered. Conclusion. Increased communication and collaboration between ID educators is warranted to increase consistency of ID education and distribution of educational innovations.

Pharmacy faculty and students' perceptions of standardized patients for objective structured clinical examinations.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) are one method of assessing clinical competency and communication in doctor of pharmacy programs. The purpose of this study was to capture student and faculty perceptions regarding the use of standardized patients (SPs) in administering OSCEs. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: Pharmacy students in our program initially participated in OSCEs using internal-SPs (I-SPs) that consisted of faculty and staff acting as patients. One year later, we piloted use of trained actor-based SPs and surveyed students and faculty about the experience. FINDINGS: Fifty-four (80.6%) students and 12 (92.3%) faculty members completed the survey. When asked about their interactions with SPs, 42 (77.8%) students either agreed or strongly agreed that SPs portrayed patients more realistically and 41 (75.9%) students perceived SPs created a more comfortable environment for patient communication than I-SPs. Thirty-six (66.7%) students either agreed or strongly agreed to feeling more confident when communicating with patients, and 33 (61.1%) felt more confident making recommendations. Ten (83.3%) faculty members either agreed or strongly agreed that SPs portrayed patient interactions more realistically, and 7 (58.3%) felt SPs were more consistent in their simulated patient portrayal for the duration of the OSCE. SUMMARY: Pharmacy students felt more confident in their ability to communicate and interact with the patient during their OSCEs when actor-based SPs were used. Both students and faculty members perceived this SP portrayal of patient interactions as more realistic than I-SPs and recommended the continued use of actor-based SPs for OSCEs.

Grit in pharmacy faculty: A pilot analysis focused on productivity measures.

INTRODUCTION: Grit, a "perseverance and passion for long-term goals," is an important characteristic that has been linked to success in academics and career endeavors. In pharmacy education, there have been mixed results on grit as a predictor of academic performance in pharmacy students. Furthermore, there have been no studies on the implications of grit in pharmacy faculty. The purpose of this study was to determine pharmacy faculty Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) scores at two universities and whether those scores correlate with faculty productivity. METHODS: A 36-item electronic survey was administered to pharmacy faculty members at two institutions. Baseline demographics and self-reported Grit-S scores were obtained. Metrics of productivity in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service were defined using quantitative measures. Non-parametric analyses were conducted to test if higher Grit-S scores correlated with other variables. RESULTS: Faculty reported an average Grit-S score of 3.68. There was no significant correlation between Grit-S scores and components of faculty productivity in teaching and service for the previous academic year or career. Higher Grit-S scores had a moderately positive correlation with the number of peer-reviewed publications in 2017. CONCLUSION: Grit-S scores are high among pharmacy faculty and were not correlated with higher productivity in most components of faculty workload.

Surveys of pharmacy students and pharmacy educators regarding medical marijuana.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, a cohort of Ohio pharmacy students were surveyed about knowledge and attitudes regarding medical marijuana (MMJ). Pharmacy educators in legalized states were asked how MMJ education was incorporated into pharmacy curricula. METHODS: Pharmacy students from six colleges were emailed surveys. Pharmacy educators from 79 colleges in states with legal MMJ programs were emailed regarding curricular content covering MMJ. RESULTS: A total of 319 student respondents received scores between 50 and 60% on knowledge-based questions. Students favored legalization of medical, but not recreational marijuana; they are not confident in ability to counsel; they believe little education on MMJ is provided in pharmacy school; and feel that more education is needed on MMJ. Students supporting MMJ were more likely to support recreational use of marijuana (p < 0.001), and education about MMJ (p < 0.001). Students in advanced years were less willing to dispense medical marijuana (p < 0.01), and less likely to support pharmacist availability for counseling (p < 0.05). Sixty-two percent of colleges who responded to the survey in legalized states provided education on MMJ to pharmacy students. Sixty-four percent of colleges responding who provided MMJ education offered a required course; 84.6% educated on indications and misuse/abuse; 92.3% on side effects, and adverse drug reactions; 53.8% on drug interactions. CONCLUSION: Ohio pharmacy student knowledge regarding medical marijuana is low. Students believe pharmacists should be available for counseling on MMJ; they feel unprepared to dispense MMJ, and would like more education on MMJ. Some colleges of pharmacy in the US report providing MMJ education; extent is unknown.

A cross-sectional assessment of statistical knowledge among pharmacy faculty.

INTRODUCTION: The debate about the optimal level of research methods incorporated in doctor of pharmacy curricula is ongoing. Yet relatively little has been published about the research-based knowledge of the faculty in these programs. This study seeks to assess pharmacy faculty members' knowledge of fundamental statistical concepts. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey included a random sample of US-based pharmacy schools. Invitations were sent to faculty in each selected pharmacy school to participate in the online survey comprised of demographic questions and a multiple-choice statistics knowledge assessment covering eight fundamental biostatistics concepts. Each question had three answer options, with an additional fourth 'opt-out' option for those wishing to avoid guessing. RESULTS: The random sample of selected pharmacy schools resulted in email invitations sent to 2036 faculty from 30 pharmacy schools. The final study sample consisted of 139 pharmacy faculty members with a mean of 10.2 years of experience as a faculty member. Over 95% of pharmacy faculty reported that they read peer-reviewed scientific journal articles, while nearly 99% said the understanding of statistics was either 'somewhat important' (35%) or 'very important' (64%) in their role as a researcher. Pharmacy faculty achieved a mean of 5.1 correct responses out of eight knowledge-based questions. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacy faculty provided correct responses to 64% of the items about fundamental statistical concepts. These study results are useful for making decisions about biostatistics education and curriculum content, particularly as pharmacy programs continue to incorporate a prominent role for research.

Faculty Perceptions of Entrustable Professional Activities to Determine Pharmacy Student Readiness for Advanced Practice Experiences.

Objective. To quantify pharmacy faculty members' perceptions of the importance of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) and the expected level of entrustment that should be achieved to determine APPE readiness. Methods. Entrustable professional activities define the core skills and tasks expected of new pharmacy graduates and may serve as a logical framework for determining pharmacy student readiness to begin advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). A five-question survey was distributed to all faculty members, staff members, and administrators at Ferris State University College of Pharmacy. Respondents were asked to rate 18 statements mapped to 12 EPAs on the perceived importance of each statement and the expected level of entrustment students should achieve to determine readiness for APPEs. Thresholds were used to determine consensus for importance and level of entrustment for each statement. Results. Of the 44 faculty members surveyed, 28 (63.6%) responded. A strong consensus was reached on the level of importance for 16 of 18 statements (89%), while two statements demonstrated moderate consensus (11%). No strong consensus was identified on levels of entrustment. Seven (39%) of 18 statements demonstrated moderate entrustment consensus and 11 (61%) statements demonstrated little consensus. Conclusion. Strong consensus was identified regarding which EPAs are important to determine students' APPE readiness; however, no strong consensus was found when evaluating levels of entrustment. Lack of consensus regarding entrustment raises several questions that require further study and clarification as the implementation of EPAs continues throughout the Academy.

Mothers in academic pharmacy.

INTRODUCTION: The proportion of women pharmacists has been rapidly increasing for many years, from 43.3% of licensed pharmacists in 2000 to 52.7% in 2014. Yet women may be less likely to consider certain positions in pharmacy due to concerns of balancing work and motherhood responsibilities. The terms "motherhood penalty" and "baby penalty" have been used to describe the consequences of child-bearing responsibilities on the careers of women, including academic pharmacy. Many workplaces have established interventions to address the motherhood and baby penalties, including policies such as extended child-bearing leave and better childcare options. COMMENTARY AND IMPLICATIONS: However, there is still much understanding and improvement needed from the pharmacy academy administration to elicit a true change in culture. How can we create this culture shift? This article emphasizes a call to action to address this need for change.

Geriatric education in schools of pharmacy: Students' and educators' perspectives in Qatar and Canada.

INTRODUCTION: Older adults constitute the largest population admitted to hospitals due to chronic diseases, which requires appropriate prescribing of medications and comprehensive pharmaceutical care. The views and perspectives of students and educators can inform curriculum review in geriatric education in pharmacy schools. METHODS: A cross sectional online survey containing 34 questions covering the areas of curriculum content and perceived needs for geriatric education was administered to students, faculty members, and preceptors. Data analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: The majority of participants indicated that their pharmacy school offered geriatric education. Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Considerations in the Elderly was the topic most frequently reported to be covered in the geriatric curricula. Significantly more use of small groups discussions for delivering the geriatric curriculum was reported by respondents in Qatar than in Canada. Experiential geriatric education was available in both countries, although duration of rotations were reported to be longer in Canada than in Qatar. The majority of respondents perceived that students were moderately prepared for providing geriatric care. DISCUSSION: This is the first study conducted to explore the current state of geriatric education in a pharmacy school in the Middle East in comparison with a well-established Canadian pharmacy curricula. CONCLUSION: Both pharmacy schools studied offer a compulsory course on special populations that includes a similar geriatric curriculum. Future surveys should investigate how geriatric content in the pharmacy curricula is being evaluated.

A preliminary model for faculty workload for a highly integrated curriculum delivered by team-based learning.

INTRODUCTION: We detail the process of developing a workload calculation model (WCM) for a highly integrated curriculum delivered by team-based learning, rationale for workload multipliers, and preliminary results of our effort to implement the WCM. METHODS: Our WCM includes teaching, service, and scholarship, with a time buffer. The WCM utilizes multipliers for most work activities (teaching and service). For other activities, a fixed number of hours per year was used. The WCM was set up using Microsoft Excel. The development of the WCM was an iterative process in collaboration with the school's Faculty Affairs Committee, each department, and then individually with all faculty members. RESULTS: The WCM had three sections. A section each for teaching and service workload calculations and a dashboard section to summarize workload calculations per department that added in time for scholarship and a buffer calculation (to allow flexibility for faculty). Teaching included classroom, experiential, and academic advising, all of which had unique multipliers. Service included committee work at all levels and student organization advising. A fourth section for time spent at individual faculty practice sites. Calculations were kept consistent between departments for most activities. CONCLUSION: We developed a novel WCM to accommodate all of the major areas of workload for faculty at a private institution. The unique approach to building it included representing teaching in a highly integrated curriculum delivered via team-based learning and creating a buffer category to allow for workload individualization. The WCM is actively used in our school to proactively manage workload.

Motivators, barriers, and strategies to improve response rate to student evaluation of teaching.

INTRODUCTION: Student evaluation of teaching (SET) is a tool that most pharmacy schools use to evaluate faculty. After multiple years of low response rates to SET, Roseman University began a process to identify motivators, barriers, and strategies to improve SET response rates. Multiple strategies were implemented and response rate was analyzed to determine if the changes were effective. METHODS: A modified Delphi process was used to identify motivators, barriers, and strategies to improve SET response rates. Faculty, students, and administration engaged in a year-long process involving four distinct phases to build consensus regarding SET implementation and processes. The process was implemented and then response rates were evaluated the following academic year. RESULTS: Barriers included frequency of surveys, length of surveys, length of rating scale, ambiguity of questions, misunderstanding on importance of SET, and lack of perceived benefit for completion of SET. For each pharmacy class, response rates increased two to three times baseline (p < 0.05). For all classes combined, response rates significantly increased from 24% to 66%. CONCLUSIONS: The modified Delphi process successfully identified barriers, motivators, and strategies for improving SET. Additionally, the process built consensus that led to successful implementation of the new SET with significantly improved response rates.

Preceptor confidence and engagement in providing leadership activities to students in advanced pharmacy practice experiences.

INTRODUCTION: Preceptor perceptions about providing leadership activities during the fourth year of the doctor of pharmacy curriculum were examined. METHODS: An anonymous questionnaire was sent electronically to 610 preceptors of fourth year doctor of pharmacy students in August 2015 inquiring about confidence in leadership ability, extent of student engagement in leadership activities, and preceptor support needed. Differences based on leadership background, such as formal training, were examined using independent t-test. Continuous data are presented as mean (standard deviation). P-value < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Survey response rate was 28% (n = 171). Preceptor confidence in ability to provide leadership activities was 7.38 + /-1.66 [0-10 Likert scale; 0 = cannot do at all, 10 = highly certain can do]. Preceptors were most confident teaching that leadership comes from those with and without titles (8.48 + /-1.64) and least confident engaging students in advocacy (5.41 + /-3.02). Preceptors were most likely to engage students in collaboration [3(1-4)] and least likely to involve them in advocacy [1(1-4)] (measured from 1-4 with 1 = never and 4 = very often). Preceptors with formal leadership training demonstrated higher confidence and more engagement with involving students in leadership activities than those without training (p < 0.05). Examples of common leadership activities shared by preceptors included experiential clinical activities and projects, teaching opportunities, discussions with leaders, and participation in meetings. Leadership training and development was the most requested type of support by preceptors (n = 23, 13.5%). CONCLUSION: Preceptors were overall confident about their ability to provide leadership activities, were involving students in some leadership activities, and had the least confidence and engagement in involving students in advocacy. Preceptors may consider increasing engagement in teaching student leadership skills by utilizing examples in this study. Colleges of pharmacy and organizations may collaborate to increase preceptor access to formal leadership training programs and offer preceptor development programs designed to enhance preceptors' abilities to facilitate student leadership experience, reflection on experience, and feedback.

What do I eat? Impact of an interactive teaching method for improving pharmacy students' diabetes nutrition knowledge and comfort in providing nutrition counseling.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Didactic approaches for instructing students about diabetes nutrition and self-management have been described previously in the pharmacy education literature. There is a need for diabetes nutrition active learning approaches that can be incorporated into the advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) setting so students can apply previous didactic learning in a real world setting. The goal was to add to students' knowledge of diabetes nutrition thereby increasing their comfort in discussing nutrition with patients. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: The nutrition tour activity was implemented in the APPE setting and involved pharmacy students on ambulatory and inpatient rotations. The nutrition tour included several active learning exercises such as evaluation of nutrition labels and development of a day-long carbohydrate-consistent meal plan to encourage student engagement and application of information. Student pre- and post-activity survey data was collected two weeks before and two weeks after the tour to assess retention of knowledge of diabetes nutrition and comfort in diabetes nutrition education. Changes in knowledge and comfort were assessed using t-tests. FINDINGS: Fifty-five pharmacy students participated in the nutrition tour with 45 completing the pre-activity survey and 40 completing the post-activity survey. Comparison of student pre- and post-activity survey scores identified statistically significant increases in both total nutrition knowledge (p < 0.001) and student comfort in counseling on diabetes nutrition (p < 0.001). DISCUSSION AND SUMMARY: A diabetes nutrition tour guided by a pharmacy preceptor for APPE students was associated with increased diabetes nutrition knowledge and comfort in educating on diabetes nutrition.

Allocation of faculty and curricular time to the teaching of transitions of care concepts by colleges of pharmacy.

INTRODUCTION: To determine the allocation of faculty and curricular time to the teaching of transitions of care (ToC) concepts by colleges of pharmacy (COPs) to equip students with the necessary skills for the provision of these services. METHODS: A novel 15-question anonymous electronic survey was sent to 136 pharmacy practice chairpersons. RESULTS: Response rate was 26.5% (n = 36). Of these, 47% employed ToC faculty while 44% are not actively recruiting for that position in the foreseeable future. Median total curriculum hours dedicated to teaching ToC was four (interquartile range two to 10 hours). Medication reconciliation skills were taught didactically and via interactive lab sessions by 53% of respondents. Only 11% offered an interdisciplinary ToC program. A significant association between not having ToC faculty and lack of implementation of ToC concepts within a pharmacy curriculum (p = 0.02, Fisher's Exact) and practice site (p = 0.045, Pearson's) was observed. Barriers to adopting ToC within the curriculum (e.g., uncertainty of placement within curriculum, resistance by faculty and administrators) and at a practice site (e.g., inadequate infrastructure to accommodate ToC delivery, ToC faculty unavailability and resistance by other health care providers) were reported. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that COPs devote curricular time to ToC activities and involve dedicated faculty in the provision of these services. Several barriers to employing ToC faculty and planning additional time in the curriculum for teaching these skills were identified. Future research should determine the best methods for training students to ensure competence in performing ToC tasks.