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.

Injectable administration privileges among pharmacists in the United States.

PURPOSE: Privileges for administering nonvaccine injectable medications among pharmacists in the United States were assessed. METHODS: An e-mail inquiry on specific protocols for the administration of injectables was sent to the state boards of pharmacy (BOPs) for all 50 states and the District of Columbia that had a valid e-mail address listed on the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy website. Respondents were encouraged to include in their response a link to state regulations so that information from the BOP laws on privileges for administering injectables could be closely reviewed. State guidelines were reviewed online for all BOPs that did not respond to the first e-mail in order to complete the study. A follow-up e-mail was sent only to those respondents whose states granted pharmacists privileges for administering nonvaccine injectables in order to clarify the specific drugs allowed to be injected by pharmacists. RESULTS: Responses received included either links to state regulations or explicit statements of the rules regarding pharmacists' injectable privileges. A total of 21 states currently grant pharmacists articulate written information or rules pertaining to the privilege of administering nonvaccine injectable products. Authority is provided through collaborative practice agreements for most states. Products administered by pharmacists vary by state. CONCLUSION: Pharmacists in 21 states were found to have privileges for administering injectable medications other than vaccines. Pharmacists were authorized to administer these drugs through completion of training approved by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, collaborative practice agreements, valid prescription orders, board certification, or other broad privileges as specified in state regulations.