Objective. Pharmacy programs are increasingly using virtual simulation to provide a safe and realistic environment for students to practice critical patient care skills. The aim of this study was to describe the use of MyDispense, a virtual simulation tool, in pharmacy programs across the United States. Methods. Researchers developed a 16-item survey focused on program characteristics and MyDispense integration in pharmacy curricula. It was sent to MyDispense administrators of pharmacy programs in the United States. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the results. Results. Administrators from 36 pharmacy programs responded to the survey (72%). MyDispense was most commonly integrated into one or two courses for first-or second-year students. The most common skills that students practiced were medication dispensing, communication with patients, and drug-information skills. Validation exercises were most common followed by dispensing and over-the-counter exercises. The number of pharmacy schools using MyDispense suggest the potential for collaboration among instructors in order to increase efficiencies in delivery of course materials as well as evaluate student learning. Conclusion.Instructors most commonly used MyDispense in courses for first-and second-year students to teach medication dispensing, communication with patients, utilizing drug information resources, applying pharmacy laws, and making recommendations about over-the-counter medications.

INTRODUCTIONAlthough introductory interprofessional education (IPE) experiences offered in a variety of formats can be beneficial to students, there is little research evaluating students' attitudes throughout a sequence of introductory IPE activities. Further, the impact of academic level, gender and race on student attitudes about IPE is not known, particularly when students from a diverse range of health profession programs participate together in introductory IPE experiences.METHODS A sequenced, two-part introductory IPE experience comprising a 90 minute online module followed by a 2-hour faceto-face event was delivered to health science students on three campuses at a large Midwestern university. Student attitudes about IPE based on SPICE-R2 scores were compared before and after the online module and after the in-person event. Paired t-tests were used to determine differences between time points, and linear regression was used to estimate the effects of academic level, gender and race. RESULTSThe online course had a significant, positive impact on all students' attitudes about IPE with the greatest changes for the Roles subdomain. Improvements in student attitudes about IPE following the online course were retained after the in-person event. Student responses differed between academic levels and genders, but not race. CONCLUSIONThe initial, online component of the sequenced introductory IPE experience was more impactful on student attitudes about IPE than the subsequent in-person component. Student responses differed between academic levels and genders, suggesting that these factors should be considered when designing introductory IPE experiences for a broad range of participants.

Objectives: To examine demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with hospitalizations due to mental disorders among Asians in the Kansas City metropolis (Missouri, U.S.) from 2004 to 2013. MethOds: This was a retrospective study using the Missouri Hospital Discharge Data and American Community Survey. Mental disorders were identified by ICD-9 codes 290.0-290.9, 292.0-302.9, and 305.1-319.9. Missouri Hospital Discharge Data provided hospitalizations (yes/no) due to mental disorders according to zip codes. American Community Survey provided median annual income (< $50,000 or ≥ $50,000), proportion of high school graduates or higher (< 30% or ≥ 30%), proportion of those who were foreign born (< 1% or ≥ 1%), proportion of those who were unemployed (< 5% or ≥ 5%), sex, and age (< 65 or ≥ 65 years old) according to zip codes. The zip codes of nine counties in the Kansas City metropolis were included. A multiple logistic regression was conducted, in which hospitalization was the dependent variable, and the other variables were independent variables. Results: Asians had 10,780 hospitalizations due to all causes and 366 hospitalizations due to mental disorders from 2004 to 2013. Asians had a higher rate of hospitalizations due to mental disorders, 194 per 100,000, compared

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