Objective. To develop, implement, and review a competence-assessment program to identify students at risk of underperforming at advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) sites and to facilitate remediation before they assume responsibility for patient care. Design. As part of the standardized client program, pharmacy students were examined in realistic live client-encounter simulations. Authentic scenarios were developed, and actors were recruited and trained to portray clients so students could be examined solving multiple pharmacy problems. Evaluations of students were conducted in the broad areas of knowledge and live performance. Assessment. Measurements included student-experience survey instruments used to evaluate case realism and challenge; videos used to determine the fidelity of standardized clients, and clerkship performance predictions used to identify students who required individual attention and improvement prior to clerkship courses. Conclusions. The assessment program showed promise as a means of discriminating between students who are prepared for APPEs and those at risk for underperforming.

Background: Traditional medicine (TM) has been practiced in the Pacific islands over many years, and Pacific peoples continue to use TM after migrating to New Zealand (NZ). There is limited published literature on Pacific TM use in NZ. This study explores the views, use of, and access to TM of Pacific Peoples living in Dunedin, NZ. The information provides a valuable contribution in an important area where there is a paucity of information, and will also inform content development for the Pacific health curriculum for health professional courses at the University of Otago. Methods: Cultural processes were used to inform and guide the recruitment of participants and data collection phases. Four focus groups were conducted with 15 Pacific Island community members. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using an inductive approach to identify main themes. Results: Three main themes emerged from the data: Firstly, perspectives of TM from Pacific peoples, was varied and included the importance of spirituality, the environment and inherited knowledge. Secondly, the use of TM which incorporated plants, massage, diet, family togetherness and other forms of healing. Reasons for the use and differences in uptake between groups were also identified. The last main theme identified was barriers in accessing TM, that included the scarcity of traditional healers, resources, and cost. Conclusion: The findings suggest Pacific peoples’ perspectives of TM encompassed a wide spectrum of views, knowledge and techniques. There were identified barriers in access and substitution where traditional ingredients were not available. Some expressed concern that TM use may decline due to loss of exposure and availability of resources. Other challenges are fewer traditional healers and relevant plants in New Zealand. Assisting Western health professionals to engender discussion and openness to TM use in Pacific Peoples is likely to support patient care.