Objective. To evaluate virtual patient (VP) programs for injecting equipment provision (IEP) and opiate substitution therapy (OST) services with respect to confidence and knowledge among preregistration pharmacist trainees. Methods. Preregistration trainee pharmacists pilot-tested the VP programs and were invited to complete pre/post and 6-month assessments of knowledge and perceived confidence. Results. One hundred six trainees participated and completed the pre/postassessments. Forty-six (43.4%) participants repeated the assessments at six months. Scores in perceived confidence increased in all domains at both time points postprogram. Knowledge scores were greater posteducation than preeducation. Knowledge scores were also greater six months after education than preeducation. Knowledge scores at six months were lower than posteducation for both programs. Conclusion. Virtual patients programs increased preregistration pharmacists' knowledge and confidence with regard to IEP and OST immediately after use and at six months postprogram. There was a loss of clinical knowledge over time but confidence change was sustained.

Objective. To implement and assess the effectiveness of the Strathclyde Computerized Randomized Interactive Prescription Tutor (SCRIPT) in teaching a competency-based undergraduate pharmacy course. Design. Data on students' access to SCRIPT, collected by quantitative electronic data capture, were analyzed to determine student usage patterns and correlations between usage and grades in class assessments. Data on students' perceptions were collected by electronic questionnaire and semistructured interviews. Teaching staff members also were interviewed. Assessment. Two hundred forty-three students accessed SCRIPT a median of 23 times each. Students accessed SCRIPT predominantly at times outside normal teaching hours and tended to access the tool more often in the 48 hours preceding class assessments. Feedback from students indicated overall satisfaction with the tool to compliment the timetabled teaching sessions but highlighted that more specific feedback on the examples was required. All staff comments were positive. Conclusions. Students and teaching staff members valued SCRIPT as a tool to compliment teaching of the competency-based pharmacy practice classes in the MPharm degree. Future developments of SCRIPT will include expanded feedback for students, the capability to link the release of each SCRIPT exercise with the date the content is taught in class, and additional tools to facilitate ''just in time'' teaching.

Objective. To describe student use and perceptions of online simulated prescription analysis following integration of supplemental and replacement models into pharmacy practice teaching. Results. In both cohorts, the majority of use (over 70%) occurred immediately before assessments. Remote access decreased from 6409 (supplemental) to 3782 (replacement) attempts per 100 students. There was no difference in student performance between the cohorts, Students reported group and individual use and 4 targeted approaches using SCRIPT. Conclusion. E-learning can reduce the staff time in pharmacy practice teaching without affecting student performance. SCRIPT permits flexible learning that suits student preferences.

Three themes were identified: GPs' and pharmacists' perceptions and experiences of inter-professional learning; Inter-professional relationships and team-working; Group identity and purpose of existing GP groups. Pharmacists were welcomed into GP groups and both professions valued inter-professional PBSGL learning. Participants learned from each other and both professions gained a wider perspective of the NHS and of each others' roles in the organisation. Inter-professional relationships, communication and team-working were strengthened and professionals regarded each other as peers and friends.

The rapid action of the long acting beta agonist formoterol allows it to be used as both a preventer and reliever in the management of asthma. The Symbicort® SMART dosing regime has been shown to reduce the number of asthma exacerbations. The aim was to determine the current prescribing of Symbicort®, the prescribing of the SMART regimen and the co-prescribing of a short acting beta agonist with this regimen by means of an audit of prescriptions dispensed in a pharmacy multiple in the U.K. Anonymised data were collected on a standard form. Symbicort® prescribing data for six months were extracted from the pharmacy Patient Medication Record (PMR). Data were stratified by age and analysed to determine adherence with Symbicort® SMART prescribing as defined by the U.K. product license. Data were received from 51 of the 118 (43.2%) pharmacies contacted. Complete information from 2484 PMRs was included in the study. 2.81% (70/2484) of patients were prescribed SMART as defined by the U.K. summary of product characteristics. Of the 18-35 year age group 7.44% (27/363) were prescribed SMART correctly. However, Symbicort® was prescribed twice a day and when required, with either the co-prescription of a SABA, or at an unlicensed dose in 2.46% (61/2484) and 0.28% (7/2484) patients respectively. The incidence of Symbicort® SMART prescribing in this study is low but may be underestimated due to unclear dosing instructions.