An Exploratory Study of Student Pharmacists’ Self-Reported Pain, Management Strategies, Outcomes, and Implications for Pharmacy Education

Abstract

The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence, management strategies, and outcomes of pain experienced by student pharmacists, and to discuss implications for pharmacy education. A questionnaire administered to student pharmacists collected data about their experience, management strategies, and outcomes of pain. Data were analyzed using t-tests, chi-square or Fisher’s tests, and logistic regression. Of the 218 student pharmacists who completed the survey, 79% experienced pain in the past five years. Chronic pain impacted students’ ability to work (15%) and attend school (9%). Respondents most commonly used prescription (38%) and over-the-counter (OTC, 78%) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and rest (69%) to manage pain. Men used more opioids, whereas women used more OTC NSAIDs (p < 0.05). Emergency department visits were associated with increased prescription drug use to manage pain. This study found that 15% of student pharmacists had chronic pain in the past five years, which was managed with medical and non-medical strategies.

Acute and Chronic Pain Learning and Teaching in Medical School—An Observational Cross-Sectional Study Regarding Preparation and Self-Confidence of Clinical and Pre-Clinical Medical Students

“…Despite formal reminders, only one-fifth of the students responded to the survey. The similar problem has been reported by other authors who performed surveys among medical school students [23,34,35]. The response rate could have been improved by a different timing of the study.…”

Association of Multimorbidity on Healthcare Expenditures Among Older United States Adults With Pain

“…Interviews conducted with 7601 US adults aged ≥ 65 years in a 2011 national survey showed that half of the older adults complained of bothersome pain in the last month (Patel et al, 2013). Other studies have demonstrated the burden of pain through the vast number of pain management strategies used (Axon et al, 2018(Axon et al, , 2019). An estimated $560 billion per year is attributed to pain-related direct medical costs and lost productivity.…”

Validation Assessment of a Pain Interference Questionnaire among Student Pharmacists

“…Pharmacists and student pharmacists are uniquely situated in the health care system to help patients achieve greater functionality in life. Because pharmacists’ clinical judgement is not only informed by their training but also by their life experience, it is of interest to understand their experiences with pain and strategies for pain management [ 13 ].…”

“…A recent exploratory study characterized the pain characteristics, management strategies, and outcomes of student pharmacists at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy using a 24-item paper-based survey instrument administered in fall 2015 [ 13 ]. A full description of this study is available elsewhere [ 13 ].…”

“…A recent exploratory study characterized the pain characteristics, management strategies, and outcomes of student pharmacists at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy using a 24-item paper-based survey instrument administered in fall 2015 [ 13 ]. A full description of this study is available elsewhere [ 13 ]. This instrument was adapted from a study by Breivik et al which was initially designed to assess the prevalence, treatment, and impact of chronic pain in 15 European Countries and Israel [ 19 ].…”