An Oncology Pharmacy Practice Elective Course for Third-Year Pharmacy Students

Abstract

Objective. To develop and implement a 1-credit-hour oncology pharmacy practice elective course for third-year pharmacy students and assess its impact on examination scores in a required pharmacotherapeutics course. Design. Major topics were identified to focus on therapeutic management and supportive care of the oncology patient. Psychosocial topics were incorporated to help pharmacy students better relate to oncology patients. Assessment. Learning was assessed by means of 2 computer-based examinations, weekly reflection posts, and a completed oncology service-learning project and reflection paper. Students enrolled in the course achieved higher pharmacotherapeutics oncology section examination scores than students who had not taken the course. Also, this course increased students' interest in oncology pharmacy. Conclusion. The oncology pharmacy elective course has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from students and student enrollment continues to grow. We will continue to offer this course to future practitioners.

Impact of an oncology pharmacy elective course on guiding Doctor of Pharmacy students toward specializing in oncology pharmacy

“…A report noting positive reviews by students of an oncology elective and the impact it had on improving grades in their pharmacotherapeutics course has been published previously. 23 Although elective courses in oncology do exist, to our knowledge, our study represents the only published effort that documents the impact of an oncology pharmacy elective course on students' opinions of this career pathway. Our effort to assess opinions before and after the intervention is also somewhat unique, as only a limited number of reports took this important step.…”

Care of cancer patients with liver and bone metastases – the place of pharmaceutical care in a balanced plan, focused on the patient’s needs and goals

“…Also, pharmacists who have completed additional training in psychology are instrumental in helping cancer patients understand and manage long-term psychophysical adverse effects of their anti-cancer medications. Moreover, pharmacists play a crucial role in helping patients with cancer achieve better medication compliance, via interventions, including face-to-face consultations, written materials, and telephone follow-up calls, which significantly improved the patients’ adherence to therapy [ 40 , 41 ].…”

A Team-based Assignment to Integrate Basic Science and Pharmacotherapeutic Principles for Anticancer Agents

“…Several educational initiatives have been implemented to appropriately prepare future practitioners to fulfill this role. 6,[10][11] For example, Plevin and colleagues investigated the role of the pharmacist in providing targeted therapies, and concluded that student pharmacists should be trained in this area to positively affect patient outcomes. 10 Newton and colleagues 6 have suggested that the PharmD curriculum include a combination of didactic courses and practice experiences provided by faculty that include those with a background in oncology practice.…”