Assessment of Pharmacy Students’ Clinical Skills using Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE): A Literature Review

Abstract

A sys tematic review of clinical pharmacy assessment articles published from 2003 to 2016 was conducted. The electronic databases used to identify relevant studies were PUBMED, Science Direct, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Google Scholar. Search terms used were "Pharmacy student*" [MeSH] AND "assessment" [MeSH]) AND "Clinical skills" [MeSH]. The variables coded included characteristics of the assessment (e.g. aim, level, duration, learning and teaching methods), methods and outcomes. The electronic database search retrieved 122 articles while only 14 studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria. According to the review, it was indicated that methods of student clinical skills evaluation using OSCE has been implemented widely in pharmacy schools. OSCE has been used to evaluate the outcome of pharmacy courses and entry to practice examination, served as primary assessment tool in pharmacy education. Regarding the validation of the OSCE methods, the OSCE was valid, reliable and acceptable to be implemented. Pharmacy students felt that they learned clinical patient care better when using OSCE and many of them indicated the need for more exposure and additional class to improve skills. OSCE are formally involved in clinical skills assessment and as an important part of the educational life cycle for pharmacists. OSCE can play an important role in the pharmacy curriculum and providing students with a real-world context for understanding complex patient care needs.

Alignment of CanMEDS-Based Undergraduate and Postgraduate Pharmacy Curricula in The Netherlands

“…Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) [45,46] An OSCE usually comprises a circuit of short (usually 5-10 min although sometimes up to 15 min) stations, in which each student/trainee is examined on a one-to-one basis with one or two examiner(s) and either real or simulated patients Case-based discussion and Entrustment-based discussions (CBD, EBD) [47,48] A written report, followed by a short oral discussion with the student/trainee. Used to assess pharmacotherapy related cases; in EBD's safety risks are especially important.…”

“…Most of these assessment formats can be adapted to (simulated) learning or training situations at the expense of full authenticity, which makes them suitable for use in earlier stages of student development, e.g., during the master program. The use of Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE) is relatively well investigated [ 44 , 45 ].…”

Evolving to Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCE): Transitional experience in an undergraduate pharmacy program in Kuwait

“…The OSCE originated in medical education in the 1970s and has become a global gold standard to assess clinical skills, knowledge, and behaviors. Consequently, its use in other healthcare professions, including pharmacy, continues to grow ( Hasan, 2016 , Kristina and Wijoyo, 2018 , Lacy et al, 2019 , Lynga et al, 2019 , Wardman et al, 2017 ). A literature review explored the characteristics of 14 publications of OSCE implemented for pharmacy education, and concluded that OSCE has received significant approval by pharmacy faculties and students all over the world as a reliable and valid tool for competency assessment ( Kristina and Wijoyo, 2018 ).…”

It matters how we do it: A review of best practices of Observed Structured Clinical Examination in pharmacy education

“…Despite this, the students preferred OSCE over the other assessment methods. It is a good practice for pharmacy curriculum developers to map the knowledge, skills, and competencies which are assessed by different assessment methods, including the OSCEs, across the pharmacy degree program (Kristina & Wijoyo, 2018). This mapping evidence should then be accessible by the students to demonstrate how OSCEs contribute to their learning journey in the pharmacy school.…”