Experiences and perceptions of pharmacy students and pharmacists with a community pharmacy‐based objective structured clinical examination

Abstract

Introduction Self‐care therapeutics teaches students how to apply the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process to determine if a patient's concern is appropriate for self‐care and then independently prevent, diagnose, and treat the condition. Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) have been shown to be a reliable and valid form of assessment used in pharmacy education. There is limited research examining the use of a community pharmacy‐based OSCE to evaluate self‐care clinical skills in first year pharmacy (P1) students. Objectives To evaluate P1 students' and facilitators' experiences and perceptions of a community pharmacy‐based OSCE. Student performance on the OSCE was evaluated as a secondary objective. Methods Students completed an OSCE that consisted of two patient cases. Students' experiences with the OSCE were collected using a standardized questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 41 questions that assessed four areas: attributes of the OSCE, quality of the OSCE performance, OSCE scoring and objectivity, and comparison with other assessment methods. Facilitator experiences and perceived value of the OSCE were assessed using a questionnaire. The responses were evaluated using a chi‐square test. Results Eighty‐eight students completed the OSCE and questionnaire. Students found the OSCE to be fair (91%) and cover a wide range of skills (76%). The majority of the students (91%) agreed that the OSCE provided opportunities to learn and was a practical and useful experience (86%). Approximately two‐thirds (66%) of the students felt that the OSCE provided a true measure of essential clinical skills needed in self‐care therapeutics. Fourteen facilitators participated in the OSCE and completed the questionnaire. Community pharmacists represented most of the facilitators (57%). Facilitators agreed that the OSCE tests the knowledge and skills needed to practice in community pharmacy (100%). Conclusion A community pharmacy‐based OSCE may be a valuable tool to assess clinical skills and provide clinical learning experiences for pharmacy students.

Implementing OSCE Exam for Undergraduate Pharmacy Students: A Two Institutional Mixed-Method Study

“…This is consistent with the results of other studies (21,26,33,43,44). For example, results from a study evaluating the use of a community pharmacy-based OSCE to consider self-care clinical skills in first-year pharmacy students in the school of pharmacy University of Arizona (USA) showed that the majority of students believed that OSCE exam was fair, covers a wide clinical wide range of vital clinical skills and that OSCE exam provided a practical experience and valuable learning opportunity (43). Also, results from another study showed that most students believed that OSCE exam was fair, covered the necessary knowledge and competencies, and that OSCE exam was welladministered and well-organised (21).…”

“…However, less than a quarter of pharmacy students thought that OSCE exam was not fair, very intimidating, and required more time. This is consistent with the results of other studies (21,26,33,43,44). For example, results from a study evaluating the use of a community pharmacy-based OSCE to consider self-care clinical skills in first-year pharmacy students in the school of pharmacy University of Arizona (USA) showed that the majority of students believed that OSCE exam was fair, covers a wide clinical wide range of vital clinical skills and that OSCE exam provided a practical experience and valuable learning opportunity (43).…”

Pharmacy Students’ Experiences with an Interactive Video Platform to Develop Clinical Reasoning

“…Case studies and role-play activities were provided to the students to practice applying the content to a “real-life” patient. In 2018, students were given an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) to assess their knowledge in which the majority of students and facilitators agreed that the OSCE provided a true measure of essential clinical skills required to assess and provide self-care to patients [ 9 ].…”