Impact of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Placement Changes in Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy

Abstract

Objective. To document the annual number of advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) placement changes for students across 5 colleges and schools of pharmacy, identify and compare initiating reasons, and estimate the associated administrative workload. Methods. Data collection occurred from finalization of the 2008-2009 APPE assignments throughout the last date of the APPE schedule. Internet-based customized tracking forms were used to categorize the initiating reason for the placement change and the administrative time required per change (0 to 120 minutes). Results. APPE placement changes per institution varied from 14% to 53% of total assignments. Reasons for changes were: administrator initiated (20%), student initiated (23%), and site/preceptor initiated (57%) Total administrative time required per change varied across institutions from 3,130 to 22,750 minutes, while the average time per reassignment was 42.5 minutes. Conclusion. APPE placements are subject to high instability. Significant differences exist between public and private colleges and schools of pharmacy as to the number and type of APPE reassignments made and associated workload estimates.

A demonstration study comparing “role-emergent” versus “role-established” pharmacy clinical placement experiences in long-term care facilities

“…Contributing factors included: increased student enrolments, increased length of the institutional APPEs, increased emphasis on patient-centered activities and less on drug distribution services, shortages of hospital pharmacists, downsizing and amalgamation of institutional facilities, and increased expectations for hospital pharmacy departments to expand services such as: participating on ward-based and outpatient inter-professional teams to promote formulary policies and effective and safe medication use, routine allergy assessment and screening, review of medication charts, conducting discharge medication counselling, and implementing self-medication management programs for high risk patients prior to discharge. Similar challenges were also reported by other schools of pharmacy [1,6,7]. Under these circumstances, hospital pharmacists found it difficult to maintain their own employment and professional responsibilities while simultaneously assisting schools to provide students with patient care learning opportunities.…”

Capacity Ratios to Assess the Solvency of a College's Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Program

“…6 A study of 5 colleges and schools of pharmacy in Georgia and Alabama (members of SPEEC) reported change rates from approximately 14% to 53% during the 2008-2009 academic year, with an overall rate of 32%. 8 The authors noted that the higher rates were in private institutions, and when further analysis was done to assess rates in private vs public institutions, the public institutions had an overall rate of approximately 21%. The authors also revealed a possibly skewed number of changes in some institutions that resulted from scheduling practices and more lenient rules regarding student-initiated changes.…”

“…Considering the significant changes in the climate of pharmacy experiential education over the last 15 years (first with the change to all first professional degree PharmD programs and then the addition of APPE and IPPE requirements), the data by Kawahara and colleagues may not accurately reflect the number of APPE scheduling changes at today's colleges and schools of pharmacy. 1,7,8 Danielson and colleagues also assessed the number of changes at 5 colleges and schools of pharmacy in the NWPEC during the 2009-2010 academic year and found change rates of 2% to 15% (mean 6%) for APPEs. 6 A study of 5 colleges and schools of pharmacy in Georgia and Alabama (members of SPEEC) reported change rates from approximately 14% to 53% during the 2008-2009 academic year, with an overall rate of 32%.…”

“…However, literature suggests that as much as 15% to 20% excess availability is needed to account for scheduling changes made throughout the APPE cycle, 7 and a recent report by Duke and colleagues demonstrated scheduling change rates as high as 52.5% for some private institutions. 8 Based on these data, a change factor of at least 15% to 20% must be included in the denominator of the capacity ratio equation to adequately reflect solvency when the ratio is greater than or equal to 1.…”

Best Practices in Establishing and Sustaining Consortia in Pharmacy Education

“…These consortia have grown in numbers and in visibility for their accomplishments in recent years. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] As such, members of the academy would benefit from a greater understanding of the necessary steps to establish a successful consortium, a list of necessary resources, and information about what it takes to sustain one.…”