Pharmacy internship: The royal pathway to practice

Abstract

Introduction: The pharmacy internship offers students the opportunity to interact with patients in the classroom. A project to improve the pharmacy internship, a six-month position in Belgium, has been launched at the Catholic University of Leuven (KULeuven). The aim was to implement self-directed guided learning as a total concept of teaching and learning. The methodology is based upon analysis, intervention and installation of a quality assurance program. Knowledge, skills and attitude are the outcome measures; the acceptance of responsibility is the process to be focused on.Methods: Interventions consisted of pharmacy visits, local meetings with students and preceptors, development of a multiple step approach and constructing assessment instruments. At the same time networking between preceptors, the university and students was intensified.Results: After two years, the results of the interventions based upon initial analysis are encouraging. The skills gained are positively welcomed and used to continuously feed the educational process as necessary.