Pharmacy School Students’ Perceptions of Interprofessional Education

Abstract

Background: Interprofessional education (IPE) is important for collaboration between professionals in the team-based practices of the healthcare field. Objectives: This study aimed to examine pharmacy students across in Korea on the experience of IPE and the perceptions of the importance of interprofessional collaboration (IPC) and the need of IPE. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a 20 questionnaire to pharmacy students nationwide was conducted from March to May 2019. Results: A total of 555 students from 32 pharmacy schools participated. They recognized that the importance of close pharmacist-medical doctor collaboration was an average of 5.38 points (out of 6 points), but the current level of pharmacist-to-medical doctor collaboration was an average of 2.51 points (out of 6 points), and the reasons for the insufficient IPC were the lack of an environment encouraging mutual cooperation (79.5%) and the psychological distance to the other professional (35.3%). They perceived the necessity of IPE between pharmacistmedical doctor was 4.95 points (out of 6 points), with the curriculum including how to cooperate with medical doctors (78.2%), communication skills (51.0%), and understanding of medical doctors' functions (44.5%), etc. Only 52 respondents (9.4%) had experience in IPE. Respondents who recognized the importance of IPC (≥5 points) showed 4.44-fold higher agreement on the need for IPE than those who did not (≤4 points) (OR 4.44, 95% CI 2.56, 7.68). Conclusions: Further attention and discussion to add IPE program in the pharmacy school curriculum is necessary in order to cultivate pharmacists with sufficient professional collaboration capabilities.