Pharmacy Student Perceptions of a Virtual Pharmacogenomics Activity

Abstract

Pharmacogenomics (PGx) utilizes a patient’s genome to guide drug treatment and dosing. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) included PGx as a critical content area. Pharmacists are increasingly involved in providing this service, which necessitates training. Second-year pharmacy students at Samford University McWhorter School of Pharmacy have didactic training in the principles of PGx and managing drug therapy using PGx data. A clinical skills lab activity was developed to reinforce these principles and allow students to navigate resources to develop and communicate recommendations for drug therapy. The activity was initially planned as synchronous, but transitioned to asynchronous when students began remote learning in the spring of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The investigators sought students’ perceptions of the PGx lab activity and the delivery of its content via a virtual format. This study gathered data from an anonymous, voluntary student survey through Samford University’s course management system, Canvas, in the spring of 2020 soon after completion of the virtual PGx learning activity. The investigators’ goal is to obtain the information and insights obtained from the students who participated in the PGx lab activity to provide guidance for the improvement of their PGx lab activity and for other schools of pharmacy to deliver a PGx lab activities using nontraditional teaching methodologies.

COVID-19-Driven Improvements and Innovations in Pharmacy Education: A Scoping Review

“…Seven of the studies specifically surveyed students' opinions relating to in-person versus virtual skills-based labs [13,15,16,[18][19][20]23]. Three of the studies indicated that students felt less stressed during virtual lab simulations, while one study showed that although students had more time to prepare, most still felt an increase in stress levels during virtual skills-based lab simulations.…”

Best practices in online/distance pharmacy practice course didactic instruction

“…5,6,15,16 With skills teaching and assessment, active learning, or team-based learning activities, student preference for learning varies, with recent literature noting in-person learning is preferred to virtual. 10,12,[17][18][19] Given the increased use of online learning and considering practices for professional development of future pharmacists, it is important to understand what knowledge, skills, and behaviors within the pharmacy curriculum can be taught online and assessed while also recognizing the challenges students may encounter in remote learning environments and offering strategies to overcome the potential negative impacts. This paper provides best practices for online learning and assessment in the didactic curriculum of pharmacy education and the potential implications on pharmacy student outcomes.…”

“…Many students noted a preference for a hybrid of online and in‐person teaching 5,6,15,16 . With skills teaching and assessment, active learning, or team‐based learning activities, student preference for learning varies, with recent literature noting in‐person learning is preferred to virtual 10,12,17–19 …”