Ready Intern One: The Experiences of Students on Virtual Pharmacy Internship During the Covid-19 Pandemic in the Philippines

Abstract

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought up a complex mixture of opportunities and threats in education worldwide. It has forced academic institutions to online modalities including pharmacy internship. This research aims to determine interns' experiences, barriers and challenges, ways of overcoming and future reforms on virtual pharmacy internships. A qualitative study of conventional content analysis type was conducted in 2022 at selected Schools of Pharmacy in the Philippines. Purposive sampling technique was used to include 13 participants in a semi-structured virtual interview using online video conferencing applications such as Zoom and Google Meet. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. There were 16 themes identified. Ample time for self-learning, utilizing innovative learning methods and strategies, and developing essential knowledge and skills for pharmacy practice were the interns' experiences. However, they also encountered challenges like difficulty in academic adaptability during their virtual pharmacy internship. Despite that, self-sufficiency and various forms of support enabled the interns to overcome the challenges and barriers. Finally, the interns gave recommendations that may help in the enhancement of virtual pharmacy internships.Therefore, the findings of this study will be beneficial in adding new perspectives, helping understand how to meet the needs of an internship, and improving the delivery of virtual pharmacy internships in the future.