Student pharmacists as researchers of consumer perspectives of the role of pharmacists

Development of a template to facilitate reflection among student pharmacists

“…[35][36][37][38][62][63][64][65] Reflective essays have also been used with pharmacy students, but focusing more on concepts within teaching activities rather than on clinical experiences. 33 The minimal structure provided by reflective statements has been shown to be useful for postgraduate students' reflections on their learning. 29 However, none of these tools have been utilized with pharmacy students undertaking shorter periods of placements (less than 2 weeks), in all experiential placement environments, traditional or non-traditional.…”

“…27+29 A range of reflective activities related to placements have been suggested in the literature: blogs, 6,7,[29][30][31] reflective statements 29 and reflective essays. 32,33 Portfolios have also been used with healthcare students 34 and in particular with pharmacy students. [35][36][37][38] The reflective tools, reported for traditional placements of a duration of at least two weeks, move along one end of a continuum, from completely unstructured to just a minimal structure.…”

Reflective Practice and Its Implications for Pharmacy Education

“…In one study in which pharmacy students were required to write essays on consumer perspectives of the role of the pharmacist, the students reported that this reflective writing format increased their awareness of patients' perceptions, which then led to new understandings for future improvements in patientprofessional relationships. 79 …”

“…While reflective practice enhances the development of competent, self-directed, lifelong learning, [4][5][6][7][8] mentoring, 9 professional development 7,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] critical evaluation, [19][20][21] and problem-solving strategies, [22][23][24] there is limited published literature on the use of reflective practice in pharmacy education or practice. 4,[24][25][26][27] Reflective practices have been used to educate doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and other allied health students in higher education, 5,19,23,[28][29][30][31][32][33] to assist in bridging the gap between theory and practice. Thus, it is unclear why pharmacy education has not embraced the use of reflective practice.…”