BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Students find clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics courses challenging, partly due to their mathematical nature. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the impact of "feedback quizzes" on the experiences and academic performance of undergraduate pharmacy students at an Australian university.EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING:Formative paper-based quizzes were introduced into tutorials in an intermediate third-year pharmacokinetics course, and summative online quizzes were introduced into a subsequent advanced fourth-year course that included a pharmacokinetics component. Experience data were drawn from institutional student evaluation surveys, and academic performance was obtained from exam results. Student experiences and academic performance were compared pre- and post-intervention using the Test of Equal Proportions and Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon, respectively.FINDINGS:A greater proportion of students in both quiz cohorts were satisfied with the overall course experience compared to the pre-curricular change cohort (intermediate: 87% vs. 78%; advanced: 63% vs. 50%). Students who received quizzes in both years performed better in the clinical pharmacokinetics component of the advanced course compared to a prior cohort who had no quizzes (85.7% vs. 77.8%).SUMMARY:Feedback quizzes, whether formative or summative, administered in-class or outside class, can enhance learning and performance and lead to improvements in student satisfaction with clinical pharmacokinetics courses. Scaffolding of feedback quizzes across year levels can provide students with added confidence when attempting assessment. Collaboration between research-focused and teaching-focused staff can lead to increased scholarship of teaching and learning activities.

Despite recent advances in the management of acute stroke, fewer than 10% of patients receive reperfusion therapy. One of the main reasons for such a low rate of administration is the delay on the part of patients and their families in seeking medical attention. This study aimed to analyse this delay.A prospective observational study was conducted on consecutive stroke or transient ischaemic attack. Data on sociodemographic and clinical parameters, decision delay, pre-hospital delay, and first medical contact were collected. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine factors associated with seeking medical attention within the first 15 minutes of stroke or TIA occurrence.A total of 382 patients were included, 24.9% of whom had a decision delay of 15 minutes or less. Stroke severity (OR 1.08; 95% CI, 1.04-1.13; P < .001), patient's son/daughter witnessing the event (OR 3.44; 95% CI, 1.88-6.27; P < .001), and insulin treatment (OR 2.89; 95% CI, 1.35-6.20; P = .006) were related to an immediate reaction. Lacunar infarcts (OR 0.41; 95% CI, 0.17-0.97; P = .042), partial anterior circulation infarcts (OR 0.43; 95% CI, 0.22-0.85; P = .015), and monosymptomatic events not involving limb paresis or aphasia (OR 0.15; 95% CI, 0.033-0.724; P = .018) favoured delays longer than 15 minutes.Severity of the event and presence of a son/daughter are the factors most frequently associated with an immediate response to stroke. Future interventions should emphasise the need for an immediate response irrespective of severity and include a wider spectrum of symptoms.Pese a los recientes avances en el manejo agudo del ictus, se aplican terapias de reperfusión a menos de un 10% de los pacientes. Una de las causas es el retraso en la búsqueda de atención médica por el paciente y sus familiares, que analizaremos a continuación.Se realizó un estudio observacional, prospectivo, en pacientes consecutivos con ictus o accidente isquémico transitorio. Se recogieron parámetros sociodemográficos y clínicos, y datos sobre el retraso en la decisión, retraso prehospitalario y el tipo de contacto médico seleccionado. Se realizaron análisis descriptivo, bivariante y multivariante para determinar los factores relacionados con la búsqueda de atención médica en los primeros 15 minutos.Se recogieron 382 pacientes. Un 24,9% decidió solicitar atención médica en los primeros 15 minutos. Lo favorecieron la severidad del evento (OR: 1,08; IC 95%: 1,04-1,13; p < 0,001), estar acompañado de un hijo (OR: 3,44; IC 95%: 1,88-6,27; p < 0,001) y el tratamiento con insulina (OR: 2,89; IC 95%: 1,35-6,20; p = 0,006). Los infartos lacunares (OR: 0,41; IC 95%: 0,17-0,97; p = 0,042), los infartos parciales de circulación anterior (OR: 0,43; IC 95%: 0,22-0,85; p = 0,015) y los cuadros monosintomáticos sin afasia o paresia de miembros (OR: 0,15; IC 95%: 0,033-0,724; p = 0,018) se relacionaron con retrasos mayores de 15 minutos.La severidad y estar acompañado de un hijo fueron los principales determinantes de una reacción inmediata. Futuras intervenciones deben promocionar una consulta inmediata independientemente de la severidad, así como incidir en un mayor abanico de síntomas.

Introduction: Students consider feedback to be an important aspect of good teaching, and meta-analyses confirm its influence on academic achievement. Anecdotal observations in pharmacy practice workshops at our institution suggested variance in students' perceptions regarding the effectiveness of feedback.Aim: To explore reasons students perceive the effectiveness of feedback differently from each other.Methodology: As a conceptual paper, this article does not conform to the standard format of empirical research papers. Instead, it develops an argument by drawing on two established theories about the learning process, Vygotsky's theory of Social Constructivism and Learning Style theory.Results: The effectiveness of feedback may be influenced by factors other than quality. We propose an original model that links feedback preferences with learning styles, and make recommendations to pharmacy educators grounded in research findings.Conclusion: The Matched-Mismatched Feedback Model may account for some of the variation in feedback effectiveness. Further empirical research to explore the validity of our model is recommended.

Background: Feedback is information provided by another person regarding a skill, understanding or performance. Although there is substantial evidence that feedback is a critical influence on student learning there is little research on feedback in pharmacy education.Aim: To increase awareness of the complexity of feedback by comparing and contrasting the perceptions of teachers and students regarding feedback in pharmacy practice workshops.Methods: Focus groups were conducted among final-year pharmacy students and tutors who taught into the third year of a four-year BPharm program.Results: Mutually identified influences on feedback were: student-student and tutor-student interactions, student confidence or anxiety, assessment, group size and teaching skills. Only tutors identified academic preparedness and layout of the learning space as influencing feedback, while group composition emerged from student data. An underlying desire for engagement suggests that there is a social process associated with feedback.Conclusion: There was a degree of consensus between tutors and students regarding influences on feedback. Modifiable influences, including group size and tutor training, could enhance feedback.

Background: The ability to communicate effectively is a required competency of registered pharmacists in Australia, as it underpins optimisation of health outcomes from medicines. As such, assessment of communication skills is a core component of undergraduate curricula. It was hypothesised that holistic criterion-referenced assessment instruments would better support the development of interactive interpersonal skills by undergraduate pharmacy students compared with a reductionist dichotomous checklist tool that had previously been employed. Aim: To facilitate interpersonal communication skills development among pharmacy students using criterion-referenced marking rubrics as the learning intervention. Method: Holistic marking rubrics, using criteria evaluating content, process, delivery and style against developmental standards of performance, were implemented during the second semester of the third-year undergraduate program in 2011. The intervention was evaluated by exploring student perceptions and comparing grades with a previous (2009) student cohort which had been assessed using the checklist. Results: The intervention assessment instrument was more discriminating in identifying differences in student performance than the previous checklist method. Most students (73%) viewed the marking rubrics as a potential framework for developing their communication skills. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the method of assessment in oral examinations is a driver for strategic learning. Therefore, rubrics with criteria specifically addressing skills (process, delivery and style) in addition to knowledge (content), and categorising performance according to developmental levels, may promote more interactive verbal communication by students in a range of undergraduate health profession programs.

Competence in communication skills is essential for pharmacists, and is assessed in all years of the BPharm program at The University of Queensland, Australia. Students of non-English-speaking background often demonstrate communication difficulties in academic assessments. This project aimed to determine the outcomes of extra-curricular tailored communication training on academic performance and self-evaluated competence. First-year students were identified based on academic performance and invited to participate in tailored tuition by an independent provider for two hours per week during Weeks 1-8 of Semester 2, 2008. Workshops involved self-assessment and needs-driven communication exercises based on pharmacy scenarios. School-based mentoring was offered from Weeks 9-12. Outcome measures included academic performance and self evaluations of communication competency. 54 students attended the first workshop (42 from 54 identified academically, 12 self-identified). 80% of these attended at least half of the workshops. The most common communication challenges were self identified as colloquialisms and pronunciation. Greater attendance was associated with higher achievement in communication-related and unrelated assessments. Moreover, 30 of the 54 academically-identified students had been identified 'at risk' of failing the final oral assessment; only four failed, three of whom had poor workshop attendance. Self-evaluated improvements in competence were notable. Early introduction of this initiative is ideal. Students were receptive tot he extra-curricular tailored assistance in communication skills, and aware of the emphasis on oral assessment through the BPharm program. The protocol for identifying students is suitable for further application. The future of this initiative will be determined by feedback, academic indicators and funding.

The purpose of the project is to identify the role and value of professional services that community pharmacy can provide to people who are at risk of asthma or present with the disease. A literature review has been conducted to inform the development of a Pharmacy Asthma Care Module to pilot in the project