OBJECTIVE:To analyze concordance between pharmacist evaluators and paid actor standardized patient (SP) evaluators when grading student pharmacists' performance in a simulated mental health patient interaction. METHODS:A mental health telehealth simulation was developed for second-year student pharmacists. Performance was concurrently assessed by an SP and a pharmacist evaluator. Differences in rubric-based assessments between the 2 evaluator types were subsequently analyzed as paired samples using the McNemar test. RESULTS:All 59 enrolled students completed the simulation. There was strong agreement between SP and pharmacist evaluations for communication and professionalism metrics across the cohort. Discrepancies were observed on 8.6% of the rubric items and occurred most frequently on rubric items that required clinical judgment, such as "recommended appropriate over-the-counter options for the patient" (27% disagreement) or "no/limited use of medical jargon" (22% disagreement). Significant differences were seen, with SPs reporting that the student did not complete some tasks, whereas pharmacist evaluators reported the task as completed, such as "asked about duration of symptoms" and "recommended appropriate over-the-counter/nonpharmacologic options for the patient." CONCLUSION:This study found strong concordance between SP and pharmacist evaluators for assessing observable communication behaviors and professionalism but identified significant differences in ratings for items requiring clinical judgment.

OBJECTIVE:To assess the longitudinal impact of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training on student pharmacists' perceptions of stigma, comfort, confidence, and willingness to intervene with someone experiencing a mental health issue over time. METHODS:Students in a PharmD program completed MHFA training as a curricular requirement and were surveyed to gather perceptions 6 months after the training. Survey data were analyzed in combination with 2 separate surveys conducted immediately before and after the training during a previous project. Surveys included multiple validated tools for evaluating students' perceptions of mental health stigma as well as comfort, confidence, and willingness to intervene with someone experiencing mental health challenges. A 1-way repeated-measures analysis of variance and t tests with the Bonferroni correction were used to analyze results. RESULTS:MHFA training was completed by 235 students, and the 6-month post-training survey was completed by 147. A significant change in scores was observed in students' ability to identify mental health concerns, recognize suicide warning signs, and provide resources for mental health and suicide prevention counseling. A significant improvement in stigma was limited over time; willingness to work with a colleague who disclosed a mental illness and to tell friends about their own mental illness improved immediately after training but not at 6 months post-training. CONCLUSION:MHFA had mixed longitudinal results in decreasing stigma, but did impact both professional and personal views on mental health. MHFA training was most impactful in increasing student confidence in assisting individuals experiencing mental health concerns and in suicide prevention.

OBJECTIVE:The methodology used to generate the US News and World Report rankings has been increasingly scrutinized by members of the Academy. The primary objective was to describe the potential positive and negative effects of the Academy ceasing participation in the US News and World Report ranking system (USNWR-RS). METHODS:As part of the Academic Leadership Fellows Program, fellows participated in a debate on current topics in academic pharmacy. For this topic, authors partnered with health science librarians and individually searched the peer-reviewed literature and lay press for evidence related to the USNWR-RS for pharmacy. Each piece of evidence was reviewed by 2 different authors for inclusion, and discrepancies were resolved through discussion. All evidence was then summarized to identify themes related to the primary objective. RESULTS:Thirteen pieces of evidence were included in the summary: 8 (62%) were from peer-reviewed literature and the remaining were from popular media or news sources. Just over one-third of the pieces of evidence were initially structured as research studies rather than opinion-based articles. CONCLUSION:The USNWR-RS has flaws and benefits that should be considered as the Academy works to address concerns. Established work and initial steps toward change lay an encouraging framework for the future.

OBJECTIVE:The objectives of this study were to describe the implementation of a microaggression and gender inclusive communication (MGIC) module in a required course in a Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum; and to evaluate the impact on student pharmacist knowledge, comfort, and confidence using gender inclusive communication and addressing microaggressions.METHODS:Students participated in MGIC module, which included training on microaggressions, and terminology related to gender. The module implementation was evaluated through a pre and post training knowledge assessment and survey of student confidence, comfort, and perceived importance of gender inclusive care. Additional evaluation included qualitative review of the graphics depicting the terminology and rephrasing statement with a microaggression to inclusive language. Survey responses were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test and knowledge responses were analyzed using the Fisher exact test in SPSS.RESULTS:A total of 106 students completed the module, 105 completed presurvey and knowledge assessment, and 92 completed the postsurvey and knowledge assessment. Results demonstrated a statistically significant increase from pre to post on the comfort and importance domain questions. A statistically significant increase in the student confidence was seen on all questions except for 2. The pre and postknowledge assessment results on all questions showed improvement from pre to post, although not all changes were statistically significant.CONCLUSION:The MGIC module was effective in increasing to evaluate the impact on student pharmacist knowledge, comfort, and confidence using gender inclusive communication and addressing microaggressions. Reflections echoed the value and need for this training.

To describe student pharmacist reflections about the implementation of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training in the didactic curriculum at a college of pharmacy.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe how laboratory curricula in 6 pharmacy programs provides student pharmacist experiences to develop professional identity formation and explore personal identities.Methods: Learning objectives for courses with laboratory components were independently reviewed and then reconciled to identify the associated historical professional identities, professional domains, and associated with personal identity from 6 pharmacy programs. Counts and frequencies for historical professional identities, domains, and personal identity associations were obtained by program and overall.Results: Thirty-eight (2.0%) unique objectives were associated with personal identity. The most identified historical professional identity was healthcare provider (42.9%), followed by dispenser (21.7%). The highest professional domain identified was prepare/dispense/provide medications (28.8%) followed by communicate/ counsel/educate (17.5%).Conclusion: Discordance between the historical identities and professional domains covered in the laboratory curricula was identified in this analysis. The prevalence of the "health care provider" professional identity in the laboratory curricula likely mimics what is currently seen in practice, but most lab activities fell under the domain of preparing and dispensing medication which may not be considered a component of healthcare provider professional identity. Going forward, educators must be intentional in the experiences we provide to students to help foster their professional and personal identity. Future research is needed to identify if this discordance is present in other classes along with research to identify intentional activities that can be incorporated to foster professional identity formation.

Introduction: Academic dishonesty (AD) continues to be an area of concern in pharmacy educa-tion. While studies have been conducted evaluating various forms and interventions to address AD, few have looked at faculty experiences and perceptions of AD in doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) programs in the United States.Methods: A 52-item survey was distributed electronically to pharmacy faculty at 129 colleges of pharmacy (COP). Faculty perceptions and experiences related to AD were recorded using a six -point Likert-type scale. Data were reported as the percentage of respondents for each level of agreement in addition to the mean and SD of the agreement level for each survey item.Results: Responses were received from 775 faculty from 126 COP (14.2% response rate). Faculty agreed that AD was an issue in pharmacy education in general (76%) and at their institution (70%), however respondents also agreed that AD was quickly addressed by their institution (72%) and were confident in their institution's ability to manage AD infractions (68%). Faculty agreed that it is both difficult (82.5%) and frustrating (75.2%) to report AD infractions at their institu-tion. Female faculty (P = .006) and those who spent more time in classroom (P < .001) agreed more that they witnessed AD in the classroom. Findings were further stratified by gender, faculty rank, time in class, and terminal degree.Conclusions: AD was perceived as an issue in pharmacy education. Transparency in the AD handling process and increased student education about AD were identified as potential solutions to reduce AD occurrences.

OBJECTIVE:In this study, we aimed to describe the implementation of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training as a required curricular component in a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program; and analyze the impact of MHFA training on student pharmacist's perceptions of stigma, comfort, confidence, and willingness to intervene when someone is experiencing a mental health issue.METHODS:Student pharmacists completed an all-day MHFA training as a required element of the PharmD curriculum during the spring of 2022. Pre- and post-survey was completed by students during the in-person training. Questions included items from the Opening Minds to Stigma Scale for Healthcare Providers; question, persuade, refer gatekeeper training for suicide prevention; and questions developed by the authors to assess the impact of the training on participant-reported stigma, confidence, and willingness to provide care to those potentially experiencing a mental issue.RESULTS:A total of 235 student pharmacists completed the MHFA training. A statistically significant reduction of stigma was seen for 9 of the 15 statements from Opening Minds to Stigma Scale for Healthcare Providers. Additionally, all responses related to comfort and willingness to provide care and confidence improved significantly after completing MHFA.CONCLUSION:MHFA training was implemented as a mandatory requirement for all student pharmacists in the didactic portion of a PharmD program. This training led to reduced stigma around mental illness and improved confidence, comfort, and willingness to intervene among student pharmacists.

Interprofessional case competitions exist that allow students from different disciplines to collaborate and compete against teams from other institutions. These competitions have focused on addressing public health problems, rather than patient-specific clinical issues, and they have been limited to students in the U.S. This short communication describes the inaugural International Interprofessional Case Competition (I2C2), which brought advanced learners together from six institutions across three countries. Each participant was assigned to a multi-national interprofessional team, and each team collaborated to analyze a fictional, complex patient case and construct a cohesive interprofessional plan of care, which they presented to a panel of faculty judges. The quality of the teams’ efforts were evidenced by high ratings from judges, and student evaluations of the experience were generally positive. Some areas for future improvement include providing a more comprehensive orientation session and addressing the logistical challenges of working across time zones and at a distance. Overall, this activity successfully brought together students in a uniquely diverse and positive learning experience.

Initiatives to promote well-being in student pharmacists are more crucial now than ever. A singular meaning of well-being is difficult to identify, as there are several interconnected factors that contribute, including physical, social, financial, career, and community factors.1 However, most would agree that well-being involves “the presence of positive emotions and moods, the absence of negative emotions, satisfaction with life, and fulfillment and positive functioning,” as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.2 Positive mental health envelops the psychological elements that comprise well-being. Conversely, poor well-being has been found to be associated with mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.3 These conditions can have a negative impact on school or work performance, aspects of relations with friends and family, and one’s ability to participate in the community. Burnout and stress are also barriers to well-being and can lead to significant personal and professional concerns.4

Background: Simulation can be a useful tool for teaching and assessing clinical skills, but can also be costly and facultytime intensive. It is defined as a technique to create an activity to portray a real experience for purpose of practicing or evaluating. Simulations can use standardized patients (SPs), which can be paid actors (PASPs), staff and faculty, manikins, volunteers, or students from higher level cohorts, also known as advanced class standardized patients (ACSPs).Objective: The objective of this study was to conduct a multifaceted analysis comparing ACSPs and PASPs, based on student performance in the assessment, student preference of SP type, and SP performance as an actor.Methods: ACSPs and PASPs were used in a summative prescription counseling role play. For the evaluation, students counseled a SP about a new prescription medication and answered questions about taking an over-the-counter product with the new medication. The interaction was recorded and evaluated by faculty using a previously developed rubric. SP performance was evaluated by faculty using a separate rubric to determine how well the patient role was performed. A pre- and post-evaluation survey was completed by student pharmacists to gather student preferences about SPs and confidence in their counseling skills. Data were evaluated using a paired t-test.Results: One hundred sixty-seven student pharmacists completed the summative prescription counseling evaluation. Student pharmacists performed well overall with minimal differences between SP types. Students preferred PASPs to role play the patient but felt that the actor type did not affect their performance.Conclusions: ACSPs performed the role of the SP well for a summative prescription counseling session without impacting student performance compared to PASPs and with reduced cost. However, students preferred PASPs, and PASPs were better at role playing the patient.

BACKGROUND:Providing effective patient counseling is an essential pharmacist skill to ensure patients understand how to take medications, prevent medication-related errors, and meet requirements of federal law. This study sought to develop a new patient counseling assessment rubric to minimize interrater variability, deliver a consistent summative competency assessment, and provide students with formative, actionable feedback.IMPACT:A first attempt to achieve statistically significant interrater reliability was not successful due to incorporation of too many variables into study design and the subjective nature of patient counseling. After reducing study variables (number of different medications, number of evaluators, and number of videos) and consulting a statistician, a second attempt was made to analyze interrater reliability for the rubric. However, even with variables minimized, this attempt did not lead to statistically significant agreement.RECOMMENDATIONS:The faculty team identified four recommendations (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990): conduct a norming session for graders prior to the assessment (Rantucci, 2006), conduct a post-hoc analysis after grading to reduce interrater variability and increase consistency (Taitel et al., 2012), simplify the rubric to reduce subjectivity and clarify the intent of rubric elements, and (Saranagam et al., 2013) rubrics can be utilized differently in separate courses to target specific learning objectives.DISCUSSION:Although the goal of creating a rubric with statistically significant interrater reliability was not achieved, we did learn important lessons about evaluating student pharmacist performance with less subjectivity and more consistency. The authors hope the results and lessons learned will be valuable to our colleagues at other institutions as patient counseling content and rubrics are developed.

Introduction Substance misuse is a critical social and health care issue, and learning how to effectively screen for misuse and perform a brief intervention is useful for all health care professions. As an intercollegiate, interprofessional group, we developed a mechanism for delivering interprofessional education (IPE) using SBIRT (screening, brief intervention, and referral for treatment) as a tool to identify potential substance misuse. Methods A total of 1,255 students from nursing, pharmacy, medicine, physician assistant, social work, dietetics, and occupational therapy programs participated in the training and evaluation of this IPE experience over 2 academic years. The training incorporated asynchronous SBIRT training, in-person student role-plays, and a standardized patient (SP) interaction. Results A significant majority of participants indicated that this IPE experience enhanced their interprofessional skills (91%), was useful for interprofessional development (79%), was relevant to their career (92%), and would benefit their clients (93%). Faculty debrief sessions supported the efficacy of SBIRT as a platform for IPE. Discussion Students believed that utilizing SBIRT as an interprofessional learning experience enhanced their overall educational experience and assisted with developing interprofessional relationships and that team-based care would lead to improved patient outcomes. Faculty found this learning activity to be effective in developing student insight regarding future professional peers and patient interview skill development through role-plays with peers and SPs.

Objective. To determine whether students gained knowledge, confidence, and skills in identifying and preventing suicide in patients, peers, friends, and family after receiving training in suicide prevention. Methods. Student pharmacists participated in a 3.5-hour suicide prevention training program. A pre- and post- intervention assessment and pre- and post-intervention survey were administered before and after completion of the training program. Questions were designed to assess knowledge of, comfort with, and confidence in assessing and intervening with individuals at risk of suicide. A standardized patient prescription counseling session was conducted two weeks after the training session. Videos of the counseling sessions were reviewed to determine whether student pharmacists assessed the patient for suicide risk. Additionally, a post-counseling reflection was completed asking students to reflect on incorporation of the suicide prevention training into their prescription counseling session. Results. One-hundred seventy-one student pharmacists participated in the training. Knowledge increased across all areas as evidenced by improved scores on the post-intervention knowledge assessment. Students’ comfort level with asking about suicidal ideation and their confidence with intervening significantly increased from the pre- to post-intervention survey. After the training, 40% stated they knew someone who may need help and 21% said they had decided to seek help for themselves. Conclusion. The training program increased student pharmacists’ knowledge of and confidence in assessing and counseling individuals considering suicide. Encouraging student pharmacists to participate in prevention training may aid future providers in preventing death by suicide.

A total of 478 students from 8 disciplines, including social work, participated in an interprofessional education (IPE) Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) project. A mixed methods evaluation measured student performance and perceptions of the potential impact of the training. Over 90% of student participants indicated that the IPE SBIRT experience laid the foundation for developing interprofessional collaborative care relationships and served as a cornerstone to help understand one's respective role as a member of a health care team. Furthermore, students believed the training enhanced their overall educational experience and interprofessional care would lead to improved patient outcomes.

Objective. To identify the methods used by US colleges and schools of pharmacy to prepare student pharmacists for academic careers.Method. An 18-item survey instrument was developed and distributed to US colleges and schools of pharmacy. Representatives were asked about faculty responsibilities, experiences in academia currently offered to student pharmacists, and representatives' perception of their student pharmacists' preparedness for careers in academia, including barriers in current programming.Results. Representatives from 96 colleges/schools responded. The vast majority (96%) provided academia-focused advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs), 40% provided didactic course-work in academia, 28% offered a longitudinal research track, and 42% offered academia-focused independent studies. Teaching methods and creating learning objectives were the most common pedagogical content, while assessment activities were diverse. Time was the most prevalent barrier to providing training for academic careers; however, degree of student pharmacist interest, faculty inexperience, and lack of leadership support were also commonly reported.Conclusions: Colleges and schools of pharmacy vary in the extent to which they prepare student pharmacists for careers in academia. Advanced pharmacy practice experiences were the most common method of training offered. Standardization of training for academia may better promote this career path to student pharmacists.

INTRODUCTION:The objective of this article is to provide an academic toolkit for use by colleges/schools of pharmacy to prepare student pharmacists/residents for academic careers. METHODS:Through the American Association of Colleges of Pharmac (AACP) Section of Pharmacy Practice, the Student Resident Engagement Task Force (SRETF) collated teaching materials used by colleges/schools of pharmacy from a previously reported national survey. The SRETF developed a toolkit for student pharmacists/residents interested in academic pharmacy. RESULTS:Eighteen institutions provided materials; five provided materials describing didactic coursework; over fifteen provided materials for an academia-focused Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE), while one provided materials for an APPE teaching-research elective. SRETF members created a syllabus template and sample lesson plan by integrating submitted resources. Submissions still needed to complete the toolkit include examples of curricular tracks and certificate programs. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:Pharmacy faculty vacancies still exist in pharmacy education. Engaging student pharmacists/residents about academia pillars of teaching, scholarship and service is critical for the future success of the academy.