Drug Information Journal - March 2009 - (Page 151) MEDICAL INFORMATION 151 Establishing an Industry-Based Drug Information Pharmacy Student Rotation Anne M. Hurley, PharmD Assistant Professor, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Pharmacy, Memphis Elizabeth S. Miller, PharmD Senior Medical Information Specialist, MED Communications, Inc., Memphis, Tennessee Pharmacy students are not traditionally exposed through the standard curriculum to opportunities available for pharmacists specializing in drug information within the pharmaceutical industry setting. A medical information company is in a unique position to provide such exposure to pharmacy students on clerkship rotations. In addition, with the growing number of pharmacy schools as well as the ex- panding class sizes of pharmacy schools, the need for clerkship practice sites is increasing. An industry-based drug information rotation was developed at a medical information company, in affiliation with a major college of pharmacy, in response to these needs. Rotation objectives, goals, student activities, and evaluation criteria were established and are described in the present article. Key Words Pharmaceutical industry; Medical communications; Drug information; Clinical clerkship; Pharmacy student Correspondence Address Anne M. Hurley, PharmD, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Pharmacy, 930 Madison Avenue, Suite 890, Memphis, TN 38163 (email: ahurley2@utmem.edu). INTRODUCTION Providing drug information is an essential responsibility of pharmacists. It is imperative that pharmacists possess advanced problem-solving skills to best respond to increasingly complex inquiries in all settings of pharmacy practice (1). Development of skills in providing drug information as part of the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum is therefore essential, regardless of practice site chosen upon graduation (2). As the number of pharmacy schools continues to grow, and class sizes in pharmacy schools continue to expand, there is also a growing demand for clerkship sites for PharmD students (3). The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Center for the Advancement of Pharmaceutical Education (CAPE) Advisory Panel on Educational Outcomes recommends that all graduates of PharmD programs be competent with regard to providing drug information to health care providers and the lay public (4). Additional supplemental educational outcomes include the retrieval, analysis, and interpretation of scientific literature. Successful achievement of this outcome would include the accurate, concise, and timely provision of drug information in language tailored appropriately to patients or health care professionals. Additionally, effective communication of drug information to both patients and health care profes- sionals through appropriate verbal and written communication is an educational outcome delineated (5). While the Accreditation Council for Pharmaceutical Education’s accreditation standards and guidelines also clearly delineate various skills in drug information as requirements for the professional program leading to the PharmD degree, drug information is not a required advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) (6). However, drug information is considered an appropriate elective APPE. Colleges of pharmacy are advised to ensure the availability of sites for such elective pharmacy practice experiences as drug information (6). A survey conducted by Cole and Berensen revealed that only 20% of first professional degree programs required a drug information practice experience, while 70% offered drug information as an elective practice experience (2). Lack of practice sites was listed as a primary reason for not requiring or offering a drug information practice experience. In particular, the majority of colleges of pharmacy in the southeastern region of the United States currently do not specifically require a drug information APPE. As a result of the lack of availability of drug information sites to accommodate the expanding class sizes of pharmacy schools, students in the southeast may not gain adequate exposure to career opportunities available in drug information for graduates of PharmD programs. Opportunities for pharmaSubmitted for publication: March 7, 2008 Accepted for publication: September 9, 2008 Drug Information Journal, Vol. 43, pp. 151–158, 2009 • 0092-8615/2009 Printed in the USA. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2009 Drug Information Association, Inc.
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