Objective: To conduct a simulated medication regimen with second-year pharmacy students to determine their anticipated versus actual difficulty in adhering to it.
Methods: Second-year pharmacy students were given 6 fictitious medications (jellybeans) and a drug regimen to adhere to for 6 days. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were conducted to compare participants anticipated vs. actual difficulty with adherence and changes in empathy toward patients.
Results: The 69 (96%) students who participated in the study missed on average 16% of all simulated medication doses and noted that adhering to the complex medication regimen was more difficult than they had anticipated. Eighty-nine percent of students agreed or strongly agreed the project was valuable in developing empathy towards patients taking complex medication regimens.
Conclusions: Pharmacy students participating in a simulated medication regimen missed a notable number of doses and reported a greater level of empathy for patients taking complex medication regiments. Finding meaningful ways to integrate adherence into the curriculum is essential.
Keywords: adherence; medications; pharmacy students.