Objective: To evaluate the impact of a substance use disorder (SUD) elective curriculum on students' perceptions of treating patients with SUDs using the Drug and Drug Problems Perceptions Questionnaire (DDPPQ).
Methods: In 2017, a third-year pharmacy elective, conceptualizing SUD as a chronic, relapsing brain disease with psychosocial and societal influencers, was introduced. A linked pre- and postcourse assessment using the DDPPQ was carried out for the following categories: role adequacy, role support, job satisfaction, role-related self-esteem, and role legitimacy.
Results: A total of 63 students were enrolled in the elective and 54 paired questionnaires were available for analysis. There was a statistically significant improvement in attitude across all 5 categories of the DDPPQ.
Conclusion: Students' attitudes toward working with patients with SUD improved after completing the elective. This study indicates that teaching student pharmacists about effectively recognizing and treating SUDs may result in more willingness to work with these patients in the future.
Copyright © 2020 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.