Specialty pharmacy: Incorporating workflow management and medication access into pharmacy lecture and laboratory courses

Abstract

Background and purpose: The purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate a specialty pharmacy workshop across pharmacy management and skills lab courses.

Educational activity and setting: A specialty pharmacy workshop was developed and implemented. The lecture cohort (fall 2019) consisted of a 90-min lecture in pharmacy management. The lecture/lab cohort (fall 2020) consisted of the lecture plus a 30-min pre-lab video assignment and a two-hour laboratory activity. At the completion of lab, students presented findings virtually to specialty pharmacists. Pre-surveys and post-surveys assessed knowledge (10 items), self-confidence (9 items), and attitudes (11 items).

Findings: Of the 123 students enrolled in the course, 88 students (71.5%) completed pre- and post-surveys. On a 10-point scale, knowledge improved from 5.6 (SD = 1.5) to 6.5 (SD = 2.0) points in the lecture cohort and from 6.0 (SD = 1.6) to 7.3 (SD = 2.0) points in the lecture/lab cohort with a significance difference favoring the lecture/lab cohort. Perceived confidence improved for five out of nine items in the lecture cohort but improved significantly for all nine items in the lecture/lab cohort. Attitudes toward learning about specialty pharmacy were generally positive for both cohorts.

Summary: The specialty pharmacy workshop exposed students to workflow management and medication access processes. Students perceived the workshop to be a relevant and meaningful, allowing them to feel confident in developing knowledge and understanding of specialty pharmacy topics. The workshop can be replicated at a larger scale with schools of pharmacy utilizing the integration between didactic and laboratory courses.

Keywords: Medication access; Pharmacy management; Skills lab; Social and administrative sciences; Specialty pharmacy.