(101) Implementation of Innovative Lab-Based Compounding Courses to an Online PharmD Pathway

Objective : To develop and implement innovative lab-based compounding courses for a newly established online PharmD pathway analogous to the courses offered on the campus.

Methods: The PharmD program offers two compounding-based courses for the campus pathway. The components of the compounding courses on campus include a didactic pre-lab session and a hands-on laboratory session. The didactic sessions capture theoretical concepts, script review, calculations, compounding procedures, and labeling. The laboratory session provides hands-on compounding experiences for sterile and non-sterile preparations. For the online pathway, the didactic components were presented as asynchronous recordings, practice questions, and weekly synchronous live discussions. The asynchronous content also included pre-recorded demonstrations of compounding skills and techniques. The hands-on laboratory experiences were offered as week-long summer immersions. The contact hours, syllabus content, and assessments were identical to ensure parity between the pathways. The student success rate between both pathways was compared.

Results: The students in the online pathway successfully completed two lab-based compounding courses during their second year of the PharmD program. A 100% student success rate was achieved for both the courses in each pathway. The innovative approach allowed us to engage online students in a hands-on, lab-based course to meet ACPE curricular outcomes.

Conclusions: The newly developed and implemented innovative compounding courses were on par with those offered on the campus. The students in the online pathway courses were equally engaged with the course and gained compounding skills for sterile and non-sterile preparations, as evidenced by similar assessment outcomes compared to the campus pathway.