(50) Preceptor perceptions of advanced pharmacy practice experience readiness through the use of entrustable professional activities

Objective : To determine preceptors’ perceptions of the determinants of student readiness for advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE) using entrustable professional activities (EPAs).

Methods: The University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy disseminated an anonymous e-survey to APPE preceptors, asking about their opinion of each EPA’s importance for students to be ready to start their first APPE, characteristics that make students not ready to begin APPEs, and the level of entrustment they expect of students on the first day of their first APPE. Previously published thresholds were used to determine consensus for importance and expected level of entrustment and the association between preceptor or practice setting characteristics with ranking of EPA importance was analyzed.

Results: Of the 431 preceptors queried, 31% responded. Participants identified 10 EPAs, primarily those reflecting the first three steps of the pharmacists’ patient care process (PPCP), as important with strong consensus. Ambulatory care preceptors placed higher importance on EPAs, primarily in the final steps of the PPCP and within the public health domain. Professionalism issues were most often cited as reasons for a lack of APPE readiness. Preceptor’s expected level of trust per EPA varied considerably, achieving only weak or moderate level of consensus.

Conclusions: Pharmacy programs can consider prioritizing EPAs in the patient care and information master domains in addition to professionalism when developing APPE readiness plans. Further work is needed to better understand what level of entrustment preceptors expect of an APPE ready student.