(62) A Novel Interprofessional Education Experience for Pharmacy and Dental Students in a Oral Surgical Setting

Objective : Non-opioid-containing pain regimens are as effective as opioid-containing regimens for most oral surgical procedures. Despite this, dentists are among the top opioid prescribers. Pharmacists can assist dentists in optimizating post-operative pain management. Additionally, student pharmacy-dental student collaborations can enhance clinical and interprofessional learning. This clinical interprofessional education (IPE) experience aimed to improve post-operative pain outcomes, increase student pain management knowledge (PMK), and enhance student competency in IPE behaviors (e.g., roles/responsibilities and teamwork).

Methods: From 2020-2022, third-year pharmacy and dental students collaborated once weekly in a geriatric oral surgery clinic. Pharmacy students provided education regarding analgesic pharmacotherapy. Dental students provided education regarding oral surgery procedures. Students then collaborated to develop pain management regimens for clinic patients. IPE interactions were assessed using the Individual Teamwork Observation and Feedback Tool (iTOFT). A student IPE satisfaction survey was utilized to evaluate the perceived benefits of pharmacy-dental collaborations. A pre- and post-survey assessing PMK was distributed to students before and after the IPE experience to assess knowledge change. Intervention outcomes were recorded by students and evaluated through patient phone interviews.

Results: Fifteen pharmacy and 33 dental students participated in this IPE experience, with approximately 50% having no prior interactions with the opposite profession. A majority of students exhibited positive teamwork behaviors based on 43 observations using the iTOFT tool. Over 100 pharmacotherapeutic interventions were documented for 45 patients, the majority (52%) of which involved optimizing pain management. Based on the PMK survey, overall mean scores significantly increased by 12.5% (pre-survey=50% vs. post-survey=62.5%, p=0.0257). Most students (95%) agreed that pharmacy-dental collaborations are beneficial overall.

Conclusions: The innovative IPE experience between pharmacy and dental students provided opportunities for collaboration, interprofessional learning, and optimizing pain regimens.