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Pharmacy Practice

(115) Ascending to the Next Level: Design and Outcomes of an APPE Readiness Course

    Primary Author(s)

  • KM

    Katherine March, PharmD

    Assistant Professor/Director of Skills-based Education
    University of Tennessee Health Science Center
    Memphis, Tennessee, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Elizabeth A. Hall, PharmD

    Assistant Vice Chancellor
    The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
    Memphis, Tennessee, United States

  • Dawn E. Havrda, PharmD

    Associate Dean
    University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy
    Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Objective : To describe the design, implementation, and outcomes of an eight-week capstone course that assesses student readiness for Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE)

Methods: The APPE Ready course was implemented in spring 2020 to assess students' key knowledge, skills, and attitudes to succeed in APPEs. A cumulative top 300 drugs exam assessed foundational drug knowledge while other assessments (Errors, Omissions, and Calculations [EOAC] exam, sterile compounding practicum, and an objective structured clinical exam [OSCE]) evaluated problem-solving, cultural humility, communication, medication optimization, interprofessional collaboration, and providing person-centered care. Guided reflections and feedback from standardized patients during OSCEs assessed attitudes of self-awareness and professionalism. Remediation was granted if the minimum cut point was not achieved on the first attempt. Outcomes assessed included overall course performance, performance on individual assessments within the course, and curriculum changes due to the course findings.

Results: Since implementation, 698 students completed the course, and 97.6% progressed to APPEs on time. The first-time pass rates for the top 300 drugs exam, EOAC exam, sterile compounding practicum, and OSCE were 66.9%, 75.8%, 71.3%, and 98.0%, respectively. Curriculum changes secondary to these outcomes included implementing milestone top 300 quizzes throughout the curriculum, adding clinical case-based scenarios to Pharmacy Math, additional sterile compounding sessions throughout the curriculum, and targeted developmental plans for skill development in OSCEs.

Conclusions: The APPE Ready course successfully identified students who may require further development before proceeding to APPEs. An unexpected advantage of this capstone course approach was discovering previously unrecognized knowledge gaps to guide curriculum quality improvement secondary to the systematic analysis of the course assessments.