Pharmacy Students' Perceptions of Their Preparedness to Provide Pharmaceutical Care

Objective

To assess students'' perceptions of their preparedness to perform advanced pharmacy practice competencies.

Design

The Preparedness to Provide Pharmaceutical Care (PREP) survey was modified and administered to each class at a Midwestern university from 2005-2008. Factor analysis and 1-way ANOVA with multiple comparisons were applied to assess the effectiveness of changes made in the pharmacy curriculum.

Assessment

Factor analysis yielded patterns similar to those reported in the literature. Students rated themselves highest on the psychological aspects and lowest on the administrative aspects of care. Perceived pharmaceutical care skills grew as students progressed through the curriculum, and changes in coursework were reflected in the competencies.

Conclusion

Students’ perceived competencies (ie, communication, psychological, technical, administrative) were similar to those at other institutions and perceptions of competencies increased in a manner consistent with actual program outcomes.