Standardised patient teaching strategies in an undergraduate pharmacy curriculum: a case study

Pharmacy practice has evolved from a model that focused on product knowledge and supply to one that emphasises patients and the delivery of cognitive services. This evolution is reflected in all areas of pharmacy practice, including over-the-counter prescribing and prescription medicine counselling. In order to effectively educate undergraduate pharmacy students, this study used teaching methods previously unexplored in depth in Australian pharmacy education to teach the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for competent management of over-the-counter and prescription medicine counselling presentations in an Australian pharmacy practice context. This study used two types of standardised patient teaching methods to teach the necessary knowledge and skills in an authentic context, with the aim of promoting mastery of knowledge in over-the-counter prescribing and prescription medicine counselling. This teaching strategy allowed students to apply new knowledge in the context of realistic pharmacy practice situations. This study used an embedded case study approach and multiple methods to explain the case for using standardised patient teaching methods in pharmacy undergraduate education. It investigated the effect of a standardised patient teaching strategy on undergraduate pharmacy students' performance in the management of over-the-counter and prescription medicine counselling presentations in pharmacy practice. This study also investigated early-career pharmacists' reflections on the transferability of knowledge and skills acquired during learning and teaching sessions with standardised patients, and the effect of this on their transition to practice as new graduates