Development of Interprofessional Learning Experiences Among Pharmacy and Physician Assistant Students on Clinical Rotations

Background: The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. have placed a growing emphasis on the development of interprofessionally savvy practitioners. Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (COPHS) regularly surveys P4 pharmacy students regarding extent of interaction with other types of health professionals to understand student attitudes toward learning with, from and about other health professionals. Study Objectives: The purpose of this study was to qualitatively analyze data from COPHS-administered rotation evaluations to (1) identify where best opportunities for interprofessional experiences currently exist; (2) target ideal areas for growth of new interprofessional learning experiences; and (3) establish the concept of interprofessional learning in the experiential curriculum. Methods: COPHS provided data collected by the standard pharmacy student end of rotation survey. Qualitative analysis was performed to identify themes in student experiences based upon preceptor and rotation characteristics. Results: Pharmacy rotation evaluation data demonstrated the depth and breadth of current exposure to other health professionals during capstone year rotations. Among 1076 responses, 2680 interprofessional interactions were identified; the majority of this exposure was to physicians, midlevel practitioners and nursing staff, though diversity was demonstrated across 31 categories of health professionals identified by students. More extensive exposure to interprofessional experiences trended toward rotations precepted by COPHS clinical practice faculty, as well as those in the acute care inpatient and ambulatory care settings. COPHS will continue to examine data collected by end of rotation surveys to shape approaches to IPE and guide achievement of ACPE and ARC-PA standards