Pharmacy Students' Initial Interest in Working With Older Adults and Their Relationship to Change in Attitudes After Required Curricula on Aging.

Abstract

Background There is an urgent need to prepare our health care workforce for the aging population. Pharmacy programs should equip students with foundational knowledge about aging and therapeutic skills for the rising demands of health care for older adults. Objectives This study examined the relationship between initial student interest in working with older adults and change in attitudes toward aging and providing pharmacy services to older patients after participation in required aging-focused curricula. Methods We measured student pharmacists' interest and attitudes regarding aging and care of older adults in required aging-focused courses in five PharmD programs in the United States and Canada. The University of Arizona Aging and Health Care-Pharmacy (UA AHC-Pharmacy) survey, containing one student-interest question and a 40-item attitudes scale, was used. Pre- and post comparisons were used for the matched student data. The University of Arizona Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved the study (#1912243064), and other colleges received permission to participate from their college or university IRB. Results After completing the required aging-focused course, PharmD students' interest and attitudes toward aging and providing health care to older adults improved significantly compared with the beginning of the course. Less agreement with negative stereotypes of older adults and working with this population was shown. Even those with initially low interest had significantly increased attitude scores post-course. Conclusion Assessment of the impact of aging-focused curricula on student pharmacists' interest and attitudes toward aging and caring for older adults may facilitate meeting the health care demands of the growing older population.