Pharmacy Students' Perceptions of Receiving Hands-On Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Education as Part of Their Core Curriculum: A Pre-Post Study.

Abstract

Hands-on continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) training is yet to be integrated intentionally into most pharmacy curricula. The objective of this study was to examine pharmacy students' perceptions of receiving hands-on CGM training as part of their core therapeutics in diabetes. Anonymous, voluntary pre-post surveys were administered to two cohorts of 3rd-year pharmacy students from a public pharmacy school in Southern California. Pharmacy students from other class levels were excluded. The surveys, consisting of Likert scale and open-ended questions related to different aspects of CGM, were administered via a web-based learning management system. Descriptive analyses were utilized to summarize the data. In total, 84 (98%) and 79 (92%) students completed the pre- and post-activity surveys, respectively, with an average of 12.5 days of CGM wear. After receiving the CGM training, 94% of the students recommended the integration of hands-on CGM training into the PharmD curriculum. In addition, the number of students who felt confident coaching patients on CGM use more than doubled from 30% to 85%, with 73% reporting added benefits of improved personal health behaviors. In conclusion, pharmacy students' perceptions of integrating hands-on CGM education as part of their core curriculum were largely positive with added benefits of self-care.