Assessing the student pharmacist's comfort level with harm reduction strategies via clinical exposure.

IF 1.4 Q3 EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES
Joshua Knebel, Stephanie Chapa
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Abstract

Introduction: Complications surrounding illicit and prescription drug abuse continue to be a public health epidemic. Needle exchange programs have a documented history of directly reducing overdose deaths and infectious complications while increasing referrals to drug-abuse treatment and mental health counseling. Due to the limited number of programs and a lack of standardized assessments in pharmacy curricula, many pharmacy learners are not offered opportunities to assess their comfort level in serving these underserved patients.

Methods: This prospective field study investigates the perceptions of pharmacy students towards harm reduction strategies via an experiential experience at a local day center that offers harm reduction services. This study seeks to capture pharmacy learner beliefs/attitudes before and after to quantify their outlook and comfort level on providing health care to vulnerable patient populations. Learners rotated through direct patient care stations (wound clinic, needle exchange clinic, Pharmacy Loteria, and social services).

Results: Twenty-four pharmacy learners completed the experience and 79 % of the learners reported no previous harm reduction exposure. Comfort level improved across six skills involving counseling on core harm reduction practices. Students report that pharmacists could play a major role in harm reduction programs and want opportunities working with marginalized patients.

Conclusions: Pharmacy learner exposure to harm reduction strategies was limited prior to the experience. Pharmacy learner comfort level in counseling those that utilize harm reduction strategies improved. This study highlights the continued need to expand services for pharmacy involvement in harm reduction strategies and investigate harm reduction's place within the pharmacy curriculum.

通过临床暴露评估学生药剂师对减少危害策略的舒适度。
导言:非法药物和处方药滥用引起的并发症仍然是一种公共卫生流行病。针具交换项目有直接减少过量死亡和感染并发症的记录,同时增加了药物滥用治疗和心理健康咨询的转诊。由于项目数量有限,药学课程缺乏标准化评估,许多药学学习者没有机会评估他们为这些服务不足的患者服务的舒适度。方法:本前瞻性实地研究通过在当地提供减少伤害服务的日托中心的体验体验,调查药学学生对减少伤害策略的看法。本研究旨在捕捉药学学习者的信念/态度前后量化他们的前景和舒适度,为弱势患者群体提供卫生保健。学员在直接病人护理站(伤口诊所、针头交换诊所、药房和社会服务中心)轮流学习。结果:24名药学学习者完成了体验,79%的学习者报告没有以前的危害减少接触。涉及核心减少伤害实践咨询的六项技能的舒适度有所提高。学生们报告说,药剂师可以在减少伤害的项目中发挥重要作用,并希望有机会与边缘病人一起工作。结论:药学学习者在体验之前接触到减少伤害策略是有限的。药学学习者在咨询中使用减少伤害策略的舒适度有所提高。这项研究强调了继续需要扩大服务的药房参与减少伤害战略和调查减少伤害的地方在药房课程。
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来源期刊
Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning
Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES-
CiteScore
2.10
自引率
16.70%
发文量
192
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