Development of a Partnership for International Rural Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences

Abstract

Objective. To design a faculty-guided international elective Advanced Pharmacy Practice Expereince (APPE) in partnership with a medical relief organization. To expose students to pharmacy-related opportunities in non-traditional settings focused on an indigent population, while obtaining a global perspective on healthcare. Methods. The College of Pharmacy partnered with an international medical relief organization utilizing their resources for trip planning and in-country logistics to provide a framework for a pharmacy student rotation. The international trip is a portion of the calendar month rotation, while the balance is faculty-guided discussion groups, involvement in formulary planning, developing educational materials, and local medical relief work. Student course evaluations, exit interviews, and post-trip debriefing were used to evaluate the rotation experience. Results. The APPE rotation met all pre-selected objectives outlined by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. This is evidenced by complete submersion into a developing country’s culture and healthcare system as well as student course evaluation responses. Students evaluated seven rotation objectives with the College of Pharmacy’s Likert scale. The average score was 4.8 of 5, which demonstrated the student’s either agreed or strongly agreed that each objective was met. Additionally, the response to the exit interview and group de-briefing questions confirmed that the students successfully met the goals and objectives of the APPE rotation. Conclusions. Partnering with an international medical organization can provide a framework for a facultyguided international elective APPE experience, requiring minimal resources from the College of Pharmacy while providing a quality international experience.