Assessing Self-Perceived Interprofessional Collaborative Competency on Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences Through Interprofessional Simulations

Objective. To implement and assess the impact of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students participating in a required interprofessional (IP) simulation during an advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE). Methods. Fourth-year PharmD students completing APPEs were required to participate in one of three IP simulations during the 2016-2017 academic year to improve their interprofessional teamwork and collaboration skills. Pharmacy student self-perception of IP competence was measured by the Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS), administered in a retrospective pre-/post-test design. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics to obtain an overview of the data. Paired t tests were used to compare the pre- and post-test results. Results. During the 2016-2017 academic year, 157 PharmD students were assigned to complete an IP simulation. Student scores on the six subscales of the ICCAS (communication, collaboration, roles and responsibility, collaborative patient-centered approach, conflict management, and team functioning) were compared. Scores in all categories significantly increased after completion of the simulation. Conclusion. Following participation in an IP simulation, PharmD students felt competent to engage in IP collaboration, and this, along with their performance on APPEs, determined their practice-readiness for IP teamwork upon graduation.