Toyin Tofade

Best Practice Strategies for Effective Use of Questions as a Teaching Tool

Questions have long been used as a teaching tool by teachers and preceptors to assess students’ knowledge, promote comprehension, and stimulate critical thinking. Well-crafted questions lead to new insights, generate discussion, and promote the comprehensive exploration of subject matter. Poorly constructed questions can stifle learning by creating confusion, intimidating students, and limiting creative thinking. Teachers most often ask lower-order, convergent questions that rely on students’ factual recall of prior knowledge rather than asking higher-order, divergent questions that promote deep thinking, requiring students to analyze and evaluate concepts. This review summarizes the taxonomy of questions, provides strategies for formulating effective questions, and explores practical considerations to enhance student engagement and promote critical thinking. These concepts can be applied in the classroom and in experiential learning environments.

US and International Health Professions' Requirements for Continuing Professional Development

There is not a comprehensive global analysis of continuing professional development (CPD) and continuing education (CE) in the major health professions in published literature. The aim of this article is to summarize findings from the US and international literature on CPD and CE practices in the health professions, comparing the different requirements and frameworks to see what similarities and challenges exist and what the future focus should be for the pharmacy profession. A literature review was conducted on CPD and CE in selected health professions, namely pharmacy, medicine, nursing, ophthalmology, dentistry, public health, and psychology. Over 300 papers from the health professions were retrieved and screened. Relevant articles based on the abstracts and introductions were summarized into tabular form by profession, minimum requirements for licensure, nature of credits, guidelines on how to record CE and CPD activities, and specific CE and CPD definitions. Wide variations exist among the health professions. Lessons learned from this information can be used to further clarify and define the role of CE and CPD and self-directed lifelong learning in pharmacy and the health professions.

Current Practices in Global/International Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences: Preceptor and Student Considerations

The objective of this article is to describe the key areas of consideration for global/international advanced pharmacy practice experience (G/I APPE) preceptors, students and learning objectives. At the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the GPE SIG prepared and presented an initial report on the G/IAPPE initiatives. Round table discussions were conducted at the 2014 AACP Annual Meeting to document GPE SIG member input on key areas in the report. Literature search of PubMed, Google Scholar and EMBASE with keywords was conducted to expand this report. In this paper, considerations related to preceptors and students and learning outcomes are described. Preceptors for G/I APPEs may vary based on the learning outcomes of the experience. Student learning outcomes for G/I APPEs may vary based on the type of experiential site. Recommendations and future directions for development of G/IAPPEs are presented. Development of a successful G/I APPE requires significant planning and consideration of appropriate qualifications for preceptors and students.

Coaching younger practitioners and students using components of the co-active coaching model.

Coaching is used to improve performance, achieve preset goals and obtain desired results. Several coaching models have been used in health professions for leadership and professional development. This article describes some components of Co-Active Coaching® that can be applied while coaching pharmacy students and younger practitioners. Co-Active Coaching requires the coach to use a broad range of communication skills, including listening, asking powerful questions, making insightful comments, offering encouragement, and giving sincere praise. The characteristics of the ideal candidate for coaching and the value of coaching are also discussed.

Perceptions of a Continuing Professional Development Portfolio Model to Enhance the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Objective: To obtain feedback about the potential usefulness of a continuing professional development (CPD) portfolio for enhancing a faculty or practitioner’s scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). Method: A CPD portfolio approach to the SoTL was distributed in advance to registrants of the 2011 Annual AACP Teacher’s Seminar. In an interactive workshop, faculty facilitators described a model for a CPD process applied to the development of an individual’s SoTL. During the workshop, participants were asked to complete the initial sections of the portfolio to develop a personal plan for success in the SoTL. Post workshop, an evaluation form was distributed to the participants to obtain feedback about the CPD approach. Completed evaluation forms were collected, collated, and summarized. Results: A total of 53 (14.1%) workshop participants completed the evaluation form of the 375 attendees. In all, 25 assistant professors, 14 associate professors, 4 full professors, 10 residents/students, 22 clinical, and 2 research faculty submitted evaluations. The proposed uses for the portfolio model selected most often by the responders were for personal development, faculty evaluation, increasing the SoTL, new faculty development, preceptor development, and residency training. Implications: A structured CPD portfolio model might be useful for the professional development of the SoTL.

Hypertensive Urgency Associated With Xenadrine EFX Use.

Several supplements and herbal products have been shown to increase catecholamines and subsequently mean arterial pressure and systemic vascular resistance. Since ephedra-containing products have been removed from the market, manufacturers of weight loss herbal supplements must produce ephedra-free formulations. Xenadrine EFX is an ephedra-free weight loss product containing a mixture of caffeine, guarana, and bitter orange (standardized to synephrine). Synephrine has been shown in animals and humans to increase systemic vascular resistance and mean arterial pressure. We present a case of a patient who took Xendarine EFX for 2 weeks prior to her presentation to an emergency department with headaches and hypertensive urgency (blood pressure [BP] 234/130 mm Hg). Her BP was controlled after discontinuation of Xenadrine and initiation a nitroprusside drip and oral clonidine. A Naranjo probability score of 6 indicates the adverse drug reaction was probable. Clinicians should be aware of potential cardiovascular changes in patients on Xenadrine EFX or other synephrine-containing products.

Current Practices in Global/International Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences: Home/Host Country or Site/Institution Considerations

International outreach by schools and colleges of pharmacy is increasing. In this paper, we provide current practice guidelines to establish and maintain successful global/international advanced pharmacy practice experiences (G/I APPEs) with specific recommendations for home/host country and host site/institution. The paper is based on a literature review (2000-2014) in databases and Internet searches with specific keywords or terms. Educational documents such as syllabi and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) from pharmacy programs were also examined. In addition, a preliminary draft was developed and the findings and recommendations were reviewed in a 90-minute roundtable discussion at the 2014 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Annual Meeting. Recommendations for the host country include travel considerations (eg, passport, visa, air travel), safety, housing, transportation, travel alerts and warnings, health issues, and financial considerations. For the home country, considerations for establishment of G/I APPE site (eg, vetting process, MoU, site expectations) are described. The paper is a resource for development of new G/I APPEs and provides guidance for continuous quality improvement of partnerships focusing on G/I pharmacy education.

Making a Curricular Commitment to Continuing Professional Development in Doctor of Pharmacy Programs

As outlined in the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Standards 2016, colleges and schools of pharmacy must provide an environment and culture that promotes self-directed lifelong learning. Continuing professional development (CPD) serves as a model that can foster and support self-directed, lifelong learning. The benefits of adopting a CPD model include assistance with attaining Center for the Advancement of Pharmaceutical Education (CAPE) 2013 Outcomes, such as self-awareness. This model can also support the individualization of experiential learning and student action on feedback from curricular-level assessments. The major skills involved in CPD, such as reflection and documentation, are frequently addressed in pharmacy curricula. However, these skills may be developed in isolation or exercised for purposes other than learning. The aim of this statement is to aid schools in creating “CPD ready” practitioners by defining the skill sets involved in CPD and making recommendations for advancing CPD in curricula.

Introduction of a Continuing Professional Development Tool for Preceptors Lessons Learned

Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) guidelines state that preceptors should “have a systematic, self-directed approach to their own continuing professional development (CPD).” The objective of this study was to encourage preceptors to take advantage of the ACPE CPD resources and implement the concept of CPD (reflect, plan, act, evaluate, record) as a framework for guiding individual preceptor’s continuing development as educators and to determine their opinion regarding the usefulness, effectiveness, and obstacles to implementation of this approach. A total of 3713 preceptors from the participating schools were encouraged to undergo CPD training and invited to respond to a series of questions. Of the initial respondents, 48% represented health system/hospital preceptors, followed by community/independent pharmacists (64 of 236, 28%). Preceptor respondents often train students from multiple schools/colleges (average = 1.9 schools/colleges per preceptor) and 90% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “the CPD model, as learned in the webcasts, is beneficial for ongoing preceptor development.” The general consensus was that the preceptor portfolio provided motivation to reflect, plan, and set more defined and realistic goals for students, residents, and themselves as educators and could be a valuable starting point for promoting preceptors’ reflection, planning, and action related to rotation management, professional teaching, and student learning goals.

Evaluation of Pharmacist Continuing Professional Development Portfolios

Objective: The purpose of this study was to conduct a random continuing professional development (CPD) portfolio audit to assess the portfolios of pharmacists who completed CPD training in the state of North Carolina and reported adopting it in place of the annual 15-hour continuing education (CE) requirement when applying for re-licensure. Methods: The NC Board of Pharmacy (NCBOP) staff randomly selected 30 pharmacists to provide CPD portfolio documentation to the Board electronically or in paper format. This documentation included their completed learning plan, a learning activity worksheet for each completed activity, and the Accreditation Council on Pharmacy Education (ACPE) universal activity number for the CPD training program attended. The Task Force used a multicomponent audit tool to assess each portfolio. Results: Eighty percent of portfolios had at least 15 hours of learning reported. Portfolio assessments indicated an average of 5 learning objectives per individual. Based on the scale of 1 to 5, the Measurable and Specific sections of the objectives scored the lowest with an average score of 3 on both sections. An overall assessment of “adequate” or “comprehensive” was noted for 60% of the portfolios. Conclusion: Pharmacists completing CPD training are capable of following the CPD process with some potential challenges in documentation. Information submitted to the board of pharmacy is considered sufficient for license renewal purposes.