Student and educator perspectives on virtual institutional introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE)

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has required governments around the world to suspend face-to-face learning for school and university students. Colleges of pharmacy are faced with the challenge of training students in hospitals that are under considerable pressure at this time. The government of Saudi Arabia has moved all classes and training online to limit the spread of the virus. This study describes the experience of the Introductory and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE and APPE) students and preceptors engaged in the virtual IPPE training. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to describe and appraise the implemented virtual IPPE training from the experiences of IPPE and APPE students, and their preceptor. The IPPE students described their experiences in close-ended questionnaires, while APPE students in open-ended questionnaires, and the preceptor described the experiences in narrative. The study focused on highlighting the advantages, opportunities, challenges, and shortcomings of the virtual training. Results Two preceptors and seven APPE students participated in the preparation and administration of the virtual training. The IPPE students’ experiences, based on 87 respondents, were mostly positive. Although IPPE students enjoyed the time flexibility that allowed the learning of new skills and reflection on previous experiences, 15% experienced difficulty finding quiet places with a reliable internet connection or had difficulty working on team-based activities. Moreover, some were anxious about the lack of adequate patient-care experience. On the other hand, the APPE students found the experience enriching as they gained experience and understanding of academic workflow, gained skills, and overcame the challenges they faced during this virtual training experience. Conclusions Future training programs should be organized to overcome the challenges and to maximize the benefits of training experiences. Schools of pharmacy may benefit from the training materials constructed, prepared, and administered by APPE students to improve IPPE students’ learning experiences and outcomes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-021-02698-5.

. The objectives for the actual and virtual institutional-IPPE training

Actual Training
Online Training • Understand the process of medications distribution, dispensing, compounding and purchasing in the setting of institutional pharmacy.
• Practice basic pharmaceutical care skills (patient medication history, counseling, drug information).
• Perform calculations required in pharmacy practice with accuracy and in a timely manner.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the intravenous admixture system and sterile preparations.
• Address issues related to medication safety at the site.
• Demonstrate knowledge of current standards of institutional pharmacy practice and operation.
• Demonstrate familiarity with brand and generic drug names, appearance, manufacturer, dosage form(s), and route of administration and therapeutic class for commonly-used drugs at the institution.
• Exhibit good communication skills during interactions with preceptors, patients, coworkers, and other health care professionals at the site.
• Display a positive attitude about the practice of pharmacy and the ability to problem-solve, and responsibility towards improving self-learning.
• Demonstrate a high standard of professional behavior (i.e., adhering to established work schedule, minimizing absences, respecting fellow colleagues).  It was a nice experience to participate in this course. We tried to make compatible materials that covered all the objectives in such a way that students would understand it.

Challenges and difficulties.
The time constraint and lack of overall insight into the course. We were thrown into the program at an awkward time in regards to the conception and realization of the course.
Access to some online resources through the school has expired which made it harder to obtain highquality material in a short period of time.

I used my previous knowledge and experience to create various activities. Before I chose the activities, I asked myself which kind of activities I enjoyed more during my studies so that my fellow students would enjoy them too.
The pharmacy practice lab was very helpful for me in this course.
We tried to prepare a similar experience to what we had. I have done many online courses before and this helped me to prepare the plan and material, I also had training for four months in a hospital.

Opportunities that APPE students had because of their experience in the virtual training
It gave me an opportunity to have an inside look into the preceptors' side of managing and grading students through the school learning management system. I had the opportunity to choose the information that was relevant and important and, therefore, helped benefit the students.
I learned how to plan, prepare, conduct, administer, and assess the online training course for my fellow students.

It was very entertaining and being involved in training students was a new and enriching experience.
Educational videos about how to deal with the school learning management system have helped us a lot. Assessing and evaluating student performance were interesting, I enjoyed doing that and writing notes for the students that may help them to improve their performance, know their mistakes, and try to fix them.
It was a new experience that I wanted to experience for a long time. It was fun, enjoyable, and I learned new things that I couldn't imagine learning.

Skills that APPE students gained or used during their experience in the virtual training
I believe my time management and efficient work skills helped me the most.

This rotation helped in refining my teaching skills and expand my interest in the academic field.
The most important skills are teamwork skills, especially communication skills.
Communication skills, patience, and problem-solving.

Pharmacy simulation program
I think it is a step in the right direction, it can simulate real-life scenarios.
The pharmacy simulation program was very helpful to teach dispensing skills to students.
Yes, of course I'd like to see more programs that are similar to this pharmacy simulation program, as these programs are considered more beneficial during online training. Team-based activity, because the student will share the knowledge and skills with the team.

Would you join or recommend online training courses to others in the future?
Yes, for sure! It was my best experience in a long time.
Yes, because of the flexibility in time, as learning and teaching can take place in any location.
No, I think actual training is more beneficial than online training.
No, online training should always be voluntary and not provide any form of certification due to the lack of enforcement of standardization. Figure 1A. Flow diagram describing the steps and the APPE students' roles in the preparation and implementation of the virtual IPPE training program