Home medication reviews in a patient care experience for undergraduate pharmacy students

Abstract

Objectives. To evaluate the effectiveness of conducting medication management reviews (MMRs) and home medication reviews (HMRs) on improving undergraduate pharmacy students' pharmaceutical care skills and clinical knowledge. Design. Fifth-year bachelor of science in pharmacy students were enrolled in a structured course in which MMR cases based on real patient scenarios were completed, findings were discussed in groups, and comprehensive feedback was provided by course instructors. Each student was then asked to recruit a real patient through a community pharmacy and conduct an HMR. Assessment. Students' pre- and post-course scores on the same MMR case improved significantly, with 84.6% of students passing the post-course assessment. Students also completed a new post-course MMR case and 74.8% received a passing score. Students' answers on a post-course self-assessment showed a significant improvement in their scores regarding knowledge and skills in conducting MMRs and HMRs. Conclusion. Medication management reviews and home medication reviews are excellent tools for educating pharmacy students and providing them with needed actual clinical practice experience.