Comparison of medical and pharmacy students’ readiness for interprofessional learning – A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Interprofessional education (IPE) is aimed to improve the quality of healthcare services by allowing representatives of different professions to communicate more effectively. However, it can be achieved only if students are ready to participate. The study aimed to determine the readiness of medical and pharmacy students for interprofessional learning at different levels of their education. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1402 medical and pharmacy students using the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed with the Mann-Whitney U test. The level of statistical significance was assumed at p < 0.05. The highest RIPLS results were noted among students of the two final years at both degree courses. Pharmacy students showed significantly higher readiness for interprofessional education than medical students in every study year compared. High RIPLS values among last-years students should encourage implementing IPE elements into the postgraduate training.