CLINICAL INTERVENTIONS UNDERTAKEN BY FINAL YEAR STUDENT PHARMACISTS ON ROUNDING TEAMS IN NIGERIA: A 3-YEAR CROSS-SECTIONAL EVALUATION

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the interventions of final year pharmacy students of University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) during clinical ward rounds in a secondary and a tertiary hospital in Enugu State, Nigeria.Methods: Students were instructed at the start of their clerkship by pharmacist preceptors on how to appropriately document clinical interventions across the hospitals. A pharmacist reviewed each intervention entered by the students for appropriateness. All data collected were entered into the IBM Statistical Products and Service Solutions (SPSS) for Windows, Version 21.0 for analysis. Descriptive statistics, including mean and percentages, were used to analyze data obtained. Ethical approval was obtained from the Health Research and Ethics committee of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State.Results: The students documented interventions for three hundred and eight (308) patients. There were more females among the patients (157) and most were aged 19-35 y (92). The common types of interventions performed were drug-drug interactions (14%), therapeutic duplication (11%), and patient and family education (11.7%). The most common additional laboratory test recommended was Serum-Electrolyte-Urea-Creatinine (SEUCr) (30.77%). The most common form of patient education rendered was on dietary and lifestyle modifications in ulcer (1.9%). No characteristic of the patients had a statistically significant relationship with the types and frequency of clinical interventions.Conclusion: Final year pharmacy students of UNN demonstrated competencies in experiential education. They were able to make valid clinical interventions that contributed to patient care in the two hospitals during their clinical clerkship.