Evaluation of an Evidence Based Practice Rotation for Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience in Response to MERS-Cov Epidemic as a Result of Temporary Hospital Closure

Abstract

Background: Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotations during the fourth professional year are mandatory for PharmD students for graduation. This paper aims to describe the development and evaluation of evidence based practice (EBP) as an unconventional APPE rotation during the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) epidemic and temporary hospital shutdown. Procedure: Eight fourth professional year pharmacy students were enrolled in EBP rotation for four weeks. Students received a midpoint evaluation to improve their performance as well as a final evaluation at the end of the rotation. In addition, a comprehensive survey was administered to all students before and after EBP rotation. The survey consisted of 17 items to assess students’ perception about their skills and knowledge in EBP rotation activities as well as overall knowledge. Findings: There was a strong evidence that EBP rotation substantially improved (p<0.001) students’ perception of their level of knowledge/skills about several pharmacy practice related skills and activities. Conclusion: Although development of EBP rotation was under unforeseen circumstances, this study proposes that implementation of an EBP rotation into APPE clerkships may result in favorable outcomes.