From classroom to community: A college of pharmacy's faculty and student participation at a harm reduction coalition

Background and purpose

Harm reduction is a paradigm that promotes safer drug consumption to maximize individuals' overall wellbeing. Equipping pharmacy faculty and students to engage in harm reduction can play a key role in addressing substance use disorders and facilitating meaningful educational experiences.

Educational activity and setting

Within the context of a 5-week ambulatory care advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE), an APPE faculty preceptor and students engaged a harm reduction coalition with two primary objectives: street outreach initiatives and packaging of safer drug using kits. The faculty preceptor and students were guided through these responsibilities by harm reduction coordinators (HRC), where they also learned about other organizational service offerings. The HRC informally commented on having pharmacy faculty and student involvement. The faculty preceptor and students self-reflected upon their time with the coalition after the experience.

Findings

The HRC agreed that having pharmacy faculty and student involvement in daily operations added value to the coalition. The APPE faculty preceptor and students actively contributed to street outreach initiatives and preparations of safer drug using kits through being incorporated into routine workflow, affording them the ability to learn through doing. Based on the mutually agreeable experiences, further collaboration will be developed.

Discussion and summary

An APPE educational activity was developed in collaboration with a harm reduction coalition within close proximity to the university and contributed to street outreach initiatives and preparation of safer drug using kits as components of the coalition's operations. The contributions were favorably received by the HRC.