An untapped resource? Opportunities for faculty-librarian collaboration to enhance drug information resource utilization in pharmacy education.

Background: Doctor of pharmacy educational accreditation standards state student pharmacists should be able to evaluate the scientific literature as well as critically analyze and apply information in answering drug information questions. Student pharmacists often struggle with identifying and using appropriate resources to answer medication-related questions. To ensure educational needs were met, a college of pharmacy hired a health sciences librarian to support the faculty and students.

Case presentation: The health sciences librarian collaborated with faculty and students throughout the doctor of pharmacy curriculum to identify and address any gaps related to appropriate drug resource utilization. Adding instruction time to the new student pharmacist orientation, coursework throughout the first year of the pharmacy program, and a two-semester evidence-based seminar course provided opportunities for the health sciences librarian to work with student pharmacists in the areas of library resource access, instruction on drug information resources, and evaluation of drug information found on the internet.

Conclusion: The deliberate inclusion of a health sciences librarian into the doctor of pharmacy curriculum can benefit faculty and students. Opportunities for collaboration are available throughout the curriculum, such as providing instruction for database utilization and supporting the research activities of both faculty and student pharmacists.