Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy
Program Outcomes Approved by Faculty December 13, 2007
Domain I – Professional Practice-Based Outcomes
A. Medication Therapy Management Services – provide patient-centered care in cooperation with patients, prescribers, and other members of an interprofessional health care team based on sound therapeutic principles and evidence based data, taking into account relevant legal, ethical, social, cultural, economic and professional issues that may impact treatment outcomes.
1. The graduate will be able to gather and organize information in order to develop a medication action plan which identifies drug related needs and drug therapy problems.
To achieve this outcome, the graduate must be able to: a. Identify a patient’s primary complaint or reason for seeking medical care. b. Identify pertinent information in patient profiles, medical records and other sources. c. Gather and interpret drug information from a variety of sources. d. Create a prioritized list of drug related needs and drug therapy problems. e. Collect accurate and comprehensive information to be used to assess the outcomes of the patient’s medication action plan.
2. The graduate will be able to collaborate with physicians and other health care professionals, patients and their care givers to formulate a medical action plan.
To achieve this outcome, the graduate must be able to:
a. Determine the needs and goals of other health care professionals involved in the care of the patient. b. Negotiate treatment goals with physicians and other health care professionals. c. Communicate pertinent information from the patient’s medication and medical records. d. Recommend evidence based treatments as part of the medication action plan. e. Select appropriate medical goods, devices and services that meet the patient’s needs. f. Determine the best drug delivery system for the patient based on his or her needs, characteristics, and culture. g. In appropriate settings using negotiated protocols, adjust and monitor targeted drugs in high risk patients.
3. The graduate will be able to interpret and evaluate pharmaceutical data, the medical literature and other sources needed to prevent drug related problems or satisfy drug therapy needs.
To achieve this outcome, the graduate must be able to:
a. Identify the known or postulated mechanisms of action of possible treatments b. Discuss the physiochemical properties of drug substances that affect solubility, pharmacodynamic properties, pharmacokinetic properties, pharmacologic actions and drug stability. c. Evaluate and critique laboratory tests, procedure results and pharmacokinetic data. d. Analyze information obtained from a patient’s history and physical assessments. e. Appraise the medical literature and lay literature for value and relevance. f. Interpret and review prescription orders for accuracy, legitimacy, ability to satisfy the patient’s treatment needs and potential for drug related problems. g. Clarify and correct prescription orders based on sound professional judgments.
4. The graduate will be able to plan and perform ongoing patient assessments to identify drug related problems (unnecessary drug therapy, wrong drug for the disease or complaint, under-dosing of the drug, adverse drug reactions, over- dosage of the drug, adherence problems, and medical errors) and new drug treatment needs in order to intervene and implement changes.
To achieve this outcome, the graduate must be able to:
a. Review the medication record, drug administration records, or other relevant data to determine the adequacy of the patient’s current regimen. b. Interview the patient or care giver to determine the adequacy of the patient’s current regimen. c. Interview the patient or care giver to determine the appropriateness of his or her self-management choices, including non-drug interventions such as diet or exercise.
2 d. Develop medication action plans for both prescription and self- management scenarios. e. Communicate alternative treatment choices accurately to prescriber to resolve drug related problems or new drug treatment needs. f. Monitor the safety and efficacy of the medication action plan. g. Communicate the evidence of drug efficacy or potential drug related problems to prescribers, patients and care givers effectively and in a culturally sensitive fashion. h. Identify and communicate the need for changes in the drug regimen efficiently.
5. The graduate will be able to implement the medication action plan.
To achieve this outcome, the graduate must be able to:
a. Identify, evaluate, and communicate to the patient or health-care provider, the appropriateness of the patient's specific pharmacotherapeutic agents, dosing regimens, dosage forms, routes of administration, and delivery systems. b. Identify and describe techniques and procedures related to drug preparation, compounding, and quality assurance. c. Identify and use equipment necessary to prepare and extemporaneously compound medications. d. Identify the important physicochemical properties of a preparation's active and inactive ingredients; describe the mechanism of and the characteristic evidence of incompatibility or degradation; and identify methods for achieving stabilization of the preparation. e. Interpret and apply biopharmaceutic principles and the pharmaceutical characteristics of drug dosage forms and delivery systems, to assure bioavailability and enhance patient compliance. f. Accurately prepare prescriptions, using best practices and national standards to minimize medical errors. g. Precisely calculate the quantity of medication to be dispensed. h. Precisely calculate the quantity of medication and other ingredients to be compounded into the final product for dispensing to the patient or health care professional. i. Precisely calculate, convert or re-interpret drug concentrations, weights, measures, ratio strengths, and the extent of ionization associated with a prescription. j. Precisely determine and accurately communicate the rate of drug administration. k. Apply USP and other national guidelines and standards of practice for preparation, storage, in-process quality control and administration of sterile products, including parenteral and enteral nutrition products.
3 l. Use and demonstrate to support staff aseptic technique to prepare sterile dosage forms. m. Provide patient-specific counseling regarding their drug regimen. n. Provide patient-specific counseling and instruction of the use of medical goods and devices.
6. The graduate will be able to display the attitudes, habit and values required to render high quality medication therapy management services.
To achieve this outcome, the graduate must be able to:
a. Provide medication therapy management services ethically and compassionately, using the American Pharmacist Association Code of Ethics as his or her guide. b. Exhibit empathy and a caring attitude when dealing with patients or care givers. c. Dress, speak and generally carry his or herself in a manner that conveys a professional image. d. Treat patient complaints and reports of potential medical errors professionally in order to first assure the patient’s safety. e. Uphold the dignity and value the sacred worth of all people who present for care.
B. Systems Management – manage and use resources of the health care system, in cooperation with patients, prescribers, other health care providers, and administrative and supportive personnel, to promote health; to provide, assess, and coordinate safe, accurate, and time-sensitive medication distribution; and to improve therapeutic outcomes of medication use.
1. The graduate will be able to manage medication distribution and control systems.
To achieve this outcome, the graduate must be able to:
a. Use pharmacoeconomic data in the selection of drug delivery form, amount, and brand vs. generic of a drug product. b. Determine and maintain optimal inventory level. c. Maintain records of products received and removed from inventory. d. Monitor compliance with policies and procedures for inventory management. e. Determine which drugs require special storage conditions and insure that these drugs are properly stored.
4 f. Properly dispose of/return those drug products that have expired and/or exceeded their reasonable shelf life. g. Comply with federal, state, and local laws and related regulations that affect the practice of pharmacy.
2. The graduate will be able to participate in the health system’s process for reporting and managing medication errors and adverse drug reactions.
To achieve this outcome, the graduate must be able to:
a. Identify and report medication errors and adverse drug reactions to the appropriate individuals and organizations. b. Evaluate information obtained from adverse drug reaction and medication error reporting systems to identify preventable causes. c. Recommend actions to minimize the occurrence of adverse drug reactions and medication errors.
3. The graduate will be able to participate in the health system’s process for conducting drug use evaluations.
To achieve this outcome, the graduate must be able to:
a. Develop appropriate criteria and outcome indicators for drug use evaluations b. Conduct drug use evaluations c. Develop standards for drug product inclusion in the formulary. d. Compile and evaluate data necessary to review therapeutic and/or generic classes of drugs and new products for formulary consideration. e. Monitor prescriber and pharmacist compliance with formulary standards. f. Implement corrective action if variances from the formulary standards occur. g. Communicate with managers and caregivers regarding formulary decisions.
4. The graduate will be able to apply principles of outcomes research and quality assessment methods to the evaluation of pharmaceutical care.
To achieve this outcome, the graduate must be able to:
5 a. Use appropriate critical pathways, clinical practice guidelines, and disease management protocols in the delivery of pharmaceutical care.
C. Public Health – promote health improvement, wellness, and disease prevention in cooperation with patients, communities, at-risk populations, and other members of an interprofessional team of health care providers.
1. The graduate will be able to promote public awareness of health and disease.
To achieve this outcome, the graduate must be able to:
a. Provide disease prevention/detection programs to the public. b. Assess the needs of the target population relative to disease prevention/detection c. Select and implement an appropriate strategy to prevent or detect disease in the target population. d. Provide recommendations for follow-up and/or refer patients for further medical evaluation. e. Evaluate the impact of the program on the target population
2. The graduate will be able to provide pharmaceutical information to health professionals and the general population.
To achieve this outcome, the graduate must be able to:
a. Determine the nature and specific aspects of the request. b. Use sources of information available and applicable to the specific question. c. Evaluate information obtained from available sources. d. Provide information applicable to the questions/case e. Use appropriate written and verbal communication techniques t o respond to information requests. f. Document responses to information requests.
3. The graduate will be able to design, develop, and present educational materials tailored to the needs and educational background of a given audience.
To achieve this outcome, the graduate must be able to:
a. Identify the educational needs and background of the intended audience. b. Choose appropriate media to communicate effectively.
6 c. Demonstrate effective oral and written communication tailored to the individual needs of the audience and type of setting.
Domain II – General Ability-Based Outcomes
A. Social and Contextual Awareness – demonstrate the ability to place health care and professional issues within the appropriate cultural, social, economic, scientific, political, and philosophical frameworks, and demonstrate sensitivity and tolerance within a culturally diverse society.
1. The graduate will be able to demonstrate sensitivity and tolerance within multicultural interactions and settings.
To achieve this outcome, the graduate must be able to:
a. Define and Describe the difference between culture, ethnicity, and race b. Explain the difference between a stereotype and an assumption c. Accurately list and describe elements of culturally competent health care.
2. The graduate will be able to gather and organize information in order to develop a medication action plan appropriate for patients of any background different from his/her own.
To achieve this outcome, the graduate must be able to:
a. Elicit a patient’s perspective of healing and medication therapy during a patient encounter or counseling b. Effectively monitor the therapy of a patient from a background different from your own c. Effectively counsel patients from a background different from your own their medication therapy
B. Self-Learning –self-assess learning needs and design, implement, and evaluate strategies to promote intellectual growth and continued professional competence.
1. The graduate will be able to determine areas of deficiency and/or interest.
To achieve this outcome, the graduate must be able to:
a. Identify personal learning style and preferences. b. Identify strengths and weaknesses within personal approach to learning c. Regularly self-assess learning needs for ongoing personal and professional growth.
7 2. The graduate will be able to engage in learning activities on an ongoing basis for personal or professional development.
To achieve this outcome, the graduate must be able to:
a. Formulate strategies and learning goals to address identified needs of ongoing personal and professional growth. b. Engage in instructional activities to achieve desired learning goals. c. Evaluate the efficacy of completed instructional activities for the achievement of desired learning goals.
8 Glossary of Terms
1. Ability – the capacity to perform at a certain level in a given context.
2. Attitude – a complex mental state involving beliefs, feelings, values, and dispositions to act in certain ways, e.g. empathy.
3. Competencies – statements that describe abilities needed to begin independent practice in a particular work setting. Competencies combine skills, understanding and professional values and are performed independently in realistic settings.
4. Knowledge – acquired information necessary to perform the functions of an entry-level pharmacist.
5. Objective – describes discrete skills or bits of knowledge that are specific to a given instructional context.
6. Outcome – the results associated with instructional experiences.
a. Ability-Based Outcomes – explicit statements that describe what students will be able to do as a result of the integration of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes gained from their instructional experiences.
b. Program-Level Outcome – the abilities of students resulting from the completion of a curriculum.
c. Course-Level Outcome – the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of students resulting from the completion of a single course.
d. Program-Level Ability-Based Outcomes – explicit statements describing what students will be able to do as a result of the integration of knowledge, skills, and attitudes gained by completion of the curriculum as a whole.
7. Skill – the ability to perform a task usually gained through experience and training, e.g. blood pressure.
9 Sources:
1. 1998 CAPE Educational Outcomes 2. 2004 CAPE Educational Outcomes 3. NAPLEX Blueprint 4. ACPE Standards 2007 5. Anderson, H, Moore, D, et al. Student Learning Outcomes Assessment: A Component of Program Assessment. AJPE 2005;69(2):256-268. 6. Anderson, H. Preface: A Methodological Series on Assessment. AJPE 2005;69 (1):81- 83. 7. Zlatic, T. Abilities-Based Assessment Within Pharmacy Education: Preparing Students for Practice of Pharmaceutical Care. Journal of Pharmacy Teaching 2000;7:5-27.
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