On 8th December 2022, eight lecturers from the department of clinical pharmacy took part in a telepharmacy virtual Objective-Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) session conducted as part of the Rhazes Telepharmacy International Virtual Internship programme. The lecturers participated as examiners to evaluate students’ practical, professional and communication competencies to provide pharmaceutical care via telepharmacy.
A total of 199 final year pharmacy students from Faculty of Allied Health Science, Department of Pharmacy, San Pedro College of the Philippines were assessed in groups of 4 to 5 students. In addition, seven alumni from the Faculty of Pharmacy, UiTM participated as facilitators and as simulated patients (SP). The telepharmacy virtual OSCE was conducted via Google Meet and comprised of three stations with two preparatory stations. In these stations, students were required to conduct an interview (medical and medication history taking) with the SP, assess the gathered information, identify drug-related problems (DRP) and provide recommendations to solve the DRPs.
The emergence of COVID-19 has amplified the use of telecommunication technologies in the provision of pharmaceutical care. The increased awareness on the value and benefits of telepharmacy in patient care highlighted the importance of embedding telepharmacy in pharmacy education. Such training programs will well-prepare the pharmacy graduates to competently apply telecommunication technologies to provide patient-centered care and communicate with patients virtually, while ensuring ethical professional conduct, and develop a multidisciplinary healthcare provider network to deliver pharmaceutical care services.
It is hoped that the collaborative efforts between Faculty of Pharmacy, UiTM, Rhazes Telehealth and Faculty of Allied Health Science, Department of Pharmacy, San Pedro College of Philippines to enhance pharmacy education and students’ telepharmacy competencies will expand with more impactful programmes in the future.
