Pharmacy student and preceptor perceptions for the first advanced pharmacy practice experience

Objective: To compare perceptions of pharmacy students and preceptors regarding student preparedness to deliver patient care on the students' first advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE). Methods: A 56-item student questionnaire and a 53-item preceptor questionnaire were developed and distributed to students and preceptors after student completion of the first APPE. Students and preceptors rated students in overall preparedness (five-point Likert scale) and preparedness for specific activities (four-point Likert scale). Results: Ninety-six (66%) students and 61 (34%) preceptors completed the questionnaires. In overall preparedness, the mean reported by students was 3.59/5 (SD +/- 1.03) and the mean reported by preceptors was 3.75/5 (SD +/- 1.02). In preparedness for specific activities, the students rated themselves significantly higher than the preceptors in 22 of 46 specific activities. Conclusion: Students and preceptors consider students somewhat prepared for APPEs. For the future, a continuous quality improvement activity should include patient case studies designed to allow students to identify untreated medical conditions and improper medication selection. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Inc.