Experiences and perceptions of pharmacy students and pharmacists with a community pharmacy-based objective structured clinical examination

Introduction Self-care therapeutics teaches students how to apply the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process to determine if a patient's concern is appropriate for self-care and then independently prevent, diagnose, and treat the condition. Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) have been shown to be a reliable and valid form of assessment used in pharmacy education. There is limited research examining the use of a community pharmacy-based OSCE to evaluate self-care clinical skills in first year pharmacy (P1) students. Objectives To evaluate P1 students' and facilitators' experiences and perceptions of a community pharmacy-based OSCE. Student performance on the OSCE was evaluated as a secondary objective. Methods Students completed an OSCE that consisted of two patient cases. Students' experiences with the OSCE were collected using a standardized questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 41 questions that assessed four areas: attributes of the OSCE, quality of the OSCE performance, OSCE scoring and objectivity, and comparison with other assessment methods. Facilitator experiences and perceived value of the OSCE were assessed using a questionnaire. The responses were evaluated using a chi-square test. Results Eighty-eight students completed the OSCE and questionnaire. Students found the OSCE to be fair (91%) and cover a wide range of skills (76%). The majority of the students (91%) agreed that the OSCE provided opportunities to learn and was a practical and useful experience (86%). Approximately two-thirds (66%) of the students felt that the OSCE provided a true measure of essential clinical skills needed in self-care therapeutics. Fourteen facilitators participated in the OSCE and completed the questionnaire. Community pharmacists represented most of the facilitators (57%). Facilitators agreed that the OSCE tests the knowledge and skills needed to practice in community pharmacy (100%). Conclusion A community pharmacy-based OSCE may be a valuable tool to assess clinical skills and provide clinical learning experiences for pharmacy students.