Quality use of medicine experiential placements for fourth year pharmacy students

Abstract

The educational principles that underpin undergraduate experiential placements include self-directed student learning, contextual and workplace learning, progression towards life-long learning (beyond undergraduate academia), multi-professional learning, reflective practices, peer teaching and learning. To support this approach to teaching and learning, the School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland, Australia, has instigated fourth year experiential placements at which the student completes a “Quality Use of Medicine” (QUM) project in conjunction with the placement on-site preceptor. The placements are self-selected by the students with the proviso that the placement is centred on QUM. The 4-week placements take place twice a year across the world, and it is not necessary for the preceptor to be a pharmacist. Over the course of eight university semesters, 871 QUM placements have been successfully completed. Feedback from students and preceptors has indicated the worth of these placements in the undergraduate pharmacy course