Preceptors

CORE ELMS is the Experiential Education software management tool utilized by the UCSOP.

To access CORE ELMS, click the following link: https://www.corehighered.com/login-elms. For assistance with your username or password please contact Ryan Jenkins (ryanjenkins@ucwv.edu). Information available within CORE ELMS includes but is not limited to UCSOP Mission, Values, and Program Outcomes; Experiential Manuals (including all rotation-specific syllabi and appendices); Preceptor Availability and Schedules; Assessments; Preceptor Development Resources; and Announcements.

The UCSOP utilizes a continuum of required and selective/elective APPEs intentionally designed to meet the educational outcomes of the program and prepare practice-ready graduates. APPEs integrate, apply, reinforce, and advance the knowledge, skills, attitudes, abilities, and behaviors developed in the Pre-APPE curriculum and co-curricular activities.

All students are required to complete a total of 8 five-week rotations. Rotations typically begin in May following the P3 year and continue through April. Students are required to log a minimum of 40 hours each week at the site (individual schedules are determined by the preceptor). Required APPEs are completed in the following areas: acute care/internal medicine, ambulatory care, community care, and institutional practice. The remaining four rotations consist of a combination of selective and elective experiences. Selective rotations (2) are designed to provide students with an opportunity for in-depth study in clinical and management experiences. Elective experiences (2) are designed to provide students opportunities to expand their knowledge in other areas of pharmacy (e.g., nuclear pharmacy, compounding, home infusion, academia, research, etc.).

APPE Course Descriptions

Acute Care/Internal Medicine Experience

The Acute Care/Internal Medicine Experience is a non-dispensing, clinical rotation that occurs in an inpatient environment. This experience may occur in any of the following practice settings that enable students to achieve the specific course outcomes, assignments, and activities: hospital/institutional/health-system, acute care/inpatient environment. Students should spend greater than 50% of their time providing direct patient care to a diverse adult population in collaboration with an interprofessional healthcare team. Use of the remaining percentage of time is determined by the preceptor to allow for site-specific experiences. Although this rotation may occur in a specialty area, students should be exposed to a variety of patients and disease states.

Ambulatory Care Experience

The Ambulatory Care Experience is a non-dispensing, clinical rotation that occurs in an outpatient environment. This experience may occur in any of the following practice settings that enable students to achieve the specific course outcomes, assignments, and activities: hospital or health-system, community pharmacy, clinic or office-based primary care environment. Students should spend greater than 50% of their time providing direct patient care to a diverse adult population in collaboration with an interprofessional healthcare team. Use of the remaining percentage of time is determined by the preceptor to allow for site-specific experiences. Although this rotation may occur in a specialty area, students should be exposed to a variety of patients and disease states.

Community Care Experience

The Community Care Experience allows the student the opportunity to provide integrated pharmacy services to a diverse population of patients in an outpatient pharmacy setting. This experience may occur in any of the following practice settings that enable students to achieve the specific course outcomes, assignments, and activities: community pharmacy, clinic-based pharmacy, or hospital/health system-based outpatient pharmacy. Greater than 50% of time should be spent performing functions directly related to the provision of patient-centered care throughout the dispensing process and optimization of the medication use management system. The remaining percentage of time is determined by the preceptor to allow for site-specific experiences.

Institutional Practice Experience

The Institutional Practice Experience allows the student the opportunity to provide integrated pharmacy services to a diverse population of patients in an institutional setting. This experience may occur in any of the following practice settings that enable students to achieve the specific course outcomes, assignments, and activities: hospital pharmacy, inpatient pharmacy, or health-system pharmacy environment. Greater than 50% of time should be spent performing functions directly related to the provision of patient-centered care throughout the dispensing process and optimization of the medication use management system. The remaining percentage of time is determined by the preceptor to allow for site-specific experiences.

Selective Clinical Experience

The Selective Clinical Experience provides students with an additional opportunity to provide either direct or indirect pharmacy care to patients in a clinical environment. This experience may occur in any of the following practice settings that enable students to achieve the specific course outcomes, assignments, and activities: community pharmacy; hospital, institutional, or health-system; office-based or primary care clinic or pharmacy. Students should spend greater than 50% of their time providing pharmacy patient care services and communicating/collaborating with other healthcare professionals. Use of the remaining percentage of time is determined by the preceptor to allow for site-specific experiences.

Selective Management Experience

The Selective Management Experience provides students with an additional opportunity to perform leadership and management functions in a pharmacy-focused environment. This experience may occur in any of the following practice settings that enable students to achieve the specific course outcomes, assignments, and activities: community pharmacy; hospital, institutional, or health-system; corporate or office-based practice. Students should spend greater than 50% of their time participating in the provision of leadership and management functions. Use of the remaining percentage of time is determined by the preceptor to allow for site-specific experiences.

Elective Experience (2)

The Elective Experience provides students with an additional opportunity to participate in a variety of practice settings dependent upon their interests and preceptor area of expertise. The student is expected to actively participate in the day-to-day activities of the preceptor, explore his/her interest in the elective area, and develop an in-depth understanding of the elective area. The Elective Experience may or may not be related to direct or supportive patient care. Students may utilize any rotation from a required or selective category as an elective experience; however, a balanced schedule will be determined at the discretion of the Director of Experiential Education to ensure diversity of experiences throughout the APPE curriculum.

IPPEs expose students to common contemporary U.S. practice models, including interprofessional practice involving shared patient-care decision-making, professional ethics, and expected behaviors, and direct patient care activities. IPPEs are structured and sequenced to intentionally develop in students a clear understanding of what constitutes exemplary pharmacy practice in the U.S. prior to beginning the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs).

UCSOP students begin participating in IPPEs as early as their first semester of pharmacy school.

IPPE Course Descriptions

IPPE I (Introduction to Community Pharmacy Practice)

IPPE I is intended to provide initial exposure to community pharmacy practice for first-year pharmacy students. Early exposure to practice will make didactic instruction more relevant by providing opportunities to observe pharmacist patient care activities as well as managerial practices. Students will complete 24 contact hours in an assigned community practice setting. This course also includes community pharmacy-based simulation activities designed to prepare students for their IPPE experiences (the simulation experiences do not count for the number of required IPPE hours).

IPPE II (Community Pharmacy Practice)

IPPE II is intended to provide a more in-depth experience in community pharmacy practice for second-year pharmacy students. Early exposure to practice will make didactic instruction more relevant by providing opportunities to participate in pharmacist patient care activities as well as managerial practices. Students will complete 160 contact hours in an assigned community practice setting.

IPPE III (Institutional Pharmacy Practice)

IPPE III is intended to provide an overview of institutional pharmacy practice to second-year pharmacy students. Early exposure to practice will make didactic instruction more relevant by providing examples of patient care activities as well as managerial practices. Students will complete 80 contact hours in an assigned institutional practice setting throughout a two-week intensive rotation during the summer between the P2 and P3 years.

IPPE IV (Clinical Patient Care Experience)

IPPE IV is designed to provide an introduction to establishing the appropriate delivery of pharmacy patient care services. Students are assigned to a faculty preceptor to gain 30 hours of clinical patient care experiences. These experiences are designed to prepare students for the APPEs. Students will also gain additional exposure to interprofessional education through the use of simulated patient experiences with the UC Physician Assistant program. Students will gain 39 IPPE hours throughout this course (30 hours of clinical patient care experience and 9 hours of interprofessional simulation).