A needs assessment of pharmacokinetic skills performed on advanced pharmacy practice experiences by student pharmacists

IntroductionPharmacokinetic (PK) calculations are an important competency for pharmacy students, however, there is little to guide which medications should be included in pharmacy curricula. Additionally, many new medications require therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM)-but not PK calculations-to ensure safe use. The objectives of this study were to quantify which medications are most frequently encountered by pharmacy students during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE's) and to what extent PK calculations or TDM were completed by students while on APPE's at the University of New England.MethodsFourth-year students were surveyed upon completion of their advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE's).ResultsPharmacokinetic calculations occurred most frequently on institutional rotations. Vancomycin and aminoglycosides were the two most common medications pharmacy students were asked to perform PK calculations for while on APPE's. Therapeutic drug monitoring occurred most frequently on institutional rotations. Therapeutic drug monitoring also occurred more often than pharmacokinetic monitoring on ambulatory care rotations.ConclusionsPharmacokinetic calculations as well as therapeutic drug monitoring requiring no calculations were both commonly encountered by student pharmacists while on APPE rotations. Changes to clinical guidelines have impacted the types of medications students are expected to have proficiency with, and more broadly defined therapeutic drug monitoring competencies may be important for ambulatory care APPE's.