Development of an elective course in rare and interesting diseases

ObjectiveTo create, implement, and assess an elective course on the pharmacist’s role in rare and interesting disorders and cases, including methemoglobinemia, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, immune/thrombotic thrombocytopenia, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, porphyria, therapeutic considerations in Jehovah’s Witnesses, pharmacotherapy with organ donation, and others from the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). Limited information regarding these disorders is found in common pharmacy textbooks. A search of pharmacy academic literature did not retrieve any unique required or elective courses that focused on these disorders either.MethodsA 1.5 unit (15 hours total) elective course was implemented in a three-year accelerated pharmacy program using case-based pedagogy and unique case-based andragogy. Student learning was assessed through short answer, essay, and fill-in-the-blank quizzes; SOAP notes created from mock hard-copy patient medical records; and an oral presentation on a rare disorder. Focused feedback on assignments was individualized for each student and disseminated electronically. All students enrolled in the course over a three-year period (n = 43) were eligible to provide quantitative and qualitative feedback regarding the elective.ResultsAll students met or exceeded minimum competency levels on assignments. The majority of students (n = 33) rated the course favorably on standardized evaluations (weighted mean, 4.77; 5 = strongly agree) and with qualitative comments.ConclusionThe Rare and Interesting Diseases elective proved to be a popular course, which filled a gap in the required curriculum by emphasizing the role of the pharmacist in rare and interesting disorders. Additional skill sets gained far exceeded the diseases covered.