| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 353402 | Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning | 2010 | 7 Pages |
Data from the 2001 World Health Organization (WHO) report and the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, published in 2004, outlined the scope of the mental illness problem, including substance-related disorders. The WHO estimates that one-quarter of all families have at least one member with a mental illness. In the United States, comorbid substance use disorders, as reported in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions report, are estimated to be approximately 10% for a one-year period. Preparation of future pharmacists for new practice settings, at-risk patient populations, and an increased need for information about mental illnesses may require colleges of pharmacy to review where the curriculum can be changed or augmented. The extent to which asynchronous (operating without fixed time intervals) learning methodology can be adapted to meet these challenges has not been fully explored. When the search terms psychiatric pharmacy, psychoactive substances, online learning, and asynchronous learning were used, reports of previously developed courses for this area were not found. We report the development of an online elective in psychoactive substances delivered asynchronously. The Curriculum Committee approved the course. The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Institutional Review Board authorized the student survey of their learning experience. Course development was completed before delivery. Feedback was solicited via focus group methodology and college-conducted student course survey evaluation. Input was positive and provided constructive suggestions for improvement, additional courses for an online delivery format, and the feasibility of online education in the psychiatric pharmacy curriculum.
