Inclusion of the pharmacist patient care process in doctor of pharmacy curricula

Objective. With the inclusion of the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process (PPCP) in the most recent Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education standards, institutions must determine how best to vertically and horizontally integrate and assess the PPCP in the curriculum. The objective of this study was to identify the breadth and depth of PPCP implementation as well as faculty involvement in teaching the PPCP at ACPE-accredited institutions. Methods. A survey to address the study objectives was developed, piloted, and distributed electronically to all US pharmacy institutions in candidate or accredited status. Electronic reminders were implemented to improve response rates. The data were analyzed descriptively. Results. Approximately 70% of institutions responded to the survey. Integration of the PPCP was most often championed by an individual faculty member and/or a committee. Practice faculty taught PPCP at nearly all institutions, while only a third of survey respondents reported that foundational and social administrative faculty taught the PPCP. Development related to PPCP curricular integration mainly focused on preceptors. Most institutions integrated the PPCP through the didactic and experiential curriculum in an approach that allowed for reinforcement or mastery of concepts. There were limited integration efforts into inter professional education. Institutions had a plan for assessing the effectiveness of the integration, but were varied in their approach. Conclusion. Institutions have embraced integrating the PPCP into their curricula, didactically and experientially. Progress still needs to be made regarding inclusion of all faculty in teaching the PPCP as well as integrating the PPCP in to other key curricular areas, such as inter professional learning. Faculty development efforts may be beneficial to address these aspects.