More than just a shopkeeper: involving the community pharmacist in undergraduate medical education.

The 1996 Medical Undergraduate course at Liverpool University provides the opportunity for second-year medical students to explore the importance of the roles of the personnel in the extended primary healthcare team. The community pharmacist is one such member that the students may not meet during a standard general practice attachment but who could have an important role in student understanding of the community. Community pharmacists appear to be an underused resource in undergraduate teaching. This paper describes a pilot study in which the students explored the role and potential of the community pharmacist. Students attending one Community Teaching Centre arranged to visit the local pharmacy with predefined and discussed learning objectives. They then returned after the visit to discuss their findings in a group environment. Evaluation demonstrated that this experience changed the students' perceptions and understanding of the role of the pharmacist. They felt encouraged to make more appropriate use of the pharmacist in the future, whilst becoming aware of the undervalued feelings of the pharmacists. The pharmacists were greatly encouraged by the initiative, believing it to be a worthwhile experience for the students, and encouraging better use of pharmacists in the future.