Repeated testing to improve skills in a pharmacy practice laboratory course.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of repeated simulations and testing on the pharmacy practice skills development of third-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students.
DESIGN: A pharmacy practice skills laboratory was redesigned to reinforce skills development and enhance retention. Timed, repeated learning experiences that increased in complexity throughout the semester were used to test student knowledge, skills, and abilities. ASSESSMENT: Over a 5-year period, scores from skills-based activities deemed essential to professional practice and repeated 4 or more times in the course were analyzed. There was a significant improvement in scores on drug utilization reviews and patient counseling simulations despite the increasing difficulty and complexity of the medication problems presented (p <0.001). Students' scores on prescription verification and sterile product verification also improved significantly over 3 assessments (p <0.001), but then plateaued, with less improvement seen in performance on subsequent assessments.
CONCLUSION: Providing multiple opportunities for students to conduct or simulate pharmacy practice activities and then test their knowledge and skills improves students' learning and performance.