On April 26, 2021, the first group of physicians, nurses, and pharmacists received their certificate of a month-long course ‘Drug Information Management in Interprofessional Care’. The course is offered by GMU College of Pharmacy in collaboration with Washington State University (WSU). Experts from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and Medical University of South Carolina also contributed to the effective conductance of the course.
The course was delivered online with lectures, reflections, and journal clubs to cover the following course learning outcomes;
- Ask clinically relevant questions for guiding clinical decisions.
- Assess quality of information in clinical practice.
- Apply best quality information in improving healthcare outcomes.
- Integrate roles and responsibilities of healthcare professionals in collaborative care.
- Incorporate patient preferences and ethics in collaborative care decisions.
- Evaluate effectiveness of teamwork and interprofessional communication strategies.
All participants successfully completed their learning with a comprehensive examination at the end of the course. A pre and post-course survey was conducted to evaluate the impact of the course in implementing evidence-based drug information and interprofessional care. All 15 survey items showed statistically significant improvements in practice improvements of participants. Follow-up communications and surveys will be conducted for sustainable good practices.
Vice Chancellor for Quality and Global Engagement and Dean College of Pharmacy Prof. Sherief Khalifa commented: “Our Academic Health System at GMU coupled with our international partnerships have made it possible to bring together medical doctors, nurses and pharmacists in this interprofessional collaborative course. Improving practice and patient outcomes is our goal.”