FOCUS ON PATIENT SAFETY: HOW LIFELONG LEARNING BEGINS BETWEEN PHARMACY AND MEDICAL STUDENTS AT UCC

Introduction Interprofessional Education (IPE) has been defined as occasions where two or more professions learn with, from and about each other to improve collaboration and quality of care (Barr et al, 2005). Prescribing is the most common intervention made by physicians, but prescriptions can be inaccurately written (Seeley et al, 2004; Barber et al, 2003). Pharmacists have been shown to reduce the potential for error associated with prescriptions (Murphy et al, 1996). A major component of this study will be the facilitation of Interprofessional Learning (IPL) opportunities, in the clinical setting for medical and pharmacy students, in order to address prescription errors. Aims To assess the readiness of these students for IPL using a validated tool (Parsell and Bligh, 1999), before and after IPL experience, with control groups; To proactively address medication prescribing errors in an interactive, interprofessional, small group learning environment of Mercy University Hospital (MUH); To create an electronic resource of case-based prescription error scenarios for the education of health care staff and students. Methods Retrospective collection and classification of baseline data on errors associated with prescriptions in MUH over a six-month period. Development of prescription case scenarios around these errors which can be assessed at baseline and after a learning component where medical and pharmacy students work together. Creation and piloting of a scenario based electronic resource, followed by its integration into a virtual learning environment. Administration of the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) to all final year medical and 4th year pharmacy students at the beginning and end of the academic year, including students not at MUH. Discussion Strategies to improve prescription writing are essential for patient care. Increasingly other health care and allied health care professionals have a prescribing role, hence the importance of linking IPE and IPL with good prescribing practice. The development, piloting and peer review process of prescription case scenarios will ensure that a varied range of skill sets are assessed for competency. This should ideally translate to practice and be relevant for the training of all those involved in patient care.