Substance misuse training in pharmacy education: Results from a pilot study on the integration of an interprofessional experience

BACKGROUND: Studies show that pharmacists are unsure in their ability to screen patients for substance abuse. This study evaluates the efficacy of incorporating interprofessional education (IPE) into a substance misuse training program on pharmacy students’ learning outcomes in providing screening and counseling for substance misuse. METHODS: Pharmacy students from 2019 to 2020 completed 3 substance misuse training modules. Students from the class of 2020 completed an additional IPE event. Both cohorts completed pre- and post-surveys that evaluated knowledge of content and comfort level with patient screening and counseling regarding substance misuse. Paired student t-tests and difference-in-difference analyses were used to evaluate the impact of the IPE event. FINDINGS: Both cohorts (n = 127) showed statistically significant improvement in learning outcomes in providing substance misuse screening and counseling. IPE yielded extremely positive feedback from all students, but its addition to the overall training did not improve learning outcomes. This may be attributed to the differences in baseline knowledge of each class cohort. CONCLUSION: Substance misuse training successfully improved pharmacy student knowledge and comfort level with providing patient screening and counseling services. Though the IPE event did not improve learning outcomes, qualitative student feedback was overwhelmingly positive and supports the continued incorporation of IPE.