Student pharmacist opioid risk consultations: a pre-post educational intervention study

Abstract

Abstract Objectives The primary aim was to assess third year student pharmacists’ communication skills about opioid risks and safety before and after an educational intervention. This assessment was utilized to identify gaps that skills training programmes need to address for students and pharmacists. Methods Seventy-one students in 2018 (pre-intervention/baseline) and 133 students in 2019 (post-intervention) were videotaped during consultation with standardized patients receiving opioid medications for low back pain. The consults were quantitatively coded for what topics students discussed, terms used, eye contact and filler words. Coding of video-recording had high inter-rater reliability (kappa = 0.90). Key findings A significant increase was seen in the post-intervention phase compared with baseline data in the number of students who mentioned the term opioid and initiated conversations about opioid risks. The majority of student pharmacists discussed common opioid side effects and performed teach-back with patients. In both of the phases, students used more filler words when discussing dependence, addiction or overdose risk when compared with the rest of the consult. At baseline, students in the expressed discomfort and desired additional training and resources for communicating about opioids, and students in the post-intervention phase reported increased confidence. Conclusions This educational intervention demonstrated improved opioid risk communication skills among student pharmacists. This study warrants national evaluation of student pharmacist preparedness and provision of structured education and training as necessary to help empower student pharmacists as opioid risk and safety educators.