Pharmacy OSCEs and Competency-Based Assessments

Pharmacy students are required to know how to make, administer, design and deliver medicines, as well as to diagnose and treat illnesses. Patient safety is now a very strong focus of pharmacy degrees. Competence evaluations of pharmacy students (and of all students in the healthcare professions) using simulated assessments including Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) and Criterion Referenced Assessments (CRAs) are increasingly commonplace. OSCEs and CRAs simulate aspects of real-life pharmacy practise to train students to integrate their knowledge of medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, therapeutics, legislation, clinical skills, numeracy, communication and empathy, and to test their ability to provide safe and effective patient care. They also test students' ability to think on their feet. Being able to make a decision in a timely manner which optimises patient care is one of the most important skills that all employers demand. This book provides a unique resource to support students and trainers in developing and practising these essential skills. It is designed as a useful resource for undergraduate students, clinical tutors and those involved in teaching students on pharmacy degree courses.