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A systematic review of the impact of simulation on students’ confidence in performing clinical pharmacy activities

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Abstract

Background

Although confidence does not automatically imply competence, it does provide pharmacy students with a sense of empowerment to manage a pharmacotherapeutic problem independently. Among the methods used in higher education, there is growing interest in simulation.

Aim

To evaluate the impact of simulation on pharmacy students’ confidence in performing clinical pharmacy activities.

Method

Articles that reported the use of simulation among pharmacy students with fully described outcomes about confidence were included. Studies for which it was impossible to extract data specific to pharmacy students or simulation were excluded. The search was carried out in Medline, Embase, Lissa and PsycInfo from inception to August the 31th, 2022. The results were synthesized into 4 parts: confidence in collecting information, being an expert in a procedure/pathology, counselling and communicating, and other results. The quality assessment of included studies was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool “MMAT” tool.

Results

Among the 39 included articles, the majority were published in the last 5 years and conducted in the United States. The majority included pharmacy students in years 1 through 3 (69.2%). The most common study design was the pre-post uncontrolled design (66.7%). Studies measuring the effects of human and/or virtual simulation were mainly focused on confidence to counsel and/or communicate with patients and colleagues (n = 20). Evaluations of the effects of these types of simulation on confidence in information gathering by health professionals were also well represented (n = 16).

Conclusion

Simulation-based training generally yielded positive impact on improving pharmacy students’ confidence in performing clinical pharmacy activities. Rigorous assessment methods and validated confidence questionnaires should be developed for future studies.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank two librarians Julie Brugneaux and Aurore Guillon from the Orléans Hospital for their valuable assistance.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, Pharmacie, 5 allée de l’île Gloriette, 44000, Nantes, France

    Jean-François Huon, Pierre Nizet, Clémentine Fronteau, Alison Leichnam & Martine Tching-Sin

  2. Réseau HUGOPharm : réseau des pharmacies hospitalieres des Hopitaux Universitaires du grand ouest, Nantes, France

    Jean-François Huon, Pierre Nizet, Sophie Tollec, Elise Vene, Clémentine Fronteau, Alison Leichnam, Martine Tching-Sin, Vanessa Michelet-Barbotin & Laura Foucault-Fruchard

  3. CHU Orléans, Orléans, France

    Sophie Tollec

  4. CHU Rennes, Rennes, France

    Elise Vene & Vanessa Michelet-Barbotin

  5. CHU Tours, Service Pharmacie, Tours, France

    Laura Foucault-Fruchard

  6. UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France

    Laura Foucault-Fruchard

  7. Nantes Université, Oniris, CHU Nantes, INSERM, Regenerative Medicine and Skeleton, RMeS, UMR 1229, 44000, Nantes, France

    Fabien Nativel

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  1. Jean-François Huon
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Huon, JF., Nizet, P., Tollec, S. et al. A systematic review of the impact of simulation on students’ confidence in performing clinical pharmacy activities. Int J Clin Pharm (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-024-01715-z

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