Rotation Overview

This APPE rotation will focus on rural healthcare and the pharmacist’s role in a rural community. The student will become familiar with operational and clinical functions of the inpatient pharmacy including, but not limited to, medication distribution models, sterile and non-sterile compounding, medication safety, renal dosing, pharmacokinetics, intravenous to oral conversions, therapeutic interchanges, medication reconciliation and medication monitoring. A focus on rural healthcare will include opportunities for community outreach and education as well as observation and participation in telehealth technology services offered at the site. Additionally, the student will have exposure to administrative and leadership functions including topic discussions and various committee meeting attendance.

Goals and Objectives:
The preceptor and student should agree on which goals and objectives are appropriate for the rotation based on rotation site, rotation objectives delineated by the school or college of pharmacy, rotation length, and student interests. The following are a list of potential goals and objectives:

• Outline workflow and pharmacy operations for the rural hospital pharmacy.
• Identify opportunities for pharmacist practice improvement and/or advancement.
• Demonstrate the ability to accurately and safely interpret medication orders and dispense medications. 
• Perform chart and medication reviews and provide recommendations to the care team based on knowledge and guideline-based practice.
• Demonstrate the knowledge and ability to perform and/or understand the principles of sterile compounding according to USP Chapters <797> and <800>.
• Describe the oversight of regulatory and safety organizations and how they impact the operations of the hospital.
• Additionally, understand the designation of Critical Access Hospital (CAH) and Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and how these designations impact patient care.

Evaluation:
The preceptor will evaluate the student on achievement of the predefined goals and objectives of the rotation. Additionally, students will be evaluated on professionalism, interaction and communication with pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, nurses, therapists, physicians/providers and any other staff within the organization.