Department of Pharmacy Practice
The University of Mississippi

Leaders in Interprofessional Education

The Department of Pharmacy Practice is forging the path in interprofessional education (IPE) on both the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) campus in Jackson and the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford. Utilizing the core competencies of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative, the Department of Pharmacy Practice promotes collaboration between both healthcare and non-healthcare disciplines by providing educational opportunities for students from the professional schools on the Oxford and Jackson campuses to interact and learn how to work successfully with members of other disciplines. The encounters focus on the four competency domains including values and ethics for interprofessional practice, roles and responsibilities of each discipline, interprofessional communication and teams and teamwork.

On the Jackson campus, the Department of Pharmacy Practice has developed partnerships with the other five Medical Center professional schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, population health and health-related professions, and incorporated IPE encounters into the courses offered in the third professional year. These partnerships enhance the learning opportunities for each of the disciplines. Below are a few highlights of recent IPE encounters:

  • Durable medical equipment education with physical therapy students
  • Pain management assessment with physical therapy, occupational therapy and nursing students
  • Pain management assessment and therapeutic recommendations with medical students
  • Community assessments with nursing students
  • Simulation activities with nursing and medical students

ipcIn addition, the Department of Pharmacy Practice participates in the UMMC Interprofessional Collaborative. Through this, a pilot program titled “Foundations of IPE: Building Bridges” was developed and implemented during the 2015-2016 academic year. The program brought together faculty and students from all UMMC schools on a monthly basis to develop core competencies in interprofessional collaboration and put this into action through an Interprofessional Disaster Planning Exercise. The School of Pharmacy had an important role in this inaugural IPE event.

On the Oxford campus, the Department of Pharmacy Practice and the School of Nursing have aligned their educational objectives, along with the School of Applied Sciences, to offer yearly IPE encounters for students in the pharmacy, nursing and dietetic programs. Students from each of these disciplines participate in problem-based learning, skills laboratory activities and simulation modules. Again, the competencies from the Interprofessional Education Collaborative are highlighted in each of the sessions and students are engaged in activities that require them to learn from, with and about the other disciplines.

In addition, through this collaboration on the Oxford campus with the School of Nursing, Dr. Kim Adcock and the Department of Pharmacy Practice were asked to collaborate with the School of Nursing to transition IPE to interprofessional practice, allowing expansion from classroom experiences of IPE to application in an interprofessional wellness clinic that will be the home of an interprofessional healthcare team. This collaboration received external support through a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration.

As the opportunities for IPE encounters continue to be developed and promoted both within the curriculum and as part of extracurricular activities, the Department of Pharmacy Practice stays true to its commitment to leadership in interprofessional education.