OSCE Pharmacy

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

giffyw

New Member
5+ Year Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2017
Messages
6
Reaction score
2
Our pharmacy class is taking the OSCE in a couple of days. I heard it's a new skills examination for accreditation. Has anyone else taken this in pharmacy school? If so, any tips?

Members don't see this ad.
 
Members don't see this ad :)

BC_89

Full Member
Staff member
Administrator
Lifetime Donor
7+ Year Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2014
Messages
2,350
Reaction score
2,093
My program has required OSCE at the end of every semester in school. First couple of semesters was based on a set rubric (introduce yourself and title, identify two patient primers for validation such as name and date of birth, allergies, so on and so forth). Basically first year was "actors" playing patients and you as the intern have to look at their prescription & see what information is missing (if any) and how you would counsel on that specific medication (a top 200 drug).

My last one though (couple days ago actually) was a Drug Information and Discharge Counseling scenario (my last didactic semester at that). This required 30 minutes to look at a patient case that the provider or resident put in, look at current medications, and answer the primary question being asked by the physician (ie how to dose vancomycin, how to dose heparin, what changes of current meds need to be made, etc). You would then be given two follow-up questions and be graded on your recommendations and your follow up responses (either knowing the answer or knowing how to get the answer after putting in your input).

All in all, unless your program incorporates days to "act it out" for practice, you can't really prepare for it. Especially for your first time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

PharmDBro2017

Full Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2015
Messages
1,758
Reaction score
1,792
We took it in 2018 and it was a massive waste of time. Not a single pharmacotherapy-related question on it, maybe it's changed since then.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

giffyw

New Member
5+ Year Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2017
Messages
6
Reaction score
2
My program has required OSCE at the end of every semester in school. First couple of semesters was based on a set rubric (introduce yourself and title, identify two patient primers for validation such as name and date of birth, allergies, so on and so forth). Basically first year was "actors" playing patients and you as the intern have to look at their prescription & see what information is missing (if any) and how you would counsel on that specific medication (a top 200 drug).

My last one though (couple days ago actually) was a Drug Information and Discharge Counseling scenario (my last didactic semester at that). This required 30 minutes to look at a patient case that the provider or resident put in, look at current medications, and answer the primary question being asked by the physician (ie how to dose vancomycin, how to dose heparin, what changes of current meds need to be made, etc). You would then be given two follow-up questions and be graded on your recommendations and your follow up responses (either knowing the answer or knowing how to get the answer after putting in your input).

All in all, unless your program incorporates days to "act it out" for practice, you can't really prepare for it. Especially for your first time.
That sounds absolutely horrible, I'll just wing it then. Thanks for sharing!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

confettiflyer

Model Citizen™
15+ Year Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2004
Messages
10,402
Reaction score
4,019
It was basically a mock live fire scenario for us. One floor at my school (this was back like pre-2010) was a mock up of a hospital wing on one side and outpatient clinic on the other. We would get a random patient case, 10 mins to read (I think), then go in with an actor pretending to be a patient.

There’s audio/video of the encounter and you’re scored on a set of criteria.

Kind of intimidating as a new student, but it’s as close to the real thing you can get before full on rotations/real life.

We had a mock pharmacy on another floor and they’d make the phones ring, and one call was the professor calling in a pediatric abx script.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

mentos

Half full member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2009
Messages
7,622
Reaction score
7,899
Never heard of this. What's it for?
 

Primus25

Full Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2015
Messages
35
Reaction score
11
As long as you mildly payed attention during your labs and coursework, you’ll be fine.
 
Top