Pharmacists of the future

UC Irvine’s Doctor of Pharmacy program is pushing the envelope in experiential education, introducing students to alternative forms of treatment in addition to Western medicine to train well-equipped and versatile future pharmacists.

“Our students will be prepared for the jobs that are out there,” says Erin Knox, director of experiential pharmacy education in the School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences. “But we also want them to be able to move healthcare forward and say, ‘Hey, this is what pharmacists are qualified to do. This is what I learned in my pharmacy program.’”

The School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences was established in 2020, while the PharmD program was launched in 2021, with the first cohort graduating this year.

As part of their degree requirements, students must engage in experiential education – applied hands-on learning. During the first three years of the program, this manifests in introductory pharmacy practice experiences, with students gaining early exposure to pharmacy settings by participating in patient care at community pharmacies, clinics and local hospitals. In their final year, student pharmacists undergo advanced pharmacy practice experiences, applying the foundational knowledge and skills they have gained in the classroom to real-life healthcare environments like UC Irvine Medical Center, UCLA Health and Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

“The benefit [of experiential education] is you get experience talking to patients, providing consults, and administering medicine and vaccines to real patients,” Knox says. “You can’t only learn in a controlled environment. You have to introduce all these very uncontrollable variables in real-life settings because you get better by doing.”

She’s putting a novel spin on experiential education with integrative health practice – a concept unique to UC Irvine. Through this introductory experience, students become familiar with different elements of wellness and disease management considered nontraditional from the Western medicine perspective.

“As a future pharmacist, I want to ensure that my approach to care incorporates all aspects of the patient population,” says third-year PharmD student Tara Mostafazadeh. “Because there are patients that use herbal products and natural practices alongside their prescription medication, we need to be able to discuss their safety, efficacy and any potential drug interactions.”

The introductory experience includes various clinical options for students to explore integrative health. First is the internal utilization of the training site at the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, where students can work alongside integrative health dietitians and naturopathic doctors as well as in a sterile compounding pharmacy. The integrative health teaching kitchen is also employed for culinary medicine experiences, coaching future pharmacists on how to educate and counsel patients on produce selection and diet integration for disease management or prevention.

Furthermore, the PharmD program is affiliated with Southern California University of Health Sciences, a teaching institution offering degrees in traditional Chinese medicine, ayurveda medicine and other non-Western medicinal techniques. This collaboration enables students to visit SCUHS clinics and interact with patients to gain insights into the reasons behind choosing alternative medicine practitioners. It also highlights the distinct differences in disease management approaches between traditional Western medicine and alternative medicine.

The integrative health experience also includes local pharmacies that provide consultations for integrative medicine, supplements, traditional Chinese medicine products and herbal medications. Students may take part in nature walks with a bioregional herbalist in Crystal Cove State Park, learning about native and non-native plants with different medicinal uses. In teaching these methods, the hope is to broaden the network of practitioners interested in discussing alternatives to Western medicine in professional environments.

“I think other universities would benefit from following UCI’s example in implementing integrative health programs,” says third-year doctoral student Orfanel Amaya. “As a student, it’s helpful to shadow professionals in nontraditional healthcare and see other areas of treatment – not only pharmacological but also more natural, homeopathic regimens – and how we can utilize them to suit a patient’s needs.”

Looking to the future, Knox hopes to expand the program, in both the size of cohorts and the number of pharmacists and sites practicing nontraditional medicine willing to engage with students. “There are so many people doing cool things in pharmacy,” she says, “and exposing students to such endeavors will increase their knowledge about the possibilities available to them.”

When asked what she would like the public to remember about this program, Knox says:

“We have a responsibility to serve our community. If we’re interacting with patients, then we must be knowledgeable about what their needs are. For instance, if our community is using traditional Chinese medicine, then we need to teach our students about that. We have to know what [people] are using and be as educated as possible on how to best help them. At UCI, we’re doing what the community needs.”

If you want to learn more about supporting this or other activities at UC Irvine, please visit the Brilliant Future website. By engaging 75,000 alumni and garnering $2 billion in philanthropic investment, UC Irvine seeks to reach new heights of excellence in student success, health and wellness, research and more. The School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences plays a vital role in the success of the campaign. Learn more by visiting https://brilliantfuture.uci.edu/school-of-pharmacy-and-pharmaceutical-sciences.