Field trips as an intervention to enhance pharmacy students’ positive perception of a management module in their final year: a pilot study

Abstract

Background. Management training is an important aspect of pharmacy training, as many pharmacists are appointed in management positions early in their careers. However, students struggle to see the importance and relevance of a management module in the final year of the BPharm curriculum and show low levels of motivation and engagement with regard to the module. A possible strategy to change students' perceptions of the importance of a management module is the inclusion of field trips in the curriculum. Objective. To determine whether students' experience of field trips influenced their perceptions regarding a management module as part of their training as future pharmacists. Methods. A mixed-method sequential exploratory research design was used. Data were gathered through written narratives and focus group interviews, followed by surveys before and after the field trips. Results. The students who participated in the field trips (experimental group) had higher mean scores in the post-test than those who did not participate (control group). The experimental group was more positive about the module than the control group. The field trips improved the perception of students regarding the importance of the management module for future job preparation. Conclusion. Field trips add value to pharmacy training and should form part of the BPharm curriculum in South Africa