Pharmacy Students’ Perspectives on Institutional-Based Peer-Assisted Learning Placements

Demand for pharmacy student placements is increasing due to implementation of Doctor of Pharmacy programs in Canada. Peer-assisted learning (PAL) placements help meet growing demands while also providing quality learning experiences. In Alberta, most PAL models use a 2:1 student-to-preceptor ratio. Feedback from Alberta preceptors is positive, and PAL is seen as an efficient precepting method.

As preceptor perspectives have been explored, our objective was to understand student perspectives of the advantages and challenges of PAL and to report feedback on optimizing PAL. These objectives will reduce gaps in the literature and improve PAL for students and preceptors.

Our study involved an anonymous web-based survey with qualitative and quantitative questionnaires. The inclusion criteria involved University of Alberta, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences pharmacy students who completed PAL in the second or fourth year between 2016–2018. Open-ended questions were analyzed through inductive analysis. Descriptive statistics reporting percentage agreement of Likert scale and closed-ended questions were also performed.

Overall, 29 of 156 (18.5%) individuals participated. Advantages identified included skill development, gaining therapeutic knowledge, confidence development, increased comfort, and receiving multiple sources of feedback. Challenges identified included peer conflict, PAL coordination, and providing or receiving difficult feedback. Suggestions for optimizing PAL included learning activities focused on conflict resolution and providing or receiving feedback, defining peer roles, and PAL coordination, whereby students are involved in the matching process. Eighty-four percent of respondents would recommend PAL.

Overall, students reported positive experiences and would participate in PAL in the future. Students developed skills and confidence essential for practice.