The Capsule

Abstract

The transition from classroom-based instruction to hands-on clinical training is a key factor in the competencies of pharmacy students, especially in hospital settings where technical and clinical skills are important. The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges in presenting online instruction to the actual hospital pharmacy work such as inventory of medications, disposal of expired/used medication, temperature monitoring, compounding practice, medication reconciliation, oncology pharmacy processes and workflow, satellite pharmacy, unit dose delivery system, and infection prevention and control due to limitations on facilities and equipment. This research study determined the correlation between the academic performance of fourth year students in a hospital pharmacy internship lecture course and their practical performance during clinical internship rotations, as evaluated by their preceptors. The study used a quantitative, non-experimental approach with all 16 students involved. Results showed a moderate to strong positive association (r = 0.53, p = 0.011) between academic performance in the internship course and evaluations from perceptors during clinical training. The findings highlight the importance of combining academic learning with structured practice sessions to help students be better prepared for real-world pharmacy work.

Keywords: Academic performance; Practical performance; Clinical performance; Internship; Pharmacy course.