Event Details

The objective of this learning lab is to describe the design and implementation of a national health informatics course for pharmacy students. In 2013, the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC) partnered with the federally funded Canada Health Infoway to boost the adoption of technology by pharmacists. Slow uptake of technologies such as bar coding and automated dispensing in pharmacies have shown that pharmacists are reluctant adopters of new innovations. The AFPC is a network of all 10 Canadian faculties of pharmacy, including 2 french language programs. In 2013, the AFPC identified experts to author content on topics such as privacy, electronic documentation (charting) and consumer health informatics. A team developed the content into online modules using the learning management platform Moodle. The modules were reviewed by a diverse team of students and content experts and launched in 2014. To encourage the adoption of the modules across all pharmacy programs, the AFPC has identified a peer-leader in each of the 10 faculties. The peer-leader’s role is to identify courses where the modules can be implemented in each curriculum and to support instructors in using the content. Implementation and evaluation is currently underway, as is the development of similar programs for nursing and medicine.