SIMpathetic Program – Using Simulation Stethoscope with Standardized Patients for Pharmacy Education

The College of Pharmacists of British Columbia is moving towards advanced practitioner credentialing. This will allow pharmacists’ independent prescribing, which involves initiating, monitoring, and changing drug therapy. Hence, pharmacists and pharmacy students will require advanced training in skills such as physical assessment. In the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, students are taught physical assessment skills using human patient simulators. While simulators are life-like, anatomically correct, and provide physiological responses to mimic real patients, they do not allow for human interaction. With the SIMpathetic program, students will be able to obtain and interpret physical assessment findings transmitted by a simulation stethoscope while interacting with real-life people acting as a standardized patient. It will allow pharmacy students to enhance their communication skills and develop good bedside manner while improving their physical assessment technique, all of which will be required when interacting with their future patients on clerkships and in clinical practice.