Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Active, self-directed learning approach to teaching Pharmacy LawPhil Bergen

When I first started in ~2005

Given the ‘poisoned chalice’ of pharmacy law.

Little time to prepare, had never taught before.

I had ~9 lectures to cover the material I was assigned

2

When I first started in ~2005

For the first couple of years taught it in exactly the same way it had been taught to me:

– Lots of legislation on a PowerPoint slide.– Read it aloud to the students.– Bored me to tears!– Bored the students to tears!– Thought there had to be a better way.

3

E.g. Pharmacist’s supply of S3’s

Must do so only for the therapeutic use of a person or animal, after having taken all reasonable steps to ensure a therapeutic need exists (DPCS Reg 61)

Personally deliver or personally supervise its delivery; (DPCS Reg 63 (1a))

Provide directions for it's use; (DPCS Reg 63 (1b))

Place a label on the container which uniquely identifies the supplier; (DPCS Reg 63 (1)(c)) [Except for wholesale supply (DPCS Reg 63 (2))]

Not administer, prescribe, sell or supply merely for the purpose of supporting drug dependence (DPCS Reg 64)

4

Typical example of a slide from my first couple of years.

A better way: The process

Decided that:

– These students were as capable of reading as I was:• They could just as easily read the legislation at home,

in their own time (all now available online).• This would also get them familiar with the language

used in the legislation.– Only the original legislation could be taken into

registration exams (not my, or handwritten, notes)• Would free up time in lectures to apply the law

5

A better way: The process

Began developing a ‘work at home’ workbook for students to work their way through before my lectures began.

– Assumed in my lectures students had read this material and undertaken the exercises within.

– Had the aims of:• Reducing the overall number of lectures required

(students will have done most of the boring work at home).

• Spending more time in lectures applying and consolidating knowledge.

6

A better way: The process

– I wanted to keep the ‘lectures’ more fluid, with the ability to move from one place to the next (&/or reveal different pieces of information in any order):• Found myself limited with PowerPoint• Needed some ‘Inspiration’

– Have found Inspiration to be very useful (see example).

7

An example from my 2014 ‘lectures’ The comprehensive study guide.

Inspiration.

8

The result in 2014:

9 scheduled lectures reduced to 5 ‘contact hours’ in the lecture theatre (I prefer to call them whole-class tutorials).

I really enjoy giving the lectures.

Students (generally) seem to enjoy the process (PTO).

9

Typical student feedback (SETU, 2014): “PHIL'S LEGISLATION LECTURES WERE THE BEST ASPECT OF

THE UNIT!!! His interactive lecturing style was the perfect way of teaching these otherwise boring and unfriendly topics.”

“Phil Bergen’s forensic lectures were the BEST, in his tutorial style approach. I can’t imagine teaching the forensic material in a more engaging way.”

What were the best aspects of this unit? “Phil’s lectures – they were the only ones that were at all interesting (sounds a bit strange for lectures on Pharmacy Law, but it’s true!).”

“loved the independent learning style”

“Legislation workbook was awesome - allowed us to work at our own pace and look up the legislation and do our homework. Real life experiences during the legislation lecture series complemented our learning legislation.”

10

11