Experience with an online Virtual Interactive Cleanroom (VIC)Campion, MG; Hertig, JB; Abel, SR; Davis, SN

Purdue University College of Pharmacy

Methods

Images and Results

Authors of this presentation have nothing to disclose concerning possible financial or personal relationships with commercial entities that may have a direct or indirect interest in the subject matter of this presentation.

Background

Objectives

Limitations

Conclusions

Pharmacists serve a vital role by ensuring the right patient receives the right

medication through involvement in every step of the medication use process,

including the compounding and verification of sterile products. Pharmacy

compounding meets an important healthcare need, however, concern

associated with compounding errors in recent years has lead to closer scrutiny

of pharmacies and sterile compounding techniques. Properly interpreting and

implementing USP <797>, and the forthcoming USP <800>, is the professional

responsibility of a pharmacist. As such, it should be taught early and applied

longitudinally throughout a pharmacy curriculum.

Online virtual simulations are a cost effective manner for training, skill

development, as well as professional advancement. These simulations can

assist health care professionals to better understand the variability within a

modeled system. The concept of virtual simulations has been applied to create

an IV cleanroom. VIC was available for students to view the components of a

cleanroom and understand proper garbing order and technique, USP

standards, and detailed product preparation

Evaluate the difference in students’ levels of comfort, confidence, and

knowledge of parenteral compounding techniques and procedures before and

after the use of the online Virtual Interactive Cleanroom course program

Design: IRB exempt online survey

Setting: Purdue University College of Pharmacy; IPPH 471

An online virtual training course was developed to prepare current and future

pharmacists for their sterile compounding experiences with parenteral products in

an online virtual interactive cleanroom. It was designed to inform the users about

the role of pharmacists and pharmacy staff in the safe preparation of parenteral

products in a clean room setting. The course discussed the proper environment,

equipment, and attire expected in a clean room setting. This online virtual course

introduced aspects of compounding practice including USP <797>. The online

study was launched with a twenty-five question pre-survey of 168 third-year

pharmacy students in January 2014 and completed with the same post-survey in

March 2014. The responses to the questions were measured using a five-point

Likert scale.

Students who participated in the online virtual cleanroom

program demonstrated an overall increase in perceived

knowledge and comfort in a pharmacy cleanroom

environment as seen through the pre and post survey

results. As educational techniques continue to evolve

with new technology, it is critically important to engage

our students by using these new platforms. Further, in

the context of medication safety, a benefit of the of the

online virtual cleanroom is its ability to give students an

opportunity to practice expensive compounding

techniques before entering a sterile products area.

Limitations of this program include:

• Motion sickness

• Challenges with pixel imaging

• Movement with keyboard

• More feedback requested by students after module

completion

OutcomeImprovement over

baseline*

Comfort with

terminology 34%

Comfort explaining

procedures 49%

Knowledge of IV

precautions 54%

Knowledge of available

resources 50%

Improved knowledge of

IV compounding 39%

Question Pre-Mean Post-Mean P-valueComfortable with

terminology 2.46 1.84 p<0.001

Know how to properly gown 2.51 1.79 p<0.001

Perform and pass validation 2.99 2.22 p<0.001Comfortable with

calculations 2.46 2.34 p=0.3

Identify improper objects 2.38 1.75 p<0.001

Able to explain procedures 3.1 2.1 p<0.001Precautions with hazardous

IV 3.39 2.21 p<0.001

Know available resources 3.18 2.13 p<0.001

Improved Knowledge 3.01 2.14 p<0.001

Confidence in compounding 2.39 1.78 p<0.001

Confidence with biohazards 3.1 2.24 p<0.001

Confidence verifying 2.67 1.94 p<0.001

*All values are statistically significant p < 0.05

January 2014

Start of Parenteral Lab

Pre-survey administered

168 responses

2.5 week Virtual Clean Room Experience

March 2014

End of Parenteral Lab

Post-survey administered

129 responses

Available time for study

intervention

Other recorded didacticlecture materials and

activities