2017 Volume 1 Article ID: 2016-002
Pharmacy students need to understand the various problems experienced by the elderly and the physically handicapped, and cope with them appropriately. In order to enable pharmacy students to acquire such knowledge and skills efficiently, many pharmacy schools in Japan have provided the students with physically handicapped simulation program such as wheelchair experiences, virtual experiences of the elderly, and so on. At Osaka University, we have provided our students similar physically handicapped simulation program with the cooperation of the Department of Nursing. However, in the real world, support for these patients is provided by nurses or healthcare workers, and not directly by pharmacists. Therefore, we implemented a newly designed physically handicapped simulation program since 2014. This program was targeted at first grade students in six-year and four-year courses. Considering typical cases where the elderly or the physically handicapped patients found difficulty regarding medication, we set up four situations: hemiplegia, visual impairment, swallowing disturbances, and speech impairments. The students filled out questionnaires for each situation. Regardless of whether students were enrolled in the six-year or four-year course, many answered that they became aware of what were important for the elderly or the physically handicapped to take medicine through the new popular program. We would like to make the program more attractive one from now on.
