Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions
Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) 3
Hospital Pharmacy Practice Experience
General Description
IPPE 3 will provide second-year pharmacy students with an eighty-hour (two-week block) experience in a hospital pharmacy practice
setting. Students will observe and actively participate (when possible) in hospital pharmacy practice activities regarding pharmacy
operation and distribution systems, medication safety / quality, and clinical applications. Below are more details regarding the twoweek block experience.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the hospital pharmacy practice experience, the student shall be able to:
 Describe the roles and responsibilities of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians within medication distribution and clinical
service areas.
 Describe activities within a typical hospital medication distribution system, including order receipt and evaluation, as well as
medication preparation and distribution (unit dose area and parenteral/IV admixture).
 Describe the use of common automated medication use systems if used at that particular hospital (e.g., automated dispensing
cabinets, bar code medication administration systems, infusion devices, order entry, etc.).
 Describe state and federal laws that affect pharmacy practice in the hospital setting.
Required Activities

Actively observe and participate (when possible) in processing of medication orders, as well as medication preparation and
dispensing (routine orders as well as STAT orders).
o Evaluate, clarify, and obtain information needed on medication orders.
o Observe and participate (if possible) in medication preparation and dispensing using a unit dose system.
o Observe and participate (if possible) in the final verification of medication orders and product to be dispensed.
o Observe and participate in preparation/compounding, storage, and dispensing of parenteral products using aseptic
techniques.
o Observe and discuss the basic requirements of USP 797.
o Observe and discuss commonly used automated medication use systems (e.g., automated dispensing cabinets, bar
code medication administration systems, infusion devices, order entry, etc.).
o Observe and discuss patient safety systems in place to prevent dispensing and administrations errors.
o Observe and discuss how controlled substances are handled.

Observe the pharmacist and participate in reviewing medication profiles to identify medication-related problems (e.g.,
medication reconciliation, drug interactions, allergies, IV to PO, renal function, etc.)

Discuss with the pharmacist methods for resolution of commonly identified drug-related problems.

Observe and discuss with nursing staff in patient care areas medication administration, different modes of administration,
reporting/handling of medication errors, and patient safety systems in place to prevent medication errors.

Observe and discuss drug information references commonly used in the hospital practice setting.

Discuss with the pharmacist and/or technician inventory control and ordering procedures and replace inventory on pharmacy
shelves (e.g., put the order away, etc.).

Practice communications skills through interactions with pharmacists, technicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
o
Observe and reflect on face-to-face interactions and telephone interactions focusing on communication styles
(verbal and non-verbal communication) and how you would improve the interaction in the future.
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Additional Activities (based on student’s previous experience and if time allows)

Observe and discuss drug use evaluation (DUE) and medication therapy management (MTM) activities that are in place at
the hospital (e.g., antibiotic stewardship/infection control, IV to PO therapy, renal monitoring, etc.)

Identify a new order for an intravenous medication. Using at least two unique resources, identify how to reconstitute the
medication (if appropriate), how it should be administered (is it a syringe pump? small/large volume parenteral?) and over
how long it should be given (is it given bolus? slow IV push? infused over X number of minutes?). Are there any other
administration concerns that you need to be aware of? Document your findings and discuss the results of your search with
your preceptor.

Identify a new order for a patient profile that has more than one intravenous medication. Using at least two unique
resources, identify any potential compatibility issues. Be sure you understand how the drugs are being administered (Is it
given through a Y-site? central line? peripheral line?) as this can make a difference in compatibility. Did both resources
provide the same or conflicting information? What would you do if there was no information provided? Document your
findings and discuss the results of your search with your preceptor.

Observe and discuss how the transition from home to hospital and back home is handled regarding the patient’s
medication regimen (i.e., medication histories and medication reconciliation)

Observe and discuss inventory control procedures; nonformulary requests; therapeutic equivalent exchanges

Observe and discuss anticoagulation protocols and pain management protocols

Observe and discuss the operating room pharmacy (how are activities different/same as the central pharmacy operations?)

Observe a surgery; discuss with the nurse anesthetist or anesthesiologist the anesthesia medications used and how and
what is monitored during the surgery

Observe and discuss activities and medication management in the emergency room and/or during a Code Blue.

Attend various meeting in which pharmacists participate (e.g., Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee; Quality Control;
Infection Control; DUE; Patient Safety; Medication Errors, etc.)

Meet with the Pharmacy Director and discuss various management issues: e.g., what are his/her responsibilities as a
director?; how does he/she deal with personnel issues?; how did he/she get to his/her management position?; what
training did he/she have?; what does he/she like most and least about being a pharmacy director?

Top 20 Prescription Medication Analyses
The preceptor identifies the top 20 most commonly ordered medications. Ideally the 20 medications should consist of
those that present the greatest opportunity for discharge counseling at the practice site. Have the student use
references available in the pharmacy to research and record the following information about each medication.
Verbally quiz the student on the top 20 prescription medications during the IPPE 3. Allow the student to participate in
discharge patient counseling as appropriate.
 Generic Name
 Trade Name
 Adult Dose
 Indication
 How Supplied
 Route of Elimination
 Common Adverse Effects
 MOA
 Contraindications
 Pertinent patient counseling information:
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Evaluation
At the completion of the IPPE 3 hospital block, the preceptor must evaluate the student in regard to fulfilling the learning goals and
objectives for the IPPE. The evaluation form is an online checklist (SA/UN) in E*Value regarding IPPE activities and professional
behavior. The preceptor will receive an automatic email during the second week with a direct link to the evaluation form.
Preceptor Responsibilities
The preceptor is the primary instructor/educator for introductory experiences and plays a vital role to the success of student
learning. During the IPPE 3 block, preceptors are expected to:
 Complete the above required activities and discussion with the student during an 80-hour, two-week block experience.
However, the preceptor may use his/her professional judgment in allowing others (e.g., P4 students, other pharmacists,
pharmacy residents, pharmacy technicians, etc.) to assist and/or complete some of these activities and/or discussions.
 Complete the online evaluation checklist within one week of the end of the experience.
 Embody the following characteristics:
o Be a positive, professional role model for students
o Have a desire and willingness to educate and mentor students
o Demonstrate well-developed interpersonal/communication skills
o Be an organized, enthusiastic, and motivated teacher
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Guidance for Precepting IPPE 3 Students
Prior to starting the IPPE 3: Preceptors please notify all pharmacy staff (pharmacists, pharmacy residents, technicians and
pharmacist interns) that a Creighton University student will be there for an IPPE experience for two weeks. Share the IPPE 3
description document with your staff. Discuss who will supervise the student on days when you aren’t there.
Day 1: Meet with the student. Introduce them to all of the staff in the pharmacy. Assess the student’s knowledge, skills and
experience before starting the IPPE 3. Some students will have technician or pharmacist intern experience in hospital pharmacy
practice, others will not. This may affect how you precept the student. Provide the student with your overall plan and daily
schedule for meeting the objectives for the IPPE 3 over the next two weeks. Share the schedule with the pharmacy staff. Ask the
student what they hope to learn during the two week experience. (If you don’t have time to discuss this with the student on day 1,
you can have them complete a written needs assessment on the first day of the experience).
Sample Needs Assessment:
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Why do you want to become a pharmacist?
Describe your current experience in hospital and/or community pharmacy practice.
State three goals you would like to achieve during this IPPE. How do you plan to achieve those goals?
What are your strengths and why?
What skills would you like to improve during your experience?
Describe the role of an “ideal preceptor”.
How much interaction would you like with your preceptor and what type of feedback do you prefer?
Is there any additional information you believe would be helpful for the preceptor to know about you.
End of First Week: Ask the student how the first week went and what they think could be improved. Provide the student with
feedback on how they are doing. Discuss the objectives fulfilled for the experience during the first week. If the student is struggling
with a skill, establish a plan for improvement. This allows time for making changes to meet established goals by the end of the
experience.
End of Second Week: Review the evaluation of the experience with the student and provide them with feedback.
We’re here to assist you: If at any point during the IPPE 3, a student fails to meet the objectives of the experience or acts in an
unprofessional manner please contact the Office of Experiential Education for assistance. The Office of Experiential Education has
practice working with students who have difficulty with experiential course work.
Rhonda Jones, PharmD, Director of Experiential Education: 402-280-2020, rjones@creighton.edu
Kelli Coover, PharmD, Assistant Director of Experiential Education: 402-280-3167, kellicoover@creighton.edu
Kathy Stuhr: 402-280-3539; kathystuhr@creighton.edu
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