Interprofessional education (IPE) is a pivotal strategy in preparing students for the health workforce, emphasizing the significance of teamwork and collaboration. Recognizing the potential for enhanced patient care through collaboration between dentists and pharmacists, the Faculty of Dentistry and the Faculty of Pharmacy at FUE conducted the second wave of their IPE activity during the week of 4/9/2022 to 8/9/2022.
A total of 26 students, comprising 19 from the Faculty of Pharmacy and 7 from the Faculty of Dentistry, actively participated in the program based on agreements between the Deans and Vice Deans of both faculties. Facilitators of this valuable activities were Dr. Eman Elmokadem and Dr. Nouran Omar, Clinical Pharmacy Department and Asst. Prof. Marwa Tammam, Microbiology Department from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Dr. Sherif Amer, Oral Medicine Department from the Faculty of Dentistry. The students were organized into inter-collaborative teams with members from both faculties, engaging in scheduled sessions facilitated by faculty members from both Pharmacy and Dentistry.
These sessions, punctuated by small group case activities and clinical rounds at the FUE Dental Hospital, aimed to foster interprofessional understanding and collaboration. To assess the acquired skills, participants completed pre and post-activity surveys using the ICCAS (Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies Attainment Survey) tool.
The overarching goal of the program was to underscore the vital roles that pharmacists and dentists play in patient care teams and to identify effective communication skills conducive to optimal patient outcomes. The sessions focused on the core competency domains of IPE, including values and ethics, roles and responsibilities for collaborative practice, interprofessional communication, and teamwork and team-based care.
The main topics covered were Lexicomp, Antibiotic choice, Pain control, Local anesthetic choice and drug interaction and Oral microbiota concerning its composition, related diseases and Drug-induced oral reactions.
This collaborative initiative witnessed greater participation compared to the first pilot trial, with students expressing enjoyment and cooperation throughout the experience. The data collected from the ICCAS tool will be employed for research purposes, further contributing to the advancement of interprofessional education in the health sciences.