How to Conduct Medication Consultations
This mini-course teaches pharmacists about the fundamentals of performing medication consultations in the community pharmacy setting.
Audience: Community pharmacists, pharmacists in-training, new pharmacist hires
Responsibilities: Instructional design, eLearning development, curriculum development, educational content writing, visual design, video editing
Tools used: Articulate Rise, Canva Pro, Vyond, Google Docs
Problem
Pharmacists at a well-known community pharmacy currently do not receive training for conducting medication consultations. Pharmacists are simply expected to use the California state code to inform their sessions and learn on the job. This puts tremendous stress on new hires to navigate their own learning, does not account for quality assurance, and does not prepare pharmacists for navigating conflict that may occur during consultations.
Solution
I designed an eLearning course to help new pharmacists learn about the basics of patient medication counseling. This includes information about laws, expectations, as well as general codes of conduct. Pharmacists will also practice navigating scenarios that may occur in their practice. By the end of the course, learners will feel more equipped and confident as they prepare for their first counseling session.
Process
Instructional Design Document
I collaborated with the SME, a California licensed pharmacist, to develop this training. After gathering information that confirmed the need for training, we created the instructional design document to map out a high-level overview of the training solution. The plan was to design a self-paced mini-course in Articulate Rise using the Kemp Design model.
The course is organized into short impactful lessons to avoid cognitive overload. The lessons cover 1) an explanation of what medication consultations are 2) an overview of Code 1707.2 which speaks of the legal expectations for patient medication counseling in California 3) a breakdown of the key components that make up a medication consultation, and 4) tips and practice scenarios on building rapport with patients to increase medication adherence.
Storyboard
Next, I drafted a text-based storyboard in Google Docs to chart the logical sequence of the learner journey. The storyboard contained details about where the content, graphics, script, and interactive components would be inserted. I wrote the education content for all six sections, making sure to keep the sentences and paragraphs focused and concise. Any information that did not support learners in reaching the objectives were cut.
Beta Version
Finally, I used the storyboard to develop the beta course in Articulate Rise. I focused on making sure the sections flowed seamlessly, rearranging or eliminating components that might overwhelm or distract learners. The key was to create a momentum that motivates users to learn the content and feel accomplished. I submitted the project to the SME for review and used her feedback to create the final iteration of this course.
Reflections
Overall, I had a lot of fun learning about the pharmacy profession, and exploring new interactive features in Articulate Rise. If given the chance, I would like to learn more about accessibility options beyond alt texts, and to have the opportunity to test this course out with more pharmacists.