Pharmacy Practice Experiences (PPE)
Pharmacy practice experiences are divided into Introductory and Advanced experiences.
IPPE
Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE) occurs in the first, second and third years that provides for a minimum of 300 hours of introductory experiences required for ACPE accreditation.
First Year IPPE
The first year IPPE courses (PHPP 501 and 502) introduces the first year student to the both the hospital and retail pharmacy settings. The student spends one semester in each setting.
The hospital setting introduces the centralized hospital pharmacy concept at Hilo Medical Center as well as an example of a satellite pharmacy in the oncology clinic. Students are exposed to patient care issues as well as interprofessional issues and how these relate to pharmacy practice by spending time on the general medical floor, long term care patient care facility and pharmacy, oncology clinic and accompanying nurses on homecare visits.
The retail rotation exposes the student to a retail pharmacy practice. Students will perform tasks and projects that include receiving and processing prescriptions as well as understanding all aspects of a retail store operation. Special projects may be assigned by the retail preceptor to supplement the student experience and may include creating poster boards and patient education handouts.
Second Year IPPE
Second year students will begin to develop their patient interview and case development skills in the PHPP 503 and 504 rotations. Students will spend one semester in community health care clinics and one semester in a long term care facility. Students will present actual patient care cases in a seminar format throughout the semester.
Third Year IPPE
Third year students will spend a concentrated period of time with a hospital clinical pharmacist throughout the four major islands of Hawaii (Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii). Experience may include interacting and observing a clinical pharmacist and interacting with medical teams.
APPE
Advanced pharmacy practice experiences for the fourth year students begins in the summer after their third year of pharmacy school and will include a minimum of 1440 hours of pharmacy experiences. Students will participate in seven different types of rotations. Mandatory rotations include hospital practice, acute medicine, ambulatory care clinic and retail practice. The student may take an additional three electives to fulfill the APPE requirements.
Rotations will be held on all four major islands of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui and Oahu.