At each Practice Review there are a few individuals who attend for the purpose of changing their status on the College Register from Part B to Part A. As these pharmacists have been away from direct patient care activities for extended periods of time, planning for the Practice Review becomes important.
The Practice Review, through a written multiple-choice exam, assesses an individual’s ability to retrieve and apply information. A second component, the standardized patient scenarios, assesses an individual’s ability to both manage a patient interview and demonstrate essential communication skills during monitored, live interviews with standardized patients. Indeed, the Practice Review assesses the very skills used by pharmacists regularly providing direct patient care.
So, how can a pharmacist who has been away from direct patient care for some time polish up their skills? Here are some ideas:
1. Gain Experience in a Pharmacy
The College allows a Part B member to work in a pharmacy, under the direct supervision of a Part A pharmacist, for up to two six-month periods for the purpose of preparing for the Practice Review. To do this, a Part B pharmacist must first notify the College, in writing, of their intention, providing the name of the pharmacist under whom they will be working, the name and address of the practice site, and the expected start and finish dates.
2. Become a Student of Patient Care Skills
If it has been a while since you last practiced, investing in some education will help build both your skills and confidence. Depending on where you live and how you prefer to learn (e.g. live or print), you may want to access some of the following resources:
- Courses offered at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy through the International Pharmacy Graduate Program cover a variety of areas from therapeutics to communication skills.
There is a drug information class that helps you become familiar with current references. Some classes include working with standardized patients. Additionally, there are a number of general therapeutic lectures that are useful for reviewing disease states and commonly used drugs.
For more information on courses and schedules, contact Marie Rocchi Dean, Program Coordinator, at 416-946-5586.
- A current listing of CCCEP-accredited live and print courses are available through our Continuing Education department. For more information, contact Carol Culhane at 416-962-4861 x 251.
3. Know Your References
Our profession relies heavily on medical and drug information —information that changes rapidly. While we all have core pharmacy knowledge, there are times when we want, or need, to access references to ensure accuracy. Knowing your references means knowing which book to refer to for the information you are seeking and understanding how the reference is organized so that you can search efficiently.
The following references are used by the College when developing cases and questions for the Practice Review.
- Patient Self Care
- Therapeutic Choices
- Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties
These references are available from the Canadian Pharmacists Association. Visit their website at www.pharmacists.ca or call 1-800-917-9489. For a complete list of the College’s recommended library references, visit our website at www.ocpinfo.com and select “Pharmacy Practice”.
Plan for the Exam
Most pharmacists who write the Clinical Knowledge Examination realize that it has been considerable time since they last studied or wrote an exam.
The written portion of the exam is open-book. You will be provided with the above-listed references and you may also bring your own references. Be careful to manage your time during the exam as you may be tempted to look up every answer and run out of time. One strategy is to work first through the exam, marking the answers on which you are confident with your core knowledge. Then, on a second pass, use the references to verify unsure questions and answers that remain.
If you are planning to move from Part B to Part A, please contact Lori Sheppard at 416-962-4861 x 273 for Practice Review dates and to register for an upcoming Practice Review.
