Student pharmacists' perceptions of community pharmacy residency programs

Abstract Objectives To compare penultimate-year (next-to-last) and final-year student pharmacists' perceptions of the educational value of community pharmacy residency programs (CPRPs) and to compare student pharmacists' perceptions of the educational value of CPRPs and health-system residency programs (HSRPs). Methods A self-administered online survey was sent to administrators at 119 Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education–accredited schools of pharmacy for ultimate distribution to penultimate- and final-year student pharmacists. The survey included demographic measures and a 20-item residency program “perceived value of skill development” scale developed for this study. Results 1,722 completed surveys were received and analyzed. Penultimate-year students attributed greater value to CPRPs more frequently than final-year students. Students more often attributed higher value to CPRPs for skills related to business management, practice management, and medication therapy management, while they attributed higher value to HSRPs for skills related to teaching, research, and clinical knowledge. Conclusion The results of this study suggest students' perceived value of CPRPs may be related to their year of pharmacy school and the pharmacy practice skill in question.