Exploring and evaluating Vertically Integrated Teaching in Ethical Decision-Making (VIT-EDM) in pharmacy

Background: With increased patient-centred care, pharmacists are often faced with ethical dilemmas and expected to provide solutions for practice dilemmas, relying on judgment, principles of professional ethics, standards practice, moral reasoning capabilities. Pharmacists need be competent in decision-making which will enable them act a morally preferable justifiable manner patients. Literature has shown that skills teachable measurable competencies healthcare. Objective: To evaluate the impact implementing vertically integrated teaching approach (VIT-EDM), capabilities pharmacy students as they progressed from year-one (pre-exposure intervention) final year (post-intervention) studies, using Professional Ethics Pharmacy test (PEP) surrogate measure Methods: Cross-sectional, parallel cohort, comparison study, PEP. A de-identified electronic survey link was emailed enrolled each targeted cohort. Descriptive inferential statistics were conducted SPSS. Results: Fourth-year students’ confidence measures significantly higher decision-making. Furthermore, fourth-year students. They generally demonstrated belonging stage four levels, is related benefitting patients while respecting authorities legal requirements. However, difference P-scores (fourth-year first-year) not found statistically significant. Conclusion: Findings this study underlined positive (VIT-EDM) approach, relatively novel mixed-method pedagogy ethics. It highlighted enhanced when facing an dilemma.