Sustainable assessment ‘meets the needs of the present and prepares students to meet their own future learning needs’ (David Boud, 2000) Is this what students want?

Most health professionals subscribe to a set of competency standards to ensure their practice is current and safe. Pharmacists use their competency standards to attain their ticket to practice and ensure they continue to review their practice for life.

Currently these competency standards are not formally integrated into the undergraduate curriculum for students in the Bachelor of Pharmacy. In 2012, a flow chart and case study were included in all BPharm unit outlines. This was introduced to provide students and staff with a ‘road map’ and was done so in reaction to students reporting they felt lost and unsure of the relevance of their units. The flow chart and case study have been embraced and integrated by staff and welcomed by our students. On a School wide level it was then possible to map all the units in the BPharm degree to ascertain if the competency standards had been addressed. A student satisfaction survey suggests that students do see the competency standards as important to their studies and either assumed they are already considered in the design of their curriculum or would like to see this occur.

Where to from here?

The course will be reviewed in line with the Competency Standards using a tool that will assist staff in the review and design of their units. It is hoped the process will facilitate increased discussion between staff, which in turn will lead to greater efficiencies in the delivery of the BPharm degree and a smarter sustainable teaching approach.