Evaluation of interprofessional collaboration in a teaching session in patient partnership in pharmacy education

Abstract

Patient partnership in health education promotes collaborative and humanistic care. In pharmacy education, however, this approach remains uncommon. We aimed to co‐construct and assess a teaching session on pain management and dispensing refusal, involving patients as full partners. A participatory approach was used. A first focus group (patients, educators, pharmacist, educational researcher, student) defined the curriculum's goals and key skills. A second focus group co‐developed a video of a dispensing refusal scenario. The final session, integrated into the third‐year pharmacy curriculum, used this video and Wooclap® for interaction. Student self‐efficacy and attitudes were assessed via pre/post‐questionnaires and focus group feedback. Interprofessional collaboration was analysed using D'Amour's framework. Students reported better knowledge of pain types and analgesic mechanisms, but also stronger soft skills: listening, non‐judgement, and patient support. They increasingly recognized the importance of explaining treatment and adapting strategies. The co‐construction process strengthened collaboration between team members. Patients contributed experiential knowledge to the teaching design and objectives, while professionals ensured alignment with academic standards. Interprofessional collaboration was classified as active. This pilot supports the feasibility and impact of involving patient partners in designing pharmacy education. The session improved both technical and relational competencies. Patient involvement helped shift from a provider‐centred to a partnership model. Future work should explore including patients as assessors in student evaluations, enabling them to co‐evaluate both knowledge and interpersonal skills in authentic scenarios.