What is Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience? 
Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) were once commonly known as "rotations" or "externships." APPEs take place during the sixth and final year of the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum. The University of Findlay's APPE program is structured for students to spend nine calendar months in experiential-based, integrated, problem-solving "rotations" designed to train the student to become an active participant in providing patient care. The student, under the direction of various faculty and preceptors, will integrate his or her knowledge of physical assessment, pharmacology, pharmacotherapy, pathophysiology, pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in assessing therapeutic plans and evaluating drug therapy. At each site the student is expected to become a functioning component of the ongoing patient care services through faculty instruction and self-learning.

The Goal for Advanced Practice Experience
The goal for The University of Findlay's Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiential Program is to educate students to apply problem-solving skills to assess patient parameters, optimize drug therapy and provide quality patient care in various practice settings.

The University of Findlay's Unique Program
UF has developed a uniquely designed APPE program. In this program, students entering their P6 year are assigned to a "hub" site for the completion of their required APPEs. The coordinator for each hub site is responsible for scheduling student rotations, activities, projects and ensuring all objectives and competencies are met. They also have the responsibility of ensuring all evaluations are completed. Hub sites may be a large health-system or a geographic area with several smaller sites working together. Students may complete all rotations at their hub site, or they may choose to complete up to three elective rotations "off- site."                     

Hub Site Model
Students preparing to enter their P6 year are assigned to one of approximately 25 hub sites for the completion of their required APPEs. Each Hub site will have a Hub Site Coordinator (chosen by the site and approved by the UF College of Pharmacy) who will be responsible for scheduling student rotations, activities, projects, ensuring all objective are met, all evaluations are completed, and coordinating and training preceptors (pharmacist or healthcare professional responsible for the oversight of a student on a specific rotation). Hub site coordinators have been trained using the Ohio Experiential Coordinator’s Preceptor Training Program. They have been provided with all of the continuing education materials and have subsequently been asked to train preceptors at their site(s). Hub coordinators may also serve as preceptor to the student(s) at their site; however, we limit the months a student may spend with any one preceptor, including their hub site coordinator.

A hub site may be a large health-system or a geographic area with several small sites working together. Hub sites should have opportunities for students to fulfill the required rotations (see below). Students may choose to complete any 3 months of rotations “off-site”. For example, a student may choose to complete a one month rotation through Indian Health Services, and therefore, would only be scheduled 8 months at their Hub site.                

Hub sites will be compensated based on the number of students they choose to take each year. The number of students placed at each Hub site varies from one student to six students. The average number of students per site is two. Some of the Hub sites may provide an inpatient focus while other an outpatient. Regardless, all ACPE required rotations should be covered. Students are informed prior to ranking their Hub site preference what electives and special populations a site can offer. This way, students who desire a certain experience know which sites are most likely to fit their need.                

The Hub site model offers several advantages: one-time orientation, opportunities for recruitment, completion of longitudinal projects and flexibility in student scheduling, among other. The advantages in this model of training are similar to a post-graduate residency program and allow each site to continue to precept students from other schools. All of our hub sites continue to take students from other Colleges of Pharmacy.                                                          

UF College of Pharmacy APPE Requirements
Community/outpatient pharmacy (2 months)
Inpatient/general medicine (2 months)
Special populations (2 months)
Electives (3 x 1 month each)


Click Here to Download all Advanced Practice Forms

For any additional information or questions, please contact:
    
    Tonya Dauterman, Pharm.D.
    Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
    dauterman@findlay.edu
    419-434-5447

    Melinda Fleegle, B.S.N., M.B.A. 
    Experiential Education Specialist
    fleegle@findlay.edu
    419-434-5633