Skip to content
PharmD

Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice


The realities of health care delivery in the 21st century require a fundamental shift in how we train and prepare health care providers, particularly in Washington state, which leads the nation in progressive pharmacy practice.  Thanks to the advocacy of faculty and students at the UW School of Pharmacy, pharmacists in Washington were the first in the nation to administer vaccinations, provide emergency contraception, and, most recently, be compensated for providing patient care, in addition to dispensing medications.  Pharmacists in Washington help people manage coagulation medications, diabetes and A1C levels, and more.

At the UW School of Pharmacy, we have developed a curriculum that fully prepares our graduates for pharmacy today and gives them the tools and training to grow as pharmacy practice and health care changes in the future.

A core competency in health care is being effective at engaging other members of the health care team.  We cooperated with our health science colleagues to develop and implement a curriculum that empowers our students as members of the health care team to meet patient care needs through:

  • mutual respect
  • self-advocacy
  • inquisitive gumption (curiosity and willingness to ask questions)
  • comfort with uncertainty
  • decision making
  • accountability
  • leadership
  • change agility

Our emphasis is on preparing decision makers who can manage drug therapy and provide care for patients. This curricular framework builds over time allowing students to progress from exposure level experiences such as shadowing to immersion and practice experiences that provide opportunities to demonstrate teamwork in real patient care settings.

IPE Model
AJPE 2018; 82(10) Article 7075