Knowledge and attitudes regarding geriatric care and training among student pharmacists

Objective: To assess the knowledge and attitudes of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students regarding geriatric care and training. Methods: The survey was administered to first, second, and third professional year PharmD students at a four-year public university during the fall semester of 2011. Groups were differentiated based on completion of a geriatrics-focused course, which is offered annually as a two-credit elective for a maximum of 100 health professional students. Results: A total of 193 student pharmacists completed the survey, which resulted in a response rate of 66.55%. The second and third professional year PharmD students who took the geriatrics-focused course showed significantly higher knowledge of geriatric care (mean = 8.46 and 10.12, respectively) compared to their peers who did not take the course (mean = 7.45, p = 0.03; and mean = 8.67, p = 0.02, respectively). Second and third professional year students who participated in the geriatrics-focused course were more likely to be interested in additional geriatric care training compared to their peers who had not taken the course (p = 0.05 each). First professional year students who did not have the opportunity to take the geriatrics course yet placed high importance on participating in a geriatrics-focused course in the pharmacy curriculum. Conclusion: Student pharmacists who took a geriatrics-focused course had stronger knowledge of geriatrics and more positive attitudes regarding geriatric care training. Therefore, schools and colleges of pharmacy should consider the positive impact of a geriatrics-focused course on students' geriatric knowledge and their attitudes toward geriatric care training.