Kashelle Lockman

Discipline: Pharmacist

Funding awarded to: University of Iowa College of Pharmacy

Preparing Pharmacists for Interdisciplinary Palliative Practice

Evolving data indicate that pharmacists with specialized training in palliative care improve outcomes for patients and health systems. Education and training opportunities in primary and specialty palliative care for pharmacy students and practicing pharmacists are limited and heterogenous. Board certification in palliative care is not yet available for pharmacists. My proposed Sojourns Scholar project, Preparing Pharmacists for Interdisciplinary Palliative Practice (PPIPP), is to clarify and expand core educational opportunities for pharmacy students and pharmacists to prepare them for interdisciplinary palliative care practice. As a Sojourns Scholar, I will utilize this opportunity for networking and collaboration to enhance my capacity to 1) facilitate development of consensus Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for palliative care specialist and generalist pharmacists; 2) create a pilot educational program for practicing pharmacists to support attainment of requisite competencies for the EPAs; and 3) design a pilot toolkit to expand integration of palliative care in PharmD curricula at pharmacy schools.

“My vision for pharmacy practice in the United States is that pharmacists attain and practice primary palliative care skills, and that every team practicing specialty palliative care also has a palliative care specialist pharmacist as an integral team member. My goal for educational reform is to expand basic primary palliative care knowledge to all health professions students by the time of graduation. As a pharmacist, I want to use my training, strengths, and experience in palliative care pharmacy and instructional design to lead this change in pharmacy education. Grieving families shouldn’t need to intervene to ensure their loved one receives appropriate care. All families deserve access to palliative care, and not just in the final days. Until we expand the reach of palliative care education beyond a few institutions, this will not be possible.”