Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE)

Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE)

The Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) provides students with valuable exposure to both institutional and community pharmacy practice settings. These rotations offer students the opportunity to begin understanding how these settings operate and allow them to gradually take on the patient care responsibilities to the extent appropriate for your facility, state regulations, and your comfort level as a preceptor.

The primary focus of the IPPE rotation is to help students learn the foundational  aspects of the distributive process, from order interpretation to product delivery. Additionally, students will gain an understanding of the administrative differences between settings and explorer various aspects of pharmacy practice, such as inventory management and advanced clinical services.

For a comprehensive list of rotational goals, please refer to our Learning Objectives (located below and within the rotation manual). The IPPE Rotation Manual serves as a helpful guide through the student’s time with you, and additional preceptor resources are available via  CORE ELMS. We’ve included both required and optional assignment suggestions to enhance the student’s experience.

The  evaluation process consists of two key assessments: the midpoint evaluation at the end of the second week and final evaluation at the end of the fourth week, prior to rotations conclusion. All evaluations and assignments should be submitted through  the CORE ELMS platform.

We encourage your feedback and are here to support you at any point during the rotation. If you require any assistance or additional resources, please don’t hesitate to contact the Experiential Office. Our goal is to ensure that both you and the student have an enriching and enjoyable experience during this IPPE.

Thank you for your dedication to student development. We truly appreciate your role in shaping the future of pharmacy practice—your contributions are essential to their success!

IPPE Learning Objectives:

The goal of IPPE rotations is to have the students become competent in the daily practice of pharmacy operations. The student will:

1. Describe the structure, the organization, and chain of command within the organization.
2. Describe the roles and responsibilities of the diverse personnel working in the pharmacy.
3. Become familiar with the workflow in the pharmacy.
4. Handle the processing of prescriptions or physician’s orders from their initial receipt in the pharmacy to the dispensing of the product to the patient or to the patient’s floor/bedside.
5. Gain experience handling parenteral medications as well as other types of formulations.
6. Document and/or file orders or other documents pertaining to the daily work in the pharmacy.
7. Use pharmacy technology pertaining to the site and understand the technologies’ impact on the practice of pharmacy.
8. Communicate efficiently with patients (if appropriate) and members of the health care team.
9. Be professional at all times.

This list is not intended to be exhaustive. The preceptor has the authority to adapt and to add other experiences that he/she feels the student will benefit from.