Aim:
To utilise AI technology in a communication exercise as an assessed element of Year 2 teaching when treating a respiratory condition
Methods:
Tasks were created on SimConverse, which is a generative AI platform used across the MPharm program, with one used as the summative assessment. Students were guided through a formative exercise to ensure accessibility and familiarity with format and rubrics.
Students assessed a case study and suggested treatment changes referencing relevant guidelines for the written element (80%). A conversation task (20%) was released to the students requiring them to counsel the patient on the change to treatment, an AI character written with relevant prompts.
The conversation task was assessed using a rubric focused on consultation skills and a reflective account.
Results:
A total of 156 Year 2 MPharm students completed the conversation task with 68 (44%) receiving full marks (20/20), and 4 students receiving partial marks for the activity.
Conclusion:
The use of software like SimConverse allows students valuable practice to explain treatment changes to patients, and leads the way for developing more activities of various complexities across the MPharm program. Allocation of marks to the students which are standardised helps to reduce the subjective nature of assessments which might be seen in similar assessments such as Observed Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs).
Students engaged well with writing the required reflective accounts. This continuous skill which is expected for ongoing revalidation requirements when they register as a pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
The students undertaking this assessment for the first time have provided positive feedback on their experience. We were impressed by the students attainment and so will be exploring whether a more complex issue can be developed for the next assessment, and increasing the rubric to incorporate a wider range of behavioural indicators.

Background: Healthcare knowledge is expanding at unprecedented rates, and pharmacy practice is becoming increasingly complex. To succeed in this environment, pharmacists need the ability to apply knowledge flexibly in novel situations while maintaining efficiency in routine tasks. Traditionally, pharmacy educators have responded by adding more content to programs, but this approach risks overload and learner burnout.¹ Research on adaptive expertise suggests an alternative: by emphasizing deep conceptual knowledge rather than teaching fragmented knowledge, educators can equip learners with the tools to solve novel problems and engage in lifelong learning.² In response, we transitioned from a four-year PharmD to our country’s first three-year integrated program to foster adaptive expertise while maintaining professional standards and supporting learner well-being.
Methods: Faculty teams developed integrated modules introducing foundational pharmaceutical and social science concepts early, reinforced spirally across therapeutic blocks. Longitudinal experiential rotations starting in the first term, programmatic assessment, and structured wellness breaks were embedded. Stakeholders - including faculty, regulators, and students - were engaged throughout to ensure alignment with accreditation standards and learner needs.³
Results:
Key outcomes include:
• Curriculum structure: Integrated modules and longitudinal experiential rotations launched.
• Applicant profile: Increased interest, with 80% of incoming students holding a science degree.
• Financial and logistical impact: Tuition parity maintained; graduates enter workforce one year earlier; Year 3 placements can occur in students’ hometowns.
• Stakeholder feedback: Positive response to spiral integration and wellness supports.
Discussion: By embedding adaptive expertise principles throughout an integrated, three-year curriculum, we aim to prepare graduates with the skills and mindset to navigate uncertainty and complexity in healthcare. This design supports lifelong learning and flexibility, while intentionally fostering learner well-being and readiness for complex pharmacy practice.²
References:
1. Kelley KA, et al. The challenge of curricular overload in the pharmacy academy. Am J Pharm Educ. 2023;87(9):100079.
2. Mylopoulos M, Brydges R, Woods NM, Manzone J, Schwartz DL. Preparation for future learning: a missing competency in health professions education? Med Educ. 2015;49(12):1082–1092.
3. Steenhof N, et al. Before the first class: Engaging students early in curriculum design to support program reform. Med Teach. 2025:1–4.

Background and statement of aim(s)
The usability of MyDispense for students to apply bioethical principles has not been previously explored. Currently, teaching and learning bioethical principles in the 2nd-year of the Monash University undergraduate Pharmacy degree is predominantly conducted via lectures, workshops, and self-paced learning using online content on Moodle.

Aim:
To develop and incorporate ethical scenarios in the MyDispense platform that encompass one or more of the ethical principles within a 2nd-year pharmacy unit.

Methods
Six bioethical hospital and community pharmacy cases were designed and built into the MyDispense platform. 2nd year pharmacy students attempted any of the 6 cases as part of the PHR2011 unit, ethics in pharmacy workshop. For each case students were prompted to select which of the 4 bioethical principles apply and provide reasoning for their choice. More than 1 principle could apply to the case. The ethical obligations can be summed up in the four main ethical principles, i.e. beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice.

Results
285 students attended the workshop and were instructed to complete the MyDispense cases as part of their learning for the ethics in pharmacy topic. Case 1 (n=43): Autonomy (n=3), Beneficence (n=31), Non-Maleficence (n=39). Case 2 (n=28): Autonomy (n=26), Beneficence (n=6), Justice (n=3), Non-Maleficence (n=3). Case 3 (n=25): Autonomy (n=7), Beneficence (n=19), Non-Maleficence (n=22). Case 4 (n=12): Autonomy (n=5), Beneficence (n=8), Justice (n=10) Non-Maleficence (n=2). Case 5 (n=8): Autonomy (n=7), Beneficence (n=5), Non-Maleficence (n=3). Case 6 (n=9): Autonomy (n=2), Beneficence (n=5), Non-Maleficence (n=8).

Discussion/Conclusion
Six bioethical cases were incorporated into the MyDispense platform for 2nd year pharmacy students. Students were able to apply their knowledge of the bioethical framework to select the most appropriate principles based on the scenario.

Background/Aim: In response to the increasing risk of extreme weather events across Canada due to climate change, personal experiences responding to emergencies in clinical practice, and a recognition of the need to prepare pharmacy students for their future working in increasingly unstable healthcare systems and environments, the MAPLE Collective was formed. This study aimed to develop an interactive disaster preparedness workshop designed for pharmacy students to simulate a community pharmacy disaster response.

Methods: This educational workshop was designed for senior level PharmD as part of the skills course to introduce students to the principles of emergency preparedness as it relates to pharmacy practice. Development was a collaboration across four Canadian pharmacy schools - Memorial University, University of Waterloo, University of Alberta, and University of British Columbia, who met weekly for four months in 2025 to create the tabletop exercise and pilot the workshop.

Results: The tabletop simulation exercise (Preparing for the Unexpected in Pharmacy Workflows) has been delivered to 159 PharmD across Canada, with over 325 by July 2026. The workshop was designed as a simulation-style exercise designed to emulate community pharmacy practice in a constantly changing environment to reflect how students (as future pharmacists) can contribute to fostering a more resilient and prepared healthcare system. Students are presented with a community pharmacy scenario whereby a series of tasks, disruptions, and patients arise throughout a “day” that starts off typical and quickly takes a few unexpected turns. Students work in small groups to collectively decide on their action as a pharmacy team in managing the various tasks and new developments that arise. The workshop has received positive feedback from students.

Conclusion: This was a novel and innovative educational workshop to prepare PharmD students across Canada to undertake their roles as pharmacists working in community pharmacy and needing to respond to a disaster.

Background: As pharmacy programs continue to transform their educational approaches to address emerging pharmacy practice models, more information is needed on strategic and effective approaches for assessing students’ capabilities and practice readiness. Currently, most academic institutions systematically monitor final course grades (macro),¹ which limits insights provided by in-course assessments (micro) that can be used to identify students at risk as well as those exceeding expectations across the curriculum prior to final course grade determination.²,³ This project describes a systematic approach to monitor real-time individual student academic performance longitudinally across the curriculum that promotes practice-ready graduates.

Methods: Scores on major exam assessments (micro) and final course grades (macro) from all required coursework in the pharmacy curriculum were collected and transformed into a longitudinal data visualization platform. Assessment data represented both the required didactic curriculum and experiential curriculum. Data were presented at the individual student-level and organized by semester, required course, final course grade, and in-course exam score. A heat map visualized each student’s performance on all assessments. Benchmarks were used to identify students performing above, at, or below expected benchmarks.

Results: Over 97,000 data points representing 841 students’ performance on required didactic and required experiential assessments in 43 courses over three academic years were included in the initial data visualization. An overall flag frequency metric quantified student performance above, at, or below expectations. Patterns of performance variability emerged across semesters.

Discussion: A longitudinal, student level performance dashboard integrating micro- and macro-level assessment data provides a more comprehensive view of learner progression across the curriculum. The system supports proactive, individualized academic interventions and strengthens efforts to graduate practice ready pharmacists.

1. Robinson SE, Song JJ. Student academic performance system: quantitative approaches to evaluating and monitoring student progress. International Journal of Quantitative Research in Education. 2019;4(4):332-53.
2. Alston GL, et al. A 10-year study of the academic progress of students identified as low performers after their first semester of pharmacy school. Am J Pharm Educ. 2016;80(7):118.
3. Daugherty KK, et al. Sensitivity and specificity of course grades after exam failure used as an indicator for final course performance. Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2015;7(2):163-8.