Integrating a Tooth of Medicine: Dental and Pharmacy Students Collaborate to Provide Education to Patients in Clinical Settings

We are excited to share our ongoing pilot implementation of incorporating student pharmacists in a dental clinic. An unlikely interprofessional pairing has created a rich exposure to two health professions that would not likely pair up in real practice. The goal of this activity for the students was created to increase knowledge of medication history-taking skills and expand knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of each other's training and profession. The ultimate objective is to help both dental and pharmacy students realize the potential of how future collaboration could enhance patient care.

Students from each school were paired together and then saw patients both for intake and treatment, including some oral surgeries followed by a group debrief discussion about what they both experienced and observed. Patients who attend this clinic are aware they will interact and receive treatment from dental students but they often don't realize the value of the pharmacist until they talk with the student pharmacists. Active learning is achieved at each patient care level.
This Lightning Talk will walk attendees through the collaborative steps taken to initiate, implement, and monitor outcomes of dental students in their third and fourth year interacting with student pharmacists in their second year in an indigent dental clinic. Quality improvement of each pilot phase will highlight lessons learned and future expansion to further team-building skills to take into their future practice together.