Incorporating a Diabetes Certificate Program in a Pharmacy Curriculum

To determine student competency and confidence in the provision of diabetes care and satisfaction with incorporation of the American Pharmacist Association/American Association of Diabetes Educators (APhA/AADE) diabetes certificate program into the required doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum.Material from the diabetes certificate program was incorporated longitudinally into the third-year curriculum skills laboratory courses. Educational techniques used included self-study modules with case questions, lectures using the program's slides and live seminar materials, and active-learning techniques including instructor-led modeling and role-playing exercises, small group activities, objective structured learning exercises (OSLE) using standardized patients, and a week-long diabetes simulation.Students achieved a 100% pass rate on a diabetes certificate program examination and earned a mean score of 71.8 out of 100 points on a medication therapy management (MTM) objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). A student survey demonstrated high student confidence in their ability to provide diabetes care (mean scores 4.2 to 4.8) and satisfaction with the program (mean scores 4.5 to 4.8).Longitudinal integration of a nationally recognized diabetes certificate program into the required PharmD curriculum produced satisfied students competent in providing diabetes pharmaceutical care.