Attaining Communicative Competency in Pharmacy Practice: A Retrospective Analysis of the Construction of a Communication Course for International Pharmacy Graduates

The ability to communicate effectively is an essential skill required by licensed pharmacists and it plays an integral role in meeting standards of practice. Acquiring the communication skills needed to successfully complete these standards of practice can be particularly challenging for International Pharmacy Graduates, or IPGs, many of whom are second language learners. This paper retrospectively analyses the construction of a communication course for IPGs, viewed through the theories of Lev Vygotsky and Donald Schön, which assists the IPGs in developing their communication skills for the Canadian context and applying them in increasingly independent ways. Course satisfaction surveys from two IPG cohorts were reviewed for qualitative feedback that would discuss the students’ appreciation for the course design in relation to their learning. In general, students appreciated the learning supports in the first half of the course, but had more difficulty with the second half of the course that was designed to create a level of ambiguity that mimicked real life pharmacy practice. The authors felt more research is needed in this area of instruction design; however, this unique course design could have future implications for teaching communicative competency for international health care professionals.