(227) From Theory and Practice To Active Involvement: A 360 Approach to Advocacy Training

Objective : To examine the impact of a multi-layered curricular approach using theory, simulation, and actual outreach on student pharmacists’ self-reported political advocacy skills.

Methods: A single-center prospective cohort study involving first professional year student pharmacists whose political advocacy skills were assessed using the Political Skills Inventory (PSI). Students completed the PSI at the start of Fall 2022 (T1), prior to any instruction, early Spring 2023 (T2) after introduction to political advocacy theory (intervention 1), at the end of Spring 2023 (T3) after receiving instruction on communication with legislator and two simulations where they practiced on interacting with a legislative aide, (intervention 2) and at the end of Summer 2023 (T4) after they completed an assignment for an outreach to a legislator (intervention 3). The pre- and post-PSI data were analyzed using a paired sample t-test (α < 0.05).

Results: The PSI scores between T1 and T2, T1 and T3, and between T1 and T4 all showed an increase, though not statistically significant. The change between the different timeframes were marginal and non-significant (on a 7-point scale, difference between T1-T2 (N= 39): +.15 (p= .278); T1-T3 (N = 29): +.30 (p= .073); T1-T4 (N = 22): +.19 (p= .293). Subscale analysis showed significant improvement in the PSI subscale social astuteness post-intervention 2 (N=29; T1 PSI mean 5.36 (SD=.95); T3 PSI mean 5.79 (SD=.91); p=.022).

Conclusions: A multi-faceted curricular approach for advocacy utilizing a didactic lecture on the concept of advocacy, simulation-based activity, and actual outreach to a legislator spanning over three semesters showed improvements in the composite PSI scale after each phase, and a statistically significant improvement in the social astuteness subscale.