Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 6 (2014) 259–264 Research Differences between residency- and non-residency-trained preceptors on student perceptions and activities of community practice advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) Edward F. Foote, PharmD a,* , Brian E. Roland, PharmD b , Michael R. Gionfriddo, PharmD, PhD c , Shelli Holt-Macey a a Department of Pharmacy Practice, Nesbitt College of Pharmacy and Nursing, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA b Department of Clinical & Administrative Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Baltimore, MD c Knowledge and Evaluation Research Unit, Center for Translational Science Activities, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN Abstract Background: Advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) in community pharmacy are a critical component in the training of student pharmacists. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) has developed guidelines on what activities should be completed on APPEs. The activities for community pharmacy are very specific and most of these activities go beyond dispensing and aim to teach the students to practice at an advanced level. Currently, it is unknown whether the residency training of the preceptor modifies the quality of students’ community APPE. The aims of the study were to (1) characterize the perceptions of students regarding the quality of their required community APPE, (2) compare the perceptions of students at community pharmacy APPE sites who either did or did not have a residency-trained preceptor, and (3) estimate and compare the amount of time spent in various activities within these two settings. Methods: An 18-item questionnaire was developed by the authors that concentrated on student responsibilities and satisfaction during their community APPE. The survey was sent to graduates of the class of 2009. Results: Overall, 85% of graduates responded to the survey. Students who had RTPs were more likely to rate the experience as beneficial (p ¼ 0.031), have a better perception of the experience (p ¼ 0.039), state that the preceptor was a positive role model (p ¼ 0.004), and report that the preceptor was active clinically (p ¼ 0.001). Conclusions: Residency-trained preceptors may provide an enhanced experience for student pharmacists in community practice. More research in this area is required to confirm our findings. r 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Pharmacy; Pharmacy education; Pharmacy residency; Experiential education; Pharmacy practice; Community pharmacy Background Advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) are the capstone of contemporary professional pharmacy edu- cation. The purpose of APPEs is to “integrate, apply, reinforce, and advance the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values developed through the other components of the curriculum.” 1 These experiences should be designed to provide student pharmacists the opportunity to refine their competencies such that they have the requisite skills to practice direct patient care in an entry level setting. Required experiences include community pharmacy, health-system pharmacy, ambulatory care, and inpatient/ acute care general medicine. 1 Specifically, the community pharmacy APPEs should be considered as a critical part of the APPE program since, in the United States, 54% of actively practicing pharmacists work in the community http://www.pharmacyteaching.com 1877-1297/14/$ – see front matter r 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2013.11.006 * Corresponding author: Edward F. Foote, PharmD, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Nesbitt College of Pharmacy and Nursing, Wilkes University, 84W. South Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766. E-mail: edward.foote@wilkes.edu