Pharmacy Student Education Related to Opioids: A Scoping Review of the Literature.

OBJECTIVES: This scoping review explores and assesses the extent of the literature on the current state of opioid-related training and education of student pharmacists and identifies areas for further research to improve the preparedness of future pharmacists in managing care for patients using opioid medications. This review also examines and maps the literature as it relates to the 4 substance misuse educational content areas (legal/ethical issues; screening, treatment, and stigma; pharmacology and toxicology; and psychosocial aspects) recommended by the 2020 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Special Committee on Substance Use and Pharmacy Education.

FINDINGS: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify articles reporting opioid-related educational and training initiatives for student pharmacists in the United States through May 2023. A total of 52 articles were included in the review. Nearly 40% of the included studies reported content that addressed all 4 recommended content areas, with only 8 addressing only 1 or 2 content areas. The majority of studies included students in the third year of their pharmacy program, with many reporting interprofessional educational initiatives. Assessments of opioid-related knowledge and attitudes, satisfaction with the activity, and interprofessional attitudes and competencies were reported.

SUMMARY: Most of the reported activities addressed at least 3 of the recommended educational content areas. However, relatively few reported sufficient details to support the replication of the activities and there is a need to evaluate the effectiveness of these educational initiatives with more vigorous research methodology to determine their potential effectiveness.