Gamification of Pharmacy Practices: Learning How to Manage Patients the Fun Way

Introduction The Generation Y students who come into the pharmacy course are not only technology-savvy, but also digitally focused. In fact, these students are also coined as “Generation Cs” due to their “connectedness” with digital technologies (Fox, 2012). A constant challenge exists for our educators to find innovative approaches to sustain their interest in the modules, as well as encourage peer learning, and improve their practice skills. Additionally, the large student numbers (150-175 per cohort) make it a challenge for academic staff to monitor and instruct students on a one-on-one basis. Students’ level of understanding of the lecture content and their competency skills cannot be evaluated satisfactorily. As our students progress through the four years of study, they face the challenge of being able to integrate and apply what they have learnt in these modules to real-life practices. For pharmacy, this is especially important since the lack of these skills can impact patient safety. Game-based learning can provide a more interactive and engaging session as students participate both as a player and work collaboratively to solve various game challenges. Furthermore, virtual patient encounters can enable them to be more self-aware of their strengths and weaknesses, as well as improve their health communication skills.