(P405) Fostering Psychosocial and Diabetes Self-management Skills Among pharmacy Students Through a Hybrid Advanced Diabetes Elective Course

Pharmacists are the most accessible and frequently visited healthcare professionals in the US. Among adult patients diagnosed with diabetes, it is estimated that 88.2% use oral or injectable medications to manage their diabetes. As a result, pharmacists can provide appropriate psychosocial support in addition to drug therapy management for patients with diabetes. In the US, Pharmacy school curricula include didactic and experiential instruction on diabetes management with emphasis placed on pharmacotherapy management and disease complication prevention. However, patient-care skills like effective communication and interviewing, evaluation of mental well-being, and the provision of healthy coping strategies require additional training opportunities that are not typically afforded in the required diabetes curriculum due to time constraints. This poster discusses how simulation activities are effective tools to teach pharmacy students diabetes self-management (carbohydrate counting, medication taking, and insulin calculation/injection) and psychosocial skills via first-hand experiences and should be incorporated into required or elective courses.