Incorporating an internet-based voicemail drug information assessment in an introductory pharmacy practice course.

Objectives: To examine the implementation and student perceptions of an innovative verbal drug information assessment.

Design: The drug information assignment in an introductory pharmacy practice course was redesigned and an assessment of a verbal response to a drug information request was added with the use of an internet-based voicemail (IBVM) system.

Assessment: Students performed well on both the verbal vs. written assessments. Most students strongly agreed or agreed that completing both assignments was a valuable experience; however, more students agreed that the verbal assignment was useful (90% vs. 83%). More students agreed that the verbal assignment helped prepare them as a pharmacist (97% vs. 85%) and that the verbal assignment increased their confidence (82% vs. 78%). Student comments echoed these results; additionally, many indicated that the verbal assessment was realistic.

Conclusion: The IBVM assessment was successful, user-friendly, and this mode of assessment may be useful in other courses.