Contestants

2-person teams will be registered and compete in the student or resident category. A team of mixed contestants will be placed in the category of the highest member.

Scenario

You are consulted on the care of a patient. The patient may be in an inpatient ward or an outpatient clinic. You will receive some patient information that could be found in the patient chart (history and physical exam, results of lab tests and x-rays, physician notes and orders, medication profiles, etc.).

Format

Teams will convene on Friday, April 17 from 4pm – 6pm.  During these 2 hours, the teams will review the patient case and write a plan (identifies problem, plan and monitoring). The teams will have access to some standard references which they may use to develop a therapeutic plan that  identifies and assesses all acute and chronic medical problems, drug-related problems, and health care needs of the patient. The therapeutic plan and recommendations should be realistic and targeted towards the problems of highest acuity. Remember, in real life everything is not done or changed at once. Then the teams will have 3 minutes to present their assessment and recommendations to a panel of 3 judges on Saturday, in a problem-oriented format (don't present the patient), starting with the problem of highest acuity and ending with the problem of lowest acuity.

Only the problems of immediate significance or that the management is being changed at this patient visit need to be presented. However, be prepared to answer questions regarding any of the acute and chronic medical problems, drug-related problems, and health care needs of the patient. One or both team members may present and both members can answer questions posed to the team. The team is to assume the judges are familiar with the patient and are attending physicians on the health care team. The team presentations will be followed by a 7 minute question and answer session in which the teams must explain their rationale and defend their assessments and recommendations. Specific questions about drugs, pharmacotherapy, and disease states may be asked to assess the depth of knowledge and understanding of clinical pharmacology, toxicology, and therapeutics of the team members.

Event

The preparation for the competition will take place on Friday, April 17 (4pm – 6pm).  The judging will take place on Saturday, April 18 at the TSHP Annual Seminar in Austin.  Individual team start times will be assigned after the deadline and contestants will be notified of the schedule Friday evening, April 17.  Presentations will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning.

References will be provided, but it is recommended to bring personal references for use.  Handhelds are permitted as a reference – but no personal notes may be used.  The moderator in the room will evaluate handhelds for use.  It is also recommended that contestants bring a calculator.

Judging

There will be a 3 judge panel for each category. Team performance will be judged based on predefined criteria (documentation 25%, presentation 25%, and response to questions 50%). Observers are invited to watch the participants interact with the judges.

Case Discussion

A roundtable discussion of the case with the judges, participants, and observers will be held following the competition. This is your opportunity to ask questions, receive feedback, and possibly learn something new.

Prizes

Members of the winning team in each category will receive a plaque, a $75 cash prize and a complimentary registration to the TSHP 62^nd Annual Seminar & Exhibit.  The second place student team will receive a $50 cash prize.

Registration

Register by April 3, 2009 with names of team members, contact numbers, and e-mail addresses.  Registrations will be accepted after the deadline pending available space. For additional information about the competition, contact Susan Loughlin (loughlin3@sbcglobal.net).  Both members of the team should be registered to attend TSHP Annual Seminar or Alcalde Conference.  Space will be allotted to those registered for TSHP first.

Sample Case.

Click here to view an example of a Clinical Skills Competition case.

DISEASE STATE MANAGEMENT COMPETITION

Contestants

Only individual undergraduate students without an active pharmacy license and currently enrolled in a college of pharmacy will be registered in this competition.

Scenario

You have just established a disease management program in an outpatient pharmacy as part of a collaborative practice arrangement with a local physician. The disease management program could involve asthma, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, thromboembolic diseases) or other disease states. The physician thinks that you can help him/her improve therapeutic outcomes and the quality of life of his/her patients. He/She wants you to educate his/her patients about their disease, the proper use of their medications, and any relevant self-monitoring techniques as well as to assess their compliance. Also, he/she wants you to evaluate their medication regimen and response to therapy and do medication management under protocol to fine-tune their drug therapy. You will be able to adjust doses, add drugs, and discontinue drugs from specific classes of drugs specified in the protocol.  Of course, you will have to document all the patient care that you provide in a patient chart you keep in the pharmacy so that you can track patient progress over time, fax the physician a copy of your notes for his/her records when you see his/her patients, and bill for your services.

Format

You will be given some brief information on your disease management program and your first patient, including a medication profile and refill history. You will have 10 minutes to review this information and evaluate his/her medication regimen and compliance. During this time you will have access to drug references. Then you will have 15 minutes with the patient. During this time you can obtain any further history from the patient that you need. You will have to evaluate the patient's response to therapy. You will have to assess the patient's knowledge about his/her disease, the proper use of his/her medications, and any relevant self-monitoring techniques. You should provide education as appropriate. Also, you will need to discuss with the patient any changes that you decide to make with his/her medication regimen per protocol. Finally, you will have 10 minutes to write a brief progress note to keep in your records and also to fax to the physician.

Event

The event will take place on Saturday, April 18^th at the TSHP Annual Seminar in Austin. Start times will be assigned after the deadline.  Participants will be notified of the schedule and given time to prepare their presentation. Presentations will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Judging

There will be 3 judges. One will play the patient and the other two will watch the interaction. Observers are invited to watch the participants interact with the patient/judge. You will be judged on the following criteria: communication skills (20%), interpersonal skills (20%), clinical problem-solving and decision-making skills (20%), educational skills (20%), and documentation skills (20%).

Prizes

The winner will receive a certificate, a $75 cash prize and, a complimentary registration to the TSHP 62^nd Annual Seminar & Exhibit.

Case Discussion

A roundtable discussion of the case with the judges, participants, and observers will be held following the competition. This is your opportunity to ask questions, receive feedback, and possibly learn something new.

Registration

For additional information about the competition, contact Susan Loughlin (loughlin3@sbcglobal.net).  All participants must be registered for the TSHP Annual Seminar.

Sample Case.

Click here to view an example of a Disease State Management Competition case.

Additional TSHP Annual Seminar Information