PHARMACIST QUALIFYING EXAMINATION

Transcription

1 Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada PHARMACIST QUALIFYING EXAMINATION Part I (MCQ) Part II (OSCE) 2015 Spring 2015 Part I (MCQ) May Part II (OSCE) May 24 Application Deadline February 27* Fall 2015 Part I (MCQ) November 4-5 Part II (OSCE) November 7 Application Deadline August 7* EXAM DATES * Completed applications and payment must be received at PEBC by the deadline EXAM CENTRES Spring 2015 Part I (MCQ) - Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Waterloo, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, St. John s All Part I sites offer English and French Part II (OSCE) - Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Hamilton, London(ON), Waterloo, Kingston, Ottawa, Montreal (bilingual), Halifax, St. John s Fall 2015 Part I (MCQ) - Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Waterloo, Montreal, Halifax, St. John s Part II (OSCE) - Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Hamilton, London (ON), Waterloo, Kingston, Ottawa, Montreal (bilingual) IS THE EXAM AVAILABLE IN FRENCH? Exam is available in both official languages If French exam is requested: Part I (MCQ) - English and French text is provided - in any exam location Part II (OSCE) in either French or English in Montreal; English only at all other locations EXAM COST Qualifying Examination fee for 2015 Part I $ 400 Part II $1520 Parts I & II $1920 full fee is required upon application if applying online, full fee must be paid by Visa or MasterCard 1

2 APPLICATION FORM REQUIREMENTS Names to be registered as on birth certificate, Canadian Citizenship card or current Canadian Permanent Resident card Photocopies of birth certificate, citizenship card (both sides) or permanent resident card (both sides) marriage or legal name change certificate if applicable 4 recent identical passport size and quality photos (2 for each Part) with date taken stamped or written on back by a professional photographer APPLICATION FORM REQUIREMENTS Signature of acceptable witness across the attached photo on each application form and on document photocopies Completion of Application Checklist on page 2 of application form If not paying online Certified cheque, bank draft or money order for fee Deadlines: February 27 th for May exam August 7 th for November exam CHANGING CENTRES Notify the PEBC office in writing (by fax or mail) not later than: Part I Part II April 2 nd for May 2015 exam March 11 th for May 2015 exam WITHDRAWAL FROM THE EXAM OR REFUNDS If unable to attend or complete exam due to illness or for compassionate reasons: Inform PEBC by Refer to website for information regarding partial refunds September 1 st for November 2015 exam August 14 th for November 2015 exam PEBC Candidate Medical Certificate required for consideration of refunds due to illness *** Do not attend the exam if you feel ill *** RECEIPT OF APPLICATION acknowledgement of receipt will be sent from PEBC office after review of application (allow up to 4 weeks) PEBC ID/Card of Admission - will arrive at least 2 weeks before exam PEBC ID/Card of Admission - official receipt for income tax For acknowledgement of receipt of application(s): - send via courier service or Canada Post with tracking and confirmation of delivery CANDIDATE MATERIALS What should be brought to the exam? Your PEBC ID/Card of Admission, one piece of governmentissued photo ID, plus: Part I (MCQ) - a beverage and/or small snack (in a clear plastic bag or see-through container; wrappers removed) - pencils, erasers and calculators are provided Part II (OSCE) - snacks and water are provided - pencils,erasers and notebooks are provided 2

3 PROHIBITED MATERIALS Material you must NOT take to the exam: - watches - books, notes, references of any kind - calculators (will be supplied by PEBC), rulers, pencil cases - data organizers or other digital or electronic storage devices - pagers or cellular telephones, computers of any kind including hand held devices - photographic, recording or transmission devices - papers of any kind Notice: anyone who IMPROPER CONDUCT gives or receives help during exam attempts to take exam for someone else uses notes or personalized calculators, watches or other unauthorized aids fails to follow Presiding Officer s or Exam Staff instructions possesses or uses photographic, recording or transmission devices removes exam materials or notes from exam room Notice: anyone who IMPROPER CONDUCT refuses to comply with time allotments or exam administration procedures reproduces or discloses exam content (including engaging in discussions of exam content with anyone, including other candidates) is disruptive, disturbing other candidates behaves in an unprofessional or discourteous manner when interacting with PEBC and exam centre staff may be removed from the exam or have other action taken SECURITY OF TEST MATERIAL - COPYRIGHT PEBC maintains strict security of the content of its exams: - exam material protected by copyright and intellectual property rights Rules and certification statements (on application forms) preclude: - access to test items before or after exam - reproduction of exam content - disclosure of test items to others at any time (including other candidates) Failure to observe rules and certification statements: - may jeopardize PEBC certification - may result in a claim for damages and costs - may result in legal prosecution PART II (OSCE) CANDIDATES AGREEMENT FORM See sample on PEBC website Candidates must read and sign two copies of this document upon registering for Part II at the exam centre. EXAM BLUEPRINT Encompasses activities and functions of the pharmacist which serve/protect public See PEBC website information for Exam Blueprint based on NAPRA 2007 Competencies Each exam Part includes a specific number of questions or stations related to specific competencies Some competencies are tested in both Parts, some only in Part I or Part II 3

4 REFERENCES/LEARNING RESOURCES Candidates are responsible to obtain suitable reference sources and materials for review purposes See PEBC website for a partial listing of a variety of learning resources See website list of references used in Part II (OSCE) Sample questions and stations on the PEBC website demonstrate the format and phrasing, not the content, difficulty level or total scope of the exam TAKING THE EXAM PART I (MCQ) Two 3 &3/4 hour sittings (2 separate days) 300 questions (150 per sitting) 200 questions used to determine score Scored portion of exam identical in all forms Sample Answer Sheet- see PEBC website Remaining 100 questions are being pretested for future exams - pretest questions are indistinguishable from others - multiple forms of booklets allows for pretesting as many questions as possible DURING THE EXAM PART I (MCQ) Allow sufficient time to record all responses on answer sheet (no additional time given at the end to transfer answers) Failure to observe time limit will be reported to PEBC and will result in forfeiture of the exam Must properly complete answer sheet using PEBC pencil, as instructed SCORING PART I (MCQ) Based on total number of correct non-pretest questions Equal weighting of questions No deduction for incorrect answers TAKING THE EXAM PART II (OSCE) Consists of one 3 hour sitting, plus 2 to 3 hours for preand post-exam processes (registration, orientation, breaks, questionnaire, sequestering) 14 OSCE stations interactive stations - involving standardized clients (patients, caregivers, health professionals) 1-2 non-interactive stations (checking prescriptions) 12 scored stations and 2 pretest stations (not scored) 7-8 rest stations Scored portion of exam is identical; pretest stations vary SCORING PART II (OSCE) Part II (OSCE) Score is the sum across 12 stations of values for: Communication (verbal) - in 11 interactive stations Outcome / problem solving - in all 12 stations Overall Performance - in all 12 stations - includes accuracy of information, risk to patients, quality of performance 4

5 SAMPLE STATION #1 OBJECTIVE To assess the pharmacist s ability to communicate with and educate an elderly patient regarding a prescription for pain control, recognizing and addressing the patient s concerns COMPETENCIES TESTED 1 Patient care 5 Communication and education CANDIDATE INSTRUCTIONS A cancer patient who has been using morphine sustained release tablets is experiencing increasing levels of pain. He is now being started on morphine oral solution and has some questions and concerns about using it. Please assist him as you would in practice. Time Frame: You have 7 minutes to complete this station. SCENARIO DESCRIPTION Opening statement: Hello, I just got this new prescription for morphine liquid yesterday. I am uncertain about how to use it along with my morphine pills, and what it will do to me if I take both of them. Would you explain how to take it and what I should know about it? Patient Profile Information: Patient Name: Ted Wheaton Medical History: Prostate cancer x 3 years Gender: M Allergies: None Age: 70 Medications: Sustained release morphine sulfate tablets (MS Contin ) 30 mg q.12.h. (prescribed 2 mo. ago) Morphine Oral Solution 5mg q 4-6h p.r.n. (new prescription) Other information (to be given by SP on request): Social/Lifestyle - see handout Symptoms see handout Other see handout Standardized Patient Instructions If not told by the candidate, the standardized patient must ask: see handout ASSESSOR SCORING INFORMATION See Scoring Guide in handout -Problem Solving Criteria -Checklist - Scoring: Communication Outcome Performance PASSING STANDARD Pass/fail standard, set by practitioners Standard - represents level of performance appropriate to enter practice Candidate s level of ability is compared to the standard - not to others performance No fixed pass-fail rate for the exam PASSING SCORE Part I (MCQ) - is the number of questions to be answered correctly Part II (OSCE) - is the total score required across all stations, based on global ratings Score equating and standard-setting processes ensure that the pass-fail score represents an equivalent standard of performance from one exam to the next Performance standard is the same for every exam and takes exam difficulty into account EXAM RESULTS If address change - notify PEBC in writing Date of website posting and mailing of results to candidates: For May 2015 exam July 6, 2015 For November 2015 exam December 17, 2015 Successful candidates names are reported to provincial regulatory bodies on dates listed above Pass/fail status only - no actual score released Certificate of Qualification mailed out approx. 8 weeks after results 5

6 HOW MANY TIMES CAN I TAKE THE EXAM? Maximum of three attempts at each Part Must re-take only the Part failed Additional remediation and/or practical experience after three failed attempts Board will consider a petition for one additional and final (fourth) attempt Must complete both Parts within 3 years QUESTIONS/CONCERNS Check the PEBC website information OR Contact PEBC office in writing to pebcinfo@pebc.ca 6