A regional poison prevention education service-learning project.
OBJECTIVE
To create a service-learning project to provide poison prevention education to preschool through fifth-grade students.


METHODS
The School of Pharmacy collaborated with the Illinois Poison Center and campus departments to train pharmacy students as poison prevention educators. Seventy-eight first-year pharmacy students developed and gave age-appropriate, interactive presentations to more than 8,000 students at preschools and elementary schools.


RESULTS
Preintervention and postintervention evaluations and reflections were collected from the pharmacy students. Ninety-nine percent agreed that they enjoyed the experience and 88% stated that they would continue to provide poison prevention presentations. Based on written assessment of the presentations, most of the preschool and elementary teachers agreed or strongly agreed that the presentations were organized, clear, appropriate for the students, and relevant, and that the pharmacy students appeared knowledgeable and professional.


CONCLUSIONS
Poison prevention education was an appropriate service-learning project for pharmacy students and provided a beneficial service to the community.
Timpe
Erin M
EM
School of Pharmacy, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL 62026, USA. etimpe@siue.edu
Wuller
William R
WR
Karpinski
Julie P
JP
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D032882:Comprehension; D004512:Education, Pharmacy; D006266:Health Education; D040441:Health Educators; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D007858:Learning; D011039:Poison Control Centers; D011041:Poisoning / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011361:Professional Competence; D024382:Professional Role; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012572:School Health Services; D013339:Students, Pharmacy