The Role and Suitability of the Objective Structured Practical Examination in Pharmacy Education in Poland

Background: Objective structured practical examination (OSPE) is a new concept that allows students to assess their practical skills. These are multifunctional assessment tools that can be used to test a wide range of students’ competencies. OSPE can be assessed objectively by direct observation supported by a formalized assessment method. Testing of candidates in a wide range of practical and clinical skills is possible thanks to the precision, objectivity and repeatability of examinations. Traditional examinations have numerous limitations as to repeatability or standardization, but also in relation to the assessed scope of competence. Purposes: The aim of the work is to review the literature on objective structured practical examinations (OSPE) at Universities in Poland and around the world and to analyze the legitimacy of implementing a new method of assessing the effectiveness of education of pharmacy students. Methodology: Literature review in the context of practical examinations was conducted through an initial search of the databases of Pub Med, Medline, Science Direct, Google Scholar with full text. The search criteria included published scientist’s findings in English language articles written between 1975 and 2017. Findings: The key findings suggest that OSPE is an effective assessment tool from the perspective of educators and students. Students preferred this form of examination, because OSPE is used to assess the practical aspects of competences and is considered as an important and reliable method of examination. Conclusion: OSPE is dedicated to assessing practical skills. Thanks to its unique features: objectivity, reliability and validity, it indicates its superiority compared to other traditional methods of assessment. It allows checking a very wide range of student’s skills at different levels of teaching in a relatively short time.