Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To develop and implement a resource platform consisting of a fictional community of people to augment learning in an undergraduate pharmacy program and to refine patient contact skills. DESIGN: Pharmville, a virtual community comprised of 29 fictional characters in 7 families, was developed that included high-quality video vignettes, photographs, drug structures, documented health profiles, and medical and social histories representative of an Australian metropolitan suburb. Over the next 4 years, Pharmville resources and themes were incorporated into the Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) degree program orientation, and implemented in lectures and tutorials, assessments, independent study resources, and in a variety of contact activities throughout the curriculum. ASSESSMENT: A 2010 comprehensive evaluation found that 21 of the 29 Pharmville characters had been incorporated into teaching materials in about 40% of instructional units in the first 3 years of the BPharm program, that all of the types of resources available were being used, and that use was almost equal between pharmacy practice and science units. A student evaluation of Pharmville showed a positive response to its use, with students able to identify with various characters within the community. CONCLUSION: Pharmville is an instructional resource that links professionalism and academic study, and provides context for student learning.