About
Introduction
PedSMA℞T is a fast-paced clinical decision-making game where players take on the role of a pediatric pharmacist treating a steady stream of young patients. Inspired by the addictive loop of games like Cooking Dash, players must quickly assess symptoms, select the right antibiotic, and send patients home healthy — all while managing the pressure of a growing waiting room. Designed to make antibiotic stewardship education engaging and intuitive, PedSMA℞T is currently in development.
Purpose
The purpose of PedSMA℞T is to provide an immersive, game-based learning experience that reinforces antibiotic stewardship principles in a pediatric pharmacy setting. By simulating the fast-paced decision-making environment of a real clinical practice, the game trains players to make evidence-based antibiotic selections under time pressure, helping to build the clinical reasoning skills needed for responsible antimicrobial prescribing.
Goal
Our goal is to develop an engaging educational tool that promotes appropriate antibiotic use in pediatric populations and supports the training of future pharmacists in antimicrobial stewardship. Through interactive gameplay, we aim to improve players' understanding of pediatric infectious diseases, appropriate antibiotic selection, and the consequences of antimicrobial misuse — ultimately contributing to better patient outcomes and reduced antibiotic resistance.
PediaKATS — Student PPA
PedSMA℞T is being designed in collaboration with PediaKATS — Student PPA (Pediatric Pharmacists Advocating for Kids' Therapeutic Safety), a student organization at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. Founded in 2018, PediaKATS's mission is to advocate for the proper health education of pediatric patients and their caregivers in the greater Lexington area. The organization develops student pharmacists into professionals who can integrate pediatric-focused lessons into their practice, while providing shadowing opportunities with current pediatric pharmacists. Together, the CRoME Lab and PediaKATS are combining research expertise in game-based learning with frontline pediatric pharmacy knowledge to create a clinically accurate and educationally effective game.
For more information about PediaKATS, visit their BBNvolved page or follow them on Instagram at @ukcop_pediakats.
Publications
- Abraham O, Feathers A, Grieve LB, Babichenko D. Developing and piloting a serious game to educate children about over-the-counter medication safety. Journal of Pharmacy Health Services Research. 2019;10(2):235-241. https://doi.org/10.1111/jphs.12292
- Abraham O, LeMay S, Bittner S, Thakur T, Stafford H, Brown R. Investigating serious games that incorporate medication use for patients: a systematic literature review. JMIR Serious Games. 2020;8(2):e16096. https://doi.org/10.2196/16096
- Abraham O, Tidd M, Buechel M, Thakur T, Brown R. Student pharmacists' assessment of a serious game on opioid medication safety. Innovations in Pharmacy. 2020;11(4):Article 19. https://doi.org/10.24926/iip.v11i4.2937
- Abraham O, Feathers A, Mook HN, Korenoski AS. The perceived benefits of student pharmacists educating children on over-the-counter medication safety. Current Pharmacy Teaching and Learning. 2019;11(2):184-191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2018.11.005
- Abraham O, Alexander DS, Schleiden LJ, Carpenter DM. Identifying barriers and facilitators that affect community pharmacists' ability to engage children in medication counseling: a pilot study. Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 2017;22(6):412-422. https://doi.org/10.5863/1551-6776-22.6.412
- Abraham O, Brothers A, Alexander DS, Carpenter DM. Pediatric medication use experiences and patient counseling in community pharmacies: perspectives of children and parents. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association. 2017;57(1):38-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japh.2016.08.019
- Carpenter DM, Abraham O, Alexander DS, Horowitz K. Counseling of children and adolescents in community pharmacies: results from a 14-day observational study. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association. 2016;56(3):266-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japh.2016.03.001
Contact
If you have questions about this research, please contact the Principal Investigator, Dr. Olufunmilola Abraham by email: Olufunmilola.Abraham@uky.edu.
If you have questions about the CRoME Lab, our studies, becoming a participant, or want to join the team, please contact the Research Coordinator by email: crome.lab@uky.edu.
To learn more about PediaKATS — Student PPA and their involvement in the PedSMA℞T project, you can reach them at PediaKATS@gmail.com or follow them on Instagram at @ukcop_pediakats.
The CRoME Lab's mission is to develop, implement, and disseminate novel methods for improving medication safety and health behaviors for vulnerable and underserved populations, while training the next generation of researchers. Projects within the CRoME research core share the common goal of applying community-engaged, collaborative, and transdisciplinary approaches to improving medication use and health outcomes for families through education, prevention, and intervention programs. For more information, please visit our website: https://pharmacy.uky.edu/crome/
Funding Support
Funding information for PedSMA℞T will be updated soon. For more details about the CRoME Lab's research funding and support, please visit the CRoME Lab website.