Barriers And Facilitators Of Using MyDispenseTM From The Student Perspective : A Systematic Review

Introduction: MyDispense™ is a high-fidelity, low-stakes community pharmacy simulation, allowing students to practice dispensing skills. A systematic review was conducted to identify students’ perceptions regarding barriers and facilitators of MyDispense™ in pharmacy education. Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, and EMBASE databases were searched from 2015-2025 in January 2025 using combined keywords, proximity searching and Boolean operators. Studies investigating MyDispense TM and gathering students’ perceptions were included. Record screening was conducted by two independent reviewers (OC and LS). Any identified records from database searching and hand searching of included study reference lists were imported to Rayyan and subjected to independent review. Conflicts were resolved through a third party (RMcC), and discussions were held until consensus was reached. Results: Fifteen studies were included in this review. Seven studies were conducted in USA, six in Asia, one in UK, and one in Australia. All studies utilized purposive sampling. Sample sizes ranged from 33 to 322 students. All studies were survey based to gather student perceptions. Other data collection methods included semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions for students to further elaborate on survey responses. Identified facilitators were mapped to four overarching themes; “Develops competency”, “User-Friendliness”, “Engaging Learning Experience” and “Safe Learning Environment.” Key barriers were encompassed to three themes; “Learning Curve” , “IT issues” and “Limited Realism and Applications” Conclusion: This review identified the barriers and facilitators to MyDispenseTM use in students. MyDispense™ provides a novel approach by which pharmacy students can develop competency in a safe, engaging and realistic learning environment. However, significant barriers to its use includes the learning curve of the platform, technical issues, and the limited realism and applications of the platform.