PPS: Reflective writing

What is reflective writing in the Pharmacy context?

Reflective practice is a process designed to help you analyse an experience or situation in order to create new understandings, and ultimately develop greater self awareness. This is vital in the Pharmacy context, as your effectiveness as a practitioner in the Pharmacy field can have a direct impact on the health of your customers or clients.

Reflective writing encourages you to think about what you have learned and how you have learned it, while taking into account your observations of your experiences and beliefs. This type of reflection draws upon your past experiences as learners, as well as your current experiences while on placement or in an internship, and links these with theoretical learning in your Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science units.

What does reflective writing involve?

Reflective writing requires you to show that you can analyse and evaluate what you read, think and do, by acknowledging a range of viewpoints and possibilities. When you undertake a reflective task, you need to draw connections between what you have been asked to reflect on and relevant theories and content you have learned in your course.

While there are numerous reflective practice models available, Borton’s (1970) framework is the preferred model for the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Monash.

This simple framework is guided by three main questions:

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