Teaching pharmacotherapeutics to pharmacy students at a Nigerian university: Student perspectives (original) (raw)

2018, African Journal of Health Professions Education

Pharmacotherapeutics as defined by the Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary is 'the study of the therapeutic uses and effects of drugs in disease states'. [1] It is an essential component of the undergraduate pharmacy curriculum worldwide, and often encompasses drug therapy and several other aspects of patient care. With the move towards greater pharmacist involvement in patient care, the new-generation pharmacist needs to have an above-average clinical knowledge of various medications and disease states. [2] The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree was recently approved as the minimum requirement for registration as a pharmacist in Nigeria. Therefore, evaluating student perceptions of teaching methods and course content within the previous Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) curriculum would help us to develop an improved pharmacy education experience for future students. This article describes a project aimed at exploring the perceptions and views of undergraduate pharmacy students at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, on the course content and structure, as well as methods of delivery of a pharmacotherapeutic course. Background. Pharmacotherapeutics is an essential component of undergraduate pharmacy curricula worldwide. Therefore, improving the content and teaching of pharmacotherapeutic courses will better equip young pharmacists for their future careers. Objectives. To assess the perception and views of fourth-and fifth-year pharmacy students at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, on the content and structure, as well as methods of lecture delivery of a pharmacotherapeutics course. Methods. This was a sequential mixed-methods study. During the first phase, a pretested questionnaire containing both open-and closed-ended questions was distributed to all 201 students who enrolled for the course during the 2015/2016 academic session. After analyses of questionnaire responses, two focus group discussions (FGDs) were held with 16 randomly selected students (8 participants per group). Results. Over half of respondents (54%) had enrolled for the course more than once. Analyses of qualitative data from both questionnaires and FGDs yielded three themes: poor student awareness, relevance, and shortcomings in course structure and delivery. The most common complaints of students revolved around the bulkiness of the course and non-interactive teaching methods used by course lecturers. Their enjoyment of certain parts of the course was linked to a perceived relevance of some disease conditions over others. Conclusion. There is a need to improve the course structure and teaching of pharmacotherapeutics at the institution, as well as student participation in their own learning.