Preparing Pharmacists for the Digital Age: How Pharmacy Courses are Adapting to Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

ObjectiveAs the digitalization of health accelerates, the fusion of pharmacy and informatics becomes crucial. Pharmacy education must adapt to equip professionals for this evolving landscape. This study aims to compare pharmacy curricula in Brazil and the USA, focusing on health informatics, to uncover challenges and opportunities in training pharmacists for the digital era. MethodsA cross-sectional, descriptive analysis was conducted on pharmacy curricula from leading Brazilian and American universities in early 2024. Two independent researchers collected data, concentrating on health informatics-related courses. Curriculum analysis utilized the n-gram technique for linguistic pattern identification in course descriptions. ResultsThe analysis included curricula from 147 Brazilian and 140 American institutions. American programs had more health informatics courses, with greater integration into pharmacy and higher workloads. Brazilian courses were fewer, less specialized, and less integrated with pharmacy practice. Bi-gram analysis showed that the U.S. emphasized pharmaceutical practice and technologies, while Brazil focused more broadly on public health. Challenges include Brazil's slower integration of health informatics, impacting competitiveness. The study highlights opportunities to enhance curricula in both countries, emphasizing the importance of health informatics courses. ConclusionU.S. pharmacy programs are further developed by providing specialized, high-quality digital health education with extensive coursework, reflecting a curriculum in tune with digital advancements. This stands in stark contrast to Brazilian programs, which show a need for comprehensive curriculum revision to effectively prepare pharmacists for the digital age. This study underscores the urgency for global pharmacy education reform, aligning it with the rapid evolution of digital health.