Pharmacology Curriculum Research Articles

Evaluation of Undergraduate Pharmacology Curriculum-Interns’ Perceptions of Clinical Pharmacology Skills

BackgroundUltimate aim of learning pharmacology for undergraduate medical students is to be able to select and prescribe drugs rationally. It is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum in achieving this aim.ObjectivesTo evaluate the effectiveness of revised pharmacology curriculum through perceptions of interns regarding confidence in rational prescribing and clinical skills related to it.Materials and MethodsA questionnaire-based study was carried out with interns in November 2011. The questionnaire contained questions pertaining to interns’ perception about relevance of pharmacology learning experiences and their confidence in prescribing and related skills.ResultsOf the 135 interns, 113 responded (83.3%), M/F ratio being 2.7:1. Thirty interns (26.5%) had rotated through major clinical postings. As many as 92% agreed that pharmacology curriculum was relevant to make them rational prescribers. In response to confidence in prescribing for common illnesses, more than 90% were confident for malaria, for acute diarrhoeal illness and for upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), whereas the results were low for depression (13%), primary dysmenorrhoea (30%) and transient insomnia (31%). Majority of interns were confident in withdrawing required quantity of drug in syringe (74%) and giving intravenous injection (65%), whereas the results were low for calculating dose based on body weight and body surface area (BSA), 27% and 16%, respectively. Interns who completed paediatrics posting were more confident in calculating dose by body weight and BSA than those who had not (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.001, <italic>P</italic>&lt;0.02).Curriculum for skill development in pharmacology is effective to a great extent. However, some weak areas need greater emphasis during training.

Objective structured practical examination as a tool for the formative assessment of practical skills of undergraduate students in pharmacology.

Introduction:Assessment for practical skills in medical education needs improvement from subjective methods to objective ones. An Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) has been considered as one such method. This study is an attempt to evaluate the feasibility of using OSPE as a tool for the formative assessment of undergraduate medical education in pharmacology.Materials and Methods:Students of second year MBBS, at the end of the first term, were assessed by both the conventional practical examination and the Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE). A five-station OSPE was conducted one week after the conventional examination. The scores obtained in both were compared and a Bland Altman plot was also used for comparison of the two methods. Perceptions of students regarding the new method were obtained using a questionnaire.Results:There was no significant difference in the mean scores between the two methods (P = 0.44) using the unpaired t test. The Bland Altman plot comparing the CPE (conventional practical examination) with the OSPE showed that 96% of the differences in the scores between OSPE and CPE were within the acceptable limit of 1.96 SD. Regarding the students’ perceptions of OSPE compared to CPE, 73% responded that OSPE could partially or completely replace CPE. OSPE was judged as an objective and unbiased test as compared to CPE, by 66.4% of the students.Conclusion:Use of OSPE is feasible for formative assessment in the undergraduate pharmacology curriculum.

Knowledge of Sri Lankan government medical practitioners and medical students on standard treatment guidelines; regional cross sectional survey

Introduction of module of rational use of medicine (RUM) to pharmacology curriculum requires analysis of existing knowledge among health care workers. We conducted this study to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of medical practitioners (MPs) and medical students (MSs) on Standard Treatment Guidelines (STG) as an initial tread. 42 MPs and 120 MSs were selected and for this study and pretested structured questionnaire on STG and core policies of RUM were used to evaluate the key testing parameters. Results showed that only 78% of MPs were confident about their knowledge in STG and 7% of them were not attentive. Knowledge of MPs and MSs showed 78% and 84% on contents of STG while the knowledge in core policies was 73% and 34% respectively. More than 99% of MSs and 71% of MPs were attentive on the inclusion of clinical features of the illness in STG. Knowledge on updating and significance of STG as guidance for new prescribers of MPs were 84% and 88% respectively while 96% of MSs had acquainted in those two areas. Both groups had good knowledge on STG and they showed that STG were prepared with accordance with personnel experience (MPs-71%, MSs-74%). 80% of MSs and 75% MPs discerned that common treatment practices is not an inclusion criteria for STG. We found that MSs had good knowledge on contents of STG but skills in application in RUM were limited. MPs had good knowledge on core policies and application of STG but not familiar with principles of STG. We conclude that MPs need repetitive in-service training programs to ensure the adherence to STG and MSs are in need of skill development program to pertain STG in clinical practice.

An Assessment of the Prescribing Skills of Undergraduate Dental Students in Malaysia

Most dental schools lack a module on prescription writing in pharmacology. This study assessed the prescription writing skills of a group of Malaysian dental students at the end of their undergraduate training program. A quantitative study of a two-group posttest experiment was designed, and thirty-seven fifth-year (final-year) dental students were divided into two groups (A [n=18] and B [n=19]). Group A received a didactic lecture on how to write a complete prescription, while Group B served as a control group. For prescription writing, three standardized dental scenarios with a diagnosis of irreversible pulpitis associated with a child and a pregnant woman and periapical pulpitis for an adult man were administered. Thus, a total of 111 prescriptions (Group A [n=54] and Group B [n=57]) were collected. Twelve elements in each prescription were assessed by frequency and a chi-square test. Improvements in eight out of the twelve elements were observed in prescriptions written by students in Group A. The significantly improved elements were provision of the symbol R(x) (39.8 percent) (p<0.001), inclusion of the prescriber's signature (75.3 percent) (p<0.001), inclusion of the date with the prescriber's signature (54.6 percent) (p<0.001), and inclusion of the prescriber's registration (30.5 percent) (p<0.001). Overall, Group A gained almost a 50 percent improvement in writing complete prescriptions due to the intervening lecture. It appeared a traditional lecture led to the more accurate writing of a complete prescription. It was suggested that a module on prescription writing be added to the school's pharmacology curriculum, so that dental graduates will be competent in prescription writing for the sake of their patients' health.

Prescribing and the core curriculum for tomorrow's doctors: BPS curriculum in clinical pharmacology and prescribing for medical students

Prescribing is one of the commonest tasks expected of new doctors and is a complex process involving a mixture of knowledge, judgement and skills. Preparing graduates to be prescribers is one of the greatest challenges of modern undergraduate medical education and there is some evidence to suggest that training could be improved. The aims of this article are (i) to review some of the challenges of delivering effective prescribing education, (ii) to provide a clear statement of the learning outcomes in clinical pharmacology and prescribing that should be expected of all medical graduates and (iii) to describe a curriculum that might enable students to achieve these outcomes. We build on the previous curriculum recommendations of the British Pharmacological Society and take into account those of other key bodies, notably the General Medical Council. We have also reviewed relevant evidence from the literature and set our work in the context of recent trends in medical education. We divide our recommended learning objectives into four sections: principles of clinical pharmacology, essential drugs, essential therapeutic problems and prescribing skills. Although these will not necessarily be accepted universally we believe that they will help those who design and map undergraduate curricula to explore potential gaps and identify improvements.

An agenda for UK clinical pharmacology: How should training of graduates in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics be delivered and assessed?

The UK postgraduate curriculum in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT) incorporates the common competencies required of all physicians and shows how trainees from other specialties, including primary care, can train in CPT. Various models of training and assessment are possible. Evolution of the current system to meet new challenges would maintain an established tradition, with a ready source of training funds. However, this would require greater input from all consultants in CPT, including the training and assessment of trainees. A joint venture with the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine would have the advantage, if the Faculty agreed, of introducing ready-made curriculum modules and assessment tools that have been accepted by the General Medical Council. However, extra modules relevant to CPT would have to be constructed to complement the common areas already in the pharmaceutical medicine curriculum, and there would be a perceived loss of the independence that clinical pharmacologists currently enjoy when making decisions about manufacturers' products. Abandoning externally approved training in CPT would allow the specialty to devise its own training and assessment in the necessary skills. Critically, however, this would impair the status of the specialty and would incur loss of financial support from postgraduate Deaneries. To attract high-calibre trainees, we must completely define CPT training and assessment structures. Most clinical pharmacologists seem to prefer to allow the current structures to evolve under external guidance. However, this will not succeed unless all trained clinical pharmacologists contribute to development of both the curriculum and specific assessment tools, and open their teaching and assessment skills to scrutiny.

Neuroimmune Pharmacology as a Component of Pharmacology in Medical School Curriculum

An introduction to the discipline of pharmacology is a standard part of the scientific foundation of medical school curricula. Neuroimmune pharmacology is a new subtopic that integrates fundamental concepts of neuroscience, immunology, infectious disease, and pharmacology. The integration of these areas is important to medical training in view of the growing concern over neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive disorders. This article introduces a submodule and concomitant syllabus for inclusion of neuroimmune pharmacology as a component of a pharmacology curriculum. The introductory lectures of neuroimmune pharmacology will concentrate on the role of the immune system in (1) schizophrenia and major depression; (2) neurodegenerative disorders; and (3) drug addiction. Emphasis will be placed on the competencies of critical thinking, problem solving, learning interest, and effectiveness of medical students. Problem-based learning and case study discussions will also be applied.

Nursing students' pharmacological knowledge and calculation skills: Ready for practice?

To evaluate graduating students' pharmacological knowledge and calculation skills and describe their self-rated readiness to safe medication care in practice on two nurse educational levels. Additionally, the study describes some characteristics of pharmacology in nurse education in Flanders, Belgium. Thirty-eight nursing schools (bachelor's degree in nursing [N=18] and diploma in nursing [N=20]) were asked to provide details on their pharmacology curriculum and to let their graduating students participate in a cross-sectional survey using the Medication Knowledge and Calculation test in February/March 2009. The 29 participating schools showed a large diversity in pharmacology curricula. Mean scores on the pharmacology section and calculation section were 55% and 66%, respectively, for bachelor's degree and 52% and 53% for diploma students. On a scale of 1-10, 27% had a self-rated readiness perception≤5. Results differed significantly between schools. Just before graduation, nursing students' pharmacological knowledge and calculation skills are limited. Apart from the test results, students did not perceive themselves able to deliver safe medication care in practice. Schools need to address the shortcomings. In practice, awareness is needed regarding possible limitations of the newly graduated.

Web-Based Course in Neuroimmune Pharmacology

Web-based instruction of biomedical sciences courses has increased dramatically during the last decade, and this increase has been driven by the need to increase student access to educational programs and by the increasing demand for courses that are compatible with distance learning. Here, a blended learning curriculum in neuroimmune pharmacology is described that combines web-based learning modules with traditional face-to-face lectures. The course content is appropriate for graduate-level students and can be adapted to an entirely web-based course that can be deployed for distance learning. In addition to providing a course syllabus, this article describes the process of creating the web-based modules for course construction.

Assessment of Awareness among Clinicians about Concepts in Undergraduate Pharmacology Curriculum: A Novel Crosssectional Study

Objective:In the last 30 years, concepts in pharmacology have moved from Essential Medicines (EM) to P-drugs via the Rational Use of Medicines (RUM), but no structured study has evaluated the level of understanding among working clinicians about these concepts. The present study is designed to fulfill that lacuna.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out in and around the teaching hospitals attached to Medical Colleges, enrolling 504 clinicians from six centers across North India to fill-up a questionnaire containing 25 questions. The results were compiled using percentages and averages.Results:Only one-fourth of the participants claimed that they always prescribed Essential Medicines; no one could accurately count the number of drugs / drug combinations in the Indian Essential Drug list; only 15.1% of the clinicians used to write the generic names of drugs on a prescription slip; about one-third of the clinicians were not fully aware about the adverse effects, drug interactions, and contraindications of the drugs they prescribed; about 83% of the physicians admitted to rely on information from Medical Representatives (MRs) and the interest in research activities seemed to be lost.Conclusion:Results show a sorry state of affairs among clinicians, as far as the level of understanding about EM, P-drugs, and RUM is concerned, and points toward arranging more continuing medical education (CME) for clinicians regarding these concepts.

Students’ Attitudes Toward Integrating Problem‐Based Learning into a D.D.S. Pharmacology Curriculum

The purpose of this study was to determine student perceptions of the methods used to teach pharmacology content via problem-based learning (PBL) cases with respect to students' comprehension and application of pharmacology content, confidence in their own pharmacology knowledge after completion of PBL instruction, and confidence in treating clinical patients who are taking multiple medications. Our hypothesis was that the most effective presentation of pharmacology content is one that focuses on broad drug classes and includes a pharmacology assignment, a post-assignment group discussion and consensus, and a graded group response for the assignment. Via a five-question survey instrument, we assessed the students' perceptions of pharmacology education and learning of pharmacology concepts through PBL. Survey responses were anonymous, and results were reported as aggregate data. The survey statements were answered on a five-point Likert scale with 1 indicating strong disagreement and 5 indicating strong agreement. The percentage of each class that completed the survey was as follows: first years, 96 percent (n=97); second years, 92 percent (n=94); third years, 87 percent (n=91); and fourth years, 95 percent (n=73). A trend in the data shows that the closer the student is to graduation, the less he or she valued the pharmacology knowledge taught in PBL. Their responses seem to indicate that the newer teaching methods, a pharmacology assignment, a post-assignment group discussion and consensus, and a graded group response for the assignment employed in PBL cases lead to better understanding of pharmacology concepts and confidence in the students' own pharmacology knowledge.

Pharmacology Simulation Scenario: Respiratory Failure Due to Asthma Exacerbation

OPEN ACCESSFebruary 23, 2010Pharmacology Simulation Scenario: Respiratory Failure Due to Asthma Exacerbation Jimmy Beck, Christie Romo, MD, Kent Denmark, MD Jimmy Beck Loma Linda University School of Medicine Google Scholar More articles by this author , Christie Romo, MD Loma Linda School of Medicine Google Scholar More articles by this author , Kent Denmark, MD Loma Linda School of Medicine Google Scholar More articles by this author https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.7965 SectionsAbout ToolsDownload Citations ShareFacebookTwitterEmail AbstractAbstractThis resource is a manikin-based simulation case involving a 22-year-old male who presents to an emergency room with progressive shortness of breath due to an asthma exacerbation. The patient develops respiratory failure requiring intubation during the initial emergency room treatment. This resource is one of three respiratory simulation cases developed as part of a second-year medical school pharmacology curriculum. These cases were developed to help medical students integrate basic science principles taught in traditional lectures with real-life clinical scenarios. In this scenario, the learner needs to rapidly assess a patient with an acute asthma exacerbation, describe the mechanism of action of various pharmacologic agents used in the treatment of status asthmaticus, and then determine the most likely physiologic responses after the administration of select medications. Finally, the learner must proceed to intubation of this patient after pharmacologic therapy fails. This simulation scenario has been used by approximately 180 second-year medical students. The feedback we have received has been very favorable, with many of the students requesting that we incorporate more simulation exercises into the basic science curriculum. Educational Objectives By the end of this simulation, learners should be able to: Develop a plausible differential diagnosis from the history and physical examination findings for the scenario and explain how each diagnosis in the differential is consistent with the findings.Identify and discuss the pathophysiologic mechanisms that are most likely responsible for the patient-simulator's findings.Choose a treatment plan that utilizes medications and/or intravenous fluids to resolve the patient-simulator's condition.Determine what the most likely physiologic responses will be after the administration of select medications to the patient simulator. Sign up for the latest publications from MedEdPORTAL Add your email below FILES INCLUDEDReferencesRelatedDetails FILES INCLUDED Included in this publication: Asthma Intubation Case.pdf To view all publication components, extract (i.e., unzip) them from the downloaded .zip file. Download editor’s noteThis publication may contain technology or a display format that is no longer in use. Copyright & Permissions© 2010 Beck et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives license.KeywordsAsthmaRespiratory FailureIntubationPhysical Diagnosis Evaluation PathophysiologyRapid Sequence InductionBag Mask VentilationOxygen Consumption Disclosures None to report. Funding/Support None to report. Loading ...

Re-engineering pharmacology teaching and research: Can we adopt translational approach?

Re-engineering pharmacology teaching and research: Can we adopt translational approach?

A survey on postgraduate pharmacology education in India

Sir, Recent advances have opened up exciting career opportunities for pharmacologists. However, there is a belief that the current postgraduate pharmacology curriculum has not kept pace with the advances.[1,2] A survey was conducted to assess the opinion of pharmacologists toward postgraduate pharmacology education in India. The questionnaire was forwarded to the online communities (indpharm and genxpharm), and distributed during the IPS conference, 2009. A total of 113 participants (Online: 47; IPS Conference: 66) completed the survey. The responses are discussed below. Curriculum focus: It was felt by 96% respondents that pharmacology curriculum lays emphasis only on becoming better undergraduate teachers. Eighty three percent respondents felt that the curriculum provides inadequate practical training on research methodology. Seventy four percent respondents mentioned that a primary challenge is to train the students in the recent advances. The participants suggested additional trainings required for employability that are shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 Additional training required for employability of pharmacology PG students Institutions: Most institutes are not equipped with required infrastructure as opined by 93% respondents. Eighty seven percent felt that the faculty members are not trained in recent advances. A collaborative and positive research atmosphere was lacking as opined by 55% of respondents, while 65% opined that their institutions do not provide funds for registration or travel allowances to attend or present their scientific research at national conferences. Career options: The participants were aware of their role as teachers (98%) and as a functionary in pharmaceutical (72%) and medical writing industry (52%). Only 13% knew about the opportunities in BA, BE studies, and pharmacovigilance. Research preference: Participants showed interest in preclinical (9%) and clinical research (34%) alone, while other participants mentioned interest in both preclinical and clinical research. Training programs: The participants felt that interactive workshops should be compulsory for postgraduates. There should be assignments, practical exposure, and assessments. Sixty two percent mentioned that departmental seminars and journal clubs should have assessments and periodic reviews of the PG students. Examination pattern: This is theory oriented with less of practical approach as felt by 91% respondents. Also, the PG dissertation topics are repetitions of previous studies leading to few noteworthy scientific contributions. Need of the hour: The curriculum should be modified to accommodate recent advances. There should be internship opportunities, industry-academia, and inter-academia collaborations. Recent advances should be included in the vast curriculum by means of a credit-based modular approach where each training program or exposure-stint could earn the student some credit points. The accumulation of credit points could be a pre-requisite for taking the final examination. Also, the evaluation process for the post-graduates requires a relook. The written examination could include therapeutic case scenarios. Keeping in mind the emerging role of pharmacologists, the practical examination could evaluate additional skills such as screening of clinical trial subjects, informed consent, role play as an ethical committee member etc. Also, at least one examiner could be chosen from a national panel. To conclude, learning requires academic freedom, good infrastructure, and a collaborative and positive research atmosphere, ‘Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high…’. We need to ensure that.

An imperative need to change pharmacology curriculum: A pilot survey

Sir, Pharmacology being both a basic and applied science forms the backbone of rational therapeutics. The primary objective of teaching pharmacology is to enable undergraduate medical students to take rational therapeutic decisions in clinical practice. However, this objective is not adequately met by the prevailing curricula.[1] The subject is taught with high factual information rather than therapeutic skills. Hence, a pilot survey was carried out at our teaching hospital to assess the clinical application of the pharmacology knowledge in patient care. The following questionnaire was distributed to interns. A 4-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree was used. Relevance of basic experimental pharmacology (experiments on isolated frog tissues and rabbits’ eyes) knowledge in patient care. Relevance of dispensing pharmacy exercise knowledge (preparing and dispensing of ointments, liniments, pastes, etc.) in patient care. Do you feel bedside case study (a real clinical problem) in pharmacology practical would have been more relevant in patient care? Necessity for integrating clinical pharmacology with clinical subjects in final MBBS phase-3. The data were compiled and analysed. Out of 82 interns, 74 responded completely to the questionnaire. The survey indicated that relevance of experimental pharmacology and dispensing pharmacy knowledge in patient care was poor [Figure 1]. Our study substantiated the view that practical curricula are “outdated and obsolete, and has failed to achieve the objective for which they were instituted”.[2] Figure 1 Comparison of responses (%) of participants to questionnaire (n = 74). Majority of the interns (95%) felt necessity for bedside clinical case study and the necessity of integrating pharmacology teaching with clinical subjects in MBBS phase-3, i.e. context learning–gaining of knowledge and skills simultaneously (97%). This corroborates with studies done in other countries where context learning has been found to be more successful and effective than sequential learning where in learning and applications of knowledge are separated.[3,4] The clinical postings of undergraduates emphasize on teaching diagnosis of the diseases. The skills required for therapeutic reasoning and prescribing are not addressed and taught in a structured way.[4,5] On the other hand, interns are expected to prescribe drugs from the first day of clinical work and may not feel confident when confronted to take decisions independently. Thus, our study upholds the view that there is an imperative need to implement radical changes in the teaching curricula of pharmacology which should be in consonance with patient care for the doctors of tomorrow to render better health service.

Pre-clinical Pharmacology Training in a Student-Centered Veterinary Curriculum

The appropriate use of therapeutics is important to both human and animal health. The field of pharmacology is rapidly progressing such that it is impossible to convey to students every possible piece of information they will need to know throughout their veterinary careers. Instead, it is more important to train students for lifelong and self-directed learning so that they will be able to adapt to the ever-changing pharmaceutical landscape. Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine teaches pharmacology using a student-centered and problem-based curriculum designed to teach students not only the basics of pharmacology and clinical pharmacology, but also the personal skills needed to continue to learn beyond their formal education. The aim of this manuscript is to document the pharmacology curriculum during phase I of the veterinary curriculum. Review of the graduating class of 2010's exposure to pharmacology learning issues reveals broad-based coverage of major functional and mechanistic drug classes as well as peripheral topics, including pharmacokinetics, legal and ethical issues, and dosing regimen calculations. Previous classes have scored well on external examinations leading to a belief that this pharmacology curriculum provides adequate training for graduate veterinarians.

Survey of "Off‐ Label" Drug Use in Pediatric Department of a Teaching Hospital ‐ A Prospective Study

Objective: To detect extent of off label drug use in pediatric outpatients and to correlate different variables of patients.Method: The data of 400 patients were collected prospectively in a proforma during one year study period. Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification was used for the prescribed drugs. The drugs were ascribed off label status in different categories using standard references. The data were analyzed with Epi Info 2002 software. The χ2 test was used and value of p&lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant.Result: Out of total 1744 drug prescriptions, 39.73% were prescribed in off label manner and 63% patients received at least one or more off label drug prescription. Use in child of inappropriate age, administration in sub therapeutic doses and in high doses were responsible for off label use of drugs. Antiemetics, antianemics, nasal preparations, vitamins and drugs for obstructive airway disease were commonly prescribed in off label manner. Infectious diseases, neonates and infants were the risk factors for being prescribed a drug in off label manner.ConclusionOff label use of drugs is highly prevalent in pediatric practice. Greater emphasis on pediatric prescribing in Pharmacology curriculum, continuous medical education programmes for practitioners and availability of updated National Formulary may help in improvement.Research support ‐ none.

Teaching of medical pharmacology: The need to nurture the early development of desired attitudes for safe and rational drug prescribing

Pharmacology, as a basic medical science discipline, provides the scientific basis of therapeutics, i.e. the scientific foundation for safe and rational prescribing of drugs. The public, lay media, and the medical profession have raised serious concerns over the high incidence of errors of drug prescribing which compromise patient safety, including death of some patients, attributed mainly to inadequate teaching of medical pharmacology and, consequently, to medical graduates lacking skills in safe and effective drug prescribing. There is also overwhelming evidence that the pervasive and prevalent doctor–drug industry relationships have a strong influence over the prescribing habits and drug education of doctors. The British Pharmacological Society and American Association of Medical Colleges have crafted some insightful guidelines, including the learning of desired attitudes, for designing a medical pharmacology curriculum aimed at enhancing patient safety. This article will critically review the major issues relating to errors of drug prescribing, including the need to nurture the early development of desired attitudes which foster safe and rational drug prescribing. A simple educational approach, using a task analysis of drug prescribing, is applied to identify desired attitudes which should be incorporated into a basic pharmacology course for medical students in the twenty-first century.

Pharmacolgy teaching: Need for a sea change

Sir, One cannot but agree with the pitch for substantial changes in the current pharmacology curriculum.[1] Traditional teaching of pharmacology has encouraged rote learning and has taken away the interest of students from what can be a very interesting subject. The practical teaching has been even worse, with emphasis being on ancient techniques. As a student, I never understood the need to perform those experiments on rabbit intestines and the need to prepare those tinctures and lotions that I no longer remember. Training in practical clinical pharmacology was extremely limited. Any change in this archaic curriculum needs all the support from teachers, policy makers and administrators. Current medical graduates learn their first lessons in rational and appropriate prescribing in busy out patient departments during their internship. Their knowledge about practical drug dosing and modifications to be made in various clinical scenarios leaves much more to be desired. The new guidelines for teaching pharmacology must be radical in scraping what is useless and in recommending a practical patient-based learning. This will bring the interest of medical students back into pharmacology classes.

Changing face of pharmacology practicals for medical undergraduates

Changing face of pharmacology practicals for medical undergraduates