Undergraduate Pharmacy Students Research Articles

Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior about Antimicrobial Use and Resistance among Medical, Nursing and Pharmacy Students in Jordan: A Cross Sectional Study.

The present study aimed to survey medical, nursing and pharmacy students' knowledge, attitude and practice regarding antimicrobial use and resistance. Additionally, the study assessed the teaching and assessment activities received regarding antibiotic use. A cross sectional online survey was distributed to undergraduate students currently in clinical studies in their degree program. A total of 716 medicine, nursing and pharmacy undergraduate students were included. Respondents scored more than 76% on knowledge on effective use, unnecessary use and associated side effects of antibiotics, and 65.2% regarding knowledge on the spread of antibiotic resistance. Some participants (21.0%) agreed or strongly agreed that there has been good promotion of prudent antimicrobial use. Students were aware (13.1%), unaware (29.1%), or unsure (57.8%) that there is a national action plan relating to antimicrobial resistance. A total of 62.8% of the respondents strongly agreed or agreed that they have a key role in helping control antibiotic resistance. Participants reported that they require more information about resistance to antibiotics (53.9%), medical conditions for which antibiotics are used (51.7%) and how to use antibiotics (51.0%). Discussion of clinical cases and vignettes and small group teaching were reported as very useful or useful teaching strategies (79.9% and 74.2%, respectively). The findings from this study determined the current situation in relation to education on prudent antimicrobial use for undergraduates and highlighted areas for informing better curriculum design.

Assessment of mental wellbeing of undergraduate pharmacy students from 14 countries: The role of gender, lifestyle, health-related, and academic-related factors.

Pharmacy students will assume future roles as frontline healthcare providers. Therefore, evaluating their current state of mental wellbeing and its associated factors is essential for better planning students' support initiatives. This study aimed to assess mental wellbeing and its associated factors among undergraduate pharmacy students from 14 countries during the pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate pharmacy students in 14 countries in Asia and the Middle East. The validated Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (the 14-item WEMWBS) was adopted to assess mental wellbeing. Data collection was performed online between February and April 2022. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used as appropriate. A total of 2,665 responses were received, mainly from females (68.7%) with a higher presence of private universities (59.1%). About 34.9% had low mental wellbeing levels, while 57 and 8.1% had medium, and high levels, respectively. Binary logistic regression showed that males (AOR: 1.34; CI 95%: 1.11-1.61; p < 0.01) and students with no chronic illnesses (AOR: 2.01; CI 95%: 1.45-2.80; p < 0.001) were more likely to have higher mental wellbeing. Also, participants who did not engage in any exercise (AOR: 0.71; CI 95%: 0.52-0.98; p = 0.04) and those in public universities (AOR: 0.82; CI 95%: 0.69-0.97; p = 0.02) were less likely to have higher mental wellbeing. Additionally, students who had interest/passion for pharmacy (AOR: 1.69; CI 95%: 1.07-2.68; p = 0.02), and those who known pharmacists inspired (AOR: 1.81; CI 95%: 1.06-3.12; p = 0.03), were more likely to have higher mental wellbeing compared with those who had no specific reason for their choice to study pharmacy. The participants with excellent (AOR: 1.87; CI 95%: 1.29-2.70; p = 0.001) or very good self-reported academic performance (AOR: 1.57; CI 95%: 1.12-2.22; p = 0.01) were more likely to have higher mental wellbeing compared to those with fair academic performance. More than a third of the participants had low mental wellbeing. Various demographic, lifestyle, medical and academic factors appeared to affect students' mental wellbeing. Careful consideration of these factors and their integration into the pharmacy schools' plans for student support services and academic advising would be essential to improve students' mental wellbeing.

Evaluation of Knowledge of Food-Drug and Alcohol-Drug Interactions Among Undergraduate Students at King Saud University - An Observational Study.

The role of pharmacists in society is unique since they are providers of drug information and medication counseling to patients. Hence, the present study was designed to investigate the knowledge, of undergraduate pharmacy students regarding food drug (FDIs) and alcohol-drug interactions (ADIs) at King Saud University, Riyadh Saudi Arabia. An online cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate pharmacy students at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from October 2021 to January 2022, using self-administered 24-items questionnaires focused on evaluating the knowledge of FDIs and ADIs. Of the 200 questionnaires distributed, 142 students responded, of whom 40.8% (n = 58) of the students did not agree with the statement that patients can eat more green leafy vegetables with warfarin. Just over half 52.8% (n = 75) agreed that milk affects the efficacy of tetracycline. Regarding the students' knowledge about amiodarone interactions with grapefruit 43% (n = 61) of them were knowledgeable, while 43.7% (n = 62), knew that atorvastatin cannot be taken with grapefruit. A total of 44.4% (n = 63) of the students reported being knowledgeable about FDIs. In terms of the individual questions, Alcohol interactions with antihistamines and paracetamol received the highest percentages of 52.8% (n = 75) and 50.7% (n = 72), respectively, followed by warfarin and methotrexate (45.1%; 41.5%). In this study, 39.4% (n = 56) of the participants were found knowledgeable about ADIs. The overall knowledge of interactions among the students was 47.9% (n = 68). The total knowledgeable levels were significantly associated with educational levels and having previous information about interaction (p = 0.0001). In conclusion, undergraduate pharmacy students exhibited poor knowledge of FDIs and ADIs. As a result, more focus and effort should be given to raising awareness of potential FDIs and ADIs. Our study highlights the need for improving pharmacy students' knowledge about FDIs and ADIs.

Dosage Form Modification, a Simulation Activity between Nursing and Pharmacy Students.

Background: The aim of this exploratory pilot study was to evaluate student perceptions of a simulation activity involving undergraduate nursing and pharmacy students. The key question was "how do nursing and pharmacy students respond in an immersive collaborative simulation activity which involves medication dosage form modification?" Methods: One hundred nursing students participated in a simulated exercise where patients required medications for which there were barriers to administration. Fourteen pharmacy students were also present in the simulated health environment, observing the work of the nursing students and being available to provide advice regarding medication administration to the nursing students. A mixed methods approach was employed for this exploratory pilot study, where both nursing and pharmacy students were invited to complete a survey regarding the experience at the end of the simulation exercise and pharmacy students completed a reflection. Both surveys and reflections were analyzed. Results: Survey results indicated very high satisfaction regarding the exercise for both pharmacy and nursing students. Analysis of pharmacy student reflections also indicated apprehension regarding their preparedness to contribute to the exercise, enjoyment in participation, their understanding of the value of collaboration between the two groups of students, and also recognition of their need to be more prepared for such situations. Conclusion: This study assessed student perceptions and did not formally evaluate learning outcomes. The interprofessional immersive simulated learning opportunity was viewed as valuable by both nursing and pharmacy students. The immersive simulation provided teaching staff with the opportunity to develop a new approach for the teaching of dosage form modification to both nursing and pharmacy students in an interprofessional setting.

Perceived Stress Level and Coping Strategies among Undergraduate Pharmacy Students

Perceived Stress Level and Coping Strategies among Undergraduate Pharmacy Students

Experience and attitude of Malaysian undergraduate pharmacy students towards clinical pharmacy education

Clinical pharmacy education (CPE) is an important element in the undergraduate pharmacy programmes as the pharmacy profession had changed from product-oriented to patient-oriented services. This study was designed to assess the experience and attitude of Malaysian undergraduate pharmacy students on clinical pharmacy education, to compare attitude score according to different demographic characteristics and experiences, and to identify preferred teaching and learning methods for CPE. This was a cross-sectional study conducted using an adopted and adapted questionnaire which was distributed via email. A total of 305 final year Bachelor of Pharmacy students from all universities offering pharmacy programme were recruited through convenient sampling and the mean (SD) age of the respondents was 23.03 (1.589) years. This study revealed that almost 50% of respondents started CPE in Year 3 of their study. The highest proportion of respondents spent 31- 50 contact hours per semester for clinical pharmacy courses and the biggest percentage of contact hours were spent in traditional lectures.

THE EVALUATION OF AWARENESS AND LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE RELATED TO TUBERCULOSIS OF PHARMACY FACULTY STUDENTS: A FOUNDATION UNIVERSITY EXAMPLE

Objective: Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that is among the leading causes of death. TB can easily spread by aerosols from pulmonary TB patients. Pharmacists are unique among healthcare professionals because patients can easily and directly access them. Therefore, they have to take responsibility for management and early detection of TB. The aim of this study was to evaluate TB related awareness and level of knowledge of pharmacy students in a foundation university.Material and Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of undergraduate pharmacy students about TB. A face-to-face survey was made to students in their classrooms after ethical committee’s approval was received and verbal consent of participants obtained. A total of 238 students answered the survey. Descriptive statistical methods and Pearson Chi-Square test are used for the evaluation of the data.Result and Discussion: We found that all of the students knew tuberculosis, but some of them lacked knowledge on some topics such as the symptoms of the disease, risk factors, definitive diagnosis, and drug resistance rates. Pharmacists who have an important role in public health should be informed and advised to be updated about TB during their undergraduate education. In addition, it should be ensured that they take responsibility to raise public awareness of TB which causes thousands of deaths each year.

Internet addiction and relationships with depression, anxiety, stress and academic performance among Egypt pharmacy students: a cross-sectional designed study.

Background and AimsPharmacy students represent the future of healthcare professionals and with daily use of the internet for different activities has made internet addiction (IA) of a growing concern. The main objectives of this study were to 1) assess internet addiction among pharmacy undergraduate students as well as factors associated with it; 2) assess the relationships between internet addiction and common mental disorders (depression, anxiety, and stress), in addition to academic performance and body mass index factors.MethodsWe utilized a cross-sectional questionnaire that was conducted among 808 students of Egypt university pharmacy students across the country. The surveys used included: Young Internet Addiction Test (YIAT) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS 21).ResultsYIAT average score was 44.75 (19.72%); prevalence rate of potential IA was 311 (38.5%) with no gender significant difference. We couldn’t detect any type of correlation between potential IA and GPA. However, a robust correlation was found between internet addiction vs depression, anxiety and stress collectively.ConclusionsInternet addiction is usually associated with mental related disorders thus it is of paramount important to identify it among students. Different therapeutic interventions could include management to IA and common psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, and stress.

Perceptions and experiences of undergraduate pharmacy students and alumni toward research after exposure to undergraduate research courses.

IntroductionAcademic institutions have a duty to equip health professional students with the requisite research skills to ensure the implementation of evidence-based practice. This study aims to determine the perceptions of pharmacy students and alumni toward research after completing Undergraduate Research in Pharmacy Courses (URPCs) at the College of Pharmacy–Qatar University (CPH–QU).MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted. All CPH-QU alumni (n = 238), and all third- and fourth-year professional students who had completed at least one URPC at the time of conducting the study (n = 42) were approached. The questionnaire contained items relating to research experience and perceptions of significance, confidence in conducting research, actual and anticipated outcomes, and motivation for future research. A Theoretical Domains Framework informed the development of selected items.ResultsThe response rate was 72.1% (202/280); however, the usable rate was 95.5% (193/202). The participants gave positive responses relating to their perceptions of research significance {Median = 5.0 [Interquartile range (IQR) = 1.0], Minimum–Maximum = 1–5}, confidence in conducting research [Median = 4.0 (IQR = 1.0), Minimum–Maximum = 1–5], actual and anticipated outcomes [Median = 4.0 (IQR = 1.0), Minimum–Maximum = 1–5], and motivation for future research plans [Median = 4.0 (IQR = 1.0), Minimum–Maximum = 1–5]. The majority of participants perceived non-confidence in using data analysis software [72 (39.4% non-confidence)] and a high proportion of participants were non-confident in conducting data analysis [45 (24.6% non-confidence)]. More than half reported publishing at least one peer-reviewed article [99 (54.4% agreement)] from their courses and were highly motivated to consider post-graduate degrees in pharmacy [132 (73.3% agreement)].ConclusionsIncorporating URPCs into CPH–QU curriculum has potentially improved students and alumni's perceptions of research. Action is needed to improve confidence in different aspects of research.

Anatomy teaching in Saudi medical colleges- is there necessity of the national core syllabus of anatomy.

Curricular updates in medicine resulted in changes in gross anatomy teaching. We aim to find the trends and methods of gross anatomy teaching in medicine programs in Saudi Arabia. Further, examine whether the data would help to discuss whether a core Anatomy syllabus is required. A survey questionnaire based on the earlier studies, was sent to the anatomy faculty of 25 medical colleges to collect the data on the pedagogic and dissection/laboratory approaches, inclusion of radiological, clinical, surface anatomy sessions, and the total number of hours allocated for anatomy education. A total of 15 responses were received from different medical colleges of which nine provided complete details. A wide variation in the component and mode of delivery of anatomy was observed. The number of hours for the anatomy course ranged from 89 to 388 hours. These data will provide an update on gross anatomy teaching approaches, which will help in making informed decisions in course revisions and adopting the best practices. The variations in anatomy course with short duration raises concern about whether the essential learning outcomes are achieved to prepare a skillful and safe clinician? do we require a core syllabus of Anatomy to be adopted at the national level to achieve the essential learning outcomes? The Anatomical Society, UK has developed core syllabi of Anatomy for undergraduate medical, dental, nursing, and pharmacy students, which can serve as a guide in developing the core syllabus of Anatomy for medicine in Saudi.

KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE TOWARDS COSMETICS AND THEIR ADVERSE REACTIONS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL, PHARMACY, AND PHYSIOTHERAPY STUDENTS

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to evaluate the knowledge, practice, and pattern of cosmetic use and their adverse reactions amongst medical, pharmacy, and physiotherapy undergraduates. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study conducted among 202 2nd-year medical (113), Pharmacy (51), and Physiotherapy (38) students of KIMS, Bangalore, India for a period of 1 month. Results obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: About 75.2% of students were aware of cosmetics and their adverse reactions, still 36.7% of students will continue using them because they were convinced about them. Pharmacy students had less knowledge of the animal, alternate testing, and preventive measures compared to medical and physiotherapy students. Overall n=71, (35.1%) of students had adverse reactions from cosmetic usage, the most common product being fairness cream and the adverse reactions include itching, acne, and rashes. Conclusion: Overall, the undergraduate medical, pharmacy, and physiotherapy students had good insight and practice toward cosmetics and their adverse reactions, nevertheless the awareness of pharmacy students was comparatively less than medical and physiotherapy students. Hence, educational intervention on the effective, safe, and proper use of cosmetics in the future needs to be implemented especially among pharmacy students.

Case-based learning for teaching pharmacology to pharmacy students

Objective: To evaluate the use of Case-Based Learning as a pharmacology learning method for pharmacy students at a Brazilian public university. Methods: A qualitative/quantitative study with pharmacy students enrolled in a pharmacology course using Case-Based Learning. A clinical case and a focus group were used to analyze the cognitive outcomes, as well as a questionnaire based on the Likert scale to evaluate students’ perception of the methodology. Results. From the 45 pharmacy undergraduate students invited, 33 agreed to participate in the study. Most of participants presented good academic performance related to knowledge acquisition, application and conviction during the application of a clinical case, with or without the bibliography support. They also reported a positive overall impression of Case-Based Learning and reported that this learning method should be applied as a teaching methodology in other subjects. Conclusion: Case-based Learning showed a positive effect on the cognitive level and students’ acceptability evaluated.

Simulated patients' experiences and perspectives of an interprofessional ward simulation: An exploratory qualitative analysis

Interprofessional simulation-based education (IPSE) prepares healthcare students for future collaborative practice. Whilst experiences of IPSE have previously been reported by students and faculty, there is a limited understanding of simulated patients’ (SPs) experience. This study explored SPs’ perceptions of the quality of an interprofessional ward simulation (IPWS); experiences of the interprofessional care (IPC) they received, and their perceptions of effective IPC. Undergraduate nursing, medical and pharmacy students participated in an IPWS. Focus groups were used to collect data from 27 SPs following their participation in the IPWS. IPC was perceived to vary between groups of students. Recognition of roles, responsibilities and boundaries to prevent overlap of workload and improve efficiency of teamwork were perceived as important for making IPC effective. Findings suggested that SPs may not be fully aware of the changing scope of practice in healthcare. SPs reported that they would have liked more involvement in the creation of their role and how this played out in the simulation. SPs play an important role in IPSE in healthcare education and recognise that understanding roles and responsibilities contributes to effective IPC. An additional finding of this study was that the public may not be aware of the changing scope of professional practice.

Self-Learning about Herbal and Dietary Supplements: Perspectives Using the Theoretical Domains Framework.

Background: Self-learning (SL) is a process in which individuals take the initiative to acquire knowledge with or without the help of others. Knowledge about herbal and dietary supplements (HDS) is important for pharmacists. Unfortunately, there is limited coverage of topics relating to HDS in the pharmacy curricula. The present focus group study applies the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to explore pharmacy students’ practices and beliefs regarding SL about HDS (SL-HDS). Methods: Focus group interviews (FGIs) were conducted between April and May 2019 among a sample of undergraduate pharmacy students at a public university (n = 20). Four FGI sessions were conducted, each lasting about 60 to 75 min, and all the sessions were audio-recorded. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic content analysis. Results: Beliefs about SL-HDS were categorised into 12 domains based on the TDF. Students showed positive attitudes towards SL-HDS and agreed that their involvement in SL-HDS was instrumental in improving their knowledge about various aspects of HDS including indications, adverse effects, and HDS-drug interactions. Various facilitators and barriers influencing students’ participation in SL-HDS were uncovered (e.g., access to the internet, time, availability of reference resources). The students demanded to be equipped with critical appraisal skills, as they had limited confidence in assessing literature or information about HDS. Conclusion: This study revealed that the students saw the benefits of SL-HDS. They also perceived that engaging in SL-HDS is compatible with the role of pharmacy students. The findings showed students’ readiness and willingness to conduct SL-HDS.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards Antibiotic Use and Antimicrobial Resistance among Pharmacy Students at the University of Zambia: Implications for Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health problem affecting healthcare systems. There is little information on undergraduate pharmacy students' knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding antibiotic use (AMU) and AMR in Zambia. This study assessed knowledge, attitude, and practices on AMU and AMR among undergraduate pharmacy students at the University of Zambia. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among172 randomly selected participants using a structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. Results: Of the 172 total participants, 55.2% (n = 95) were male. Most participants were between 21 and 25 years old (n=110, 64 %). Most of the pharmacy students had good knowledge (n=155, 90% average score), positive attitude (n=145, 84% average score) but suboptimal practices (n=110, 64% average score) about AMU and AMR. Despite these good scores, the prevalence of self-medication using antibiotics was 41% (n=70).Conclusion: Undergraduate pharmacy students had good knowledge, and a positive attitude, but suboptimal practices towards AMU and AMR. A low-average practice score is of great concern and requires urgent attention. There is a need to improve the details of the undergraduate pharmacy curriculum regarding AMU, AMR and antimicrobial stewardship programmes.

Students’ perception of learning in an internship in community pharmacies

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of pharmacy undergraduate students about the learning developed in an internship in community pharmacies designed based on experiential learning theory. Methods: This was an observational study. Data were collected through a questionnaire with pharmacy internship students (n=129), including items about the student’s perception of the achievement of learning objectives and methods. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data were performed. Results: Most undergraduates agreed that the internship increased their understanding of the current profile of pharmacists and their responsibilities in the community pharmacy, prepared them for patient care and fostered critical assessment and ability to propose improvements. Students supervised by preceptors who performed clinical services were more likely to agree that the internship achieved the learning objective of preparing them for care. Conclusion: The majority of students agreed that the learning outcomes were achieved. The findings can contribute to improvements in internship programs, such as qualifying the practice sites.

Incorporating research training into undergraduate pharmacy courses: A case study from Australia

There is a dearth of research on the undergraduate research training provided to pharmacy students. We aimed to identify and provide examples of effective pedagogy in teaching research and evidence-based practice (EBP) to undergraduate pharmacy students. In conjunction with the professional competency standards for pharmacists, a review of the pharmacy workforce needs and the relevant pedagogical literature, a range of evidence-based approaches for selecting unit content, teaching and assessment strategies was identified. The authors reflect on the evidence and their multidisciplinary experiences in developing curriculum to demonstrate how pharmacy students can be engaged in deep learning rather than surface learning. Effective pedagogy in research training for pharmacy students will ultimately improve the quality of pharmacy education and the use of EBP principles in practice.

Development of a leadership specialty rotation for undergraduate pharmacy students

Development of a leadership specialty rotation for undergraduate pharmacy students

Papel do farmacêutico e da farmácia comunitária na Atenção à Saúde: percepção de estudantes universitários

Thousands of community pharmacies in Brazil provide daily access to medicines. This study aims to identify the perception of undergraduate pharmacy students about the contribution of the pharmacist in the community pharmacy to the improvement of health care. The data for this research were obtained through the students’ comments in an online discussion forum. To analyze qualitative data, the thematic content analysis technique was used. Students often stated that the pharmacy provides easy access to medicines and to a qualified health professional; the pharmacist’s presence contributes to the recognition of the pharmacy as a health establishment. The pharmacy role transcends dispensing and the clerk does not replace the pharmacist. The results show a valorization of the pharmaceutical care quality promotion.

Knowledge and awareness of breast cancer risk factors and screening methods amongst undergraduate pharmacy students of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Breast cancer screening modalities help in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with the disease.Objective: This study aimed at assessing knowledge and awareness of breast cancer risk factors and screening methods amongst undergraduate pharmacy students of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Nigeria.Methods: The study was carried out on 235 conveniently sampled fourth- and fifth-year undergraduate pharmacy students. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire that assessed the students’ knowledge and awareness of breast cancer risk factors, breast self-examination (BSE), clinical breast examination (CBE) and mammography. Each correct response was scored one (1) point and each wrong response was scored zero (0). Respondents with scores 0–2 were considered to have poor knowledge, those with 3-5 points had fair knowledge while those with 6-8 points had good knowledge. SPSS was used to analyze the data, knowledge was described by frequencies and percentages while chi-square test was used to compare responses between 400 and 500 level students, p&lt;0.05 was considered significant in all the analyses.Results: Of the 228 students that participated in the study, 69 (30.3%) were fourth year students while the remaining 159 (69.7%) were fifth year students. Mean age of the participants was 24±3.14. Majority were males 139 (61%) and single 210 (92.1%). Knowledge and awareness scores were; good 24 (10.5%), fair 137 (60.1%), poor 67 (29.4%) for breast cancer risk factors, good 96 (42.1%), fair 90 (39.5%), poor 42 (18.4%) for BSE, good 16 (7%), fair 144 (63.2%), poor 68 (29.8%) for CBE and good 5 (2.2%), fair 165 (72.4%), poor 58 (25.4%) for mammography respectively. When the scores were compared between the levels, a significant difference was obtained (p&lt; 0.0001) for knowledge and awareness of BSE.Conclusion: The study revealed a fair level of knowledge and awareness of breast cancer risk factors and screening methods amongst undergraduate pharmacy students of ABU Zaria.