Curriculum review for diploma in pharmacy: a step towards needs based education / Iylia Ruzzaini Radzmi

Programmatic curricular assessment and subsequent revision are crucial to equip new graduates with latest information to meet challenges in a rapidly advancing scientific world. The primary objective of the study was to determine pharmacists' and assistant pharmacists' opinions towards the knowledge and skills deemed necessary for pharmacy assistants in order to improve and strengthen current diploma of pharmacy curriculum at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. A cross sectional survey was conducted from April to May 2009. A 23-item validated questionnaire was mailed to the pharmacists and assistant pharmacists, recruited from 8 major hospitals in Malaysia. A 5-point likert scale ranging from not required at all to really required was used to elicit the responses. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 15. Sixty-four pharmacists and fifty two assistant pharmacists participated in the survey. Compounding of drugs (I 00%) followed by pharmaceutical calculations (98%), Sterile Compounding, Aseptic Technique and IV Admixture (98%) and medication error deterrence (96%) were the most frequently cited topics required to be part of an effective curriculum. In addition, dispensing (92%), Good Laboratory Practice, Good Manufacturing Practice, Quality Assurance, Quality Control (95.7%) and interpreting medication order and prescriptions (94%) were also thought to be a required component of the curriculum. On the other hand, knowledge on topics like patient monitoring (46%), research in pharmacy practice (60%) and traditional and complementary medicine (62%) were assumed not required by a pharmacy assistant. In conclusion, the knowledge gained through present study will benefit universities in the development and up-gradation of diploma of pharmacy curriculum in future.