| Summary: | Thesis (M.Sc. (Medicine))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Health Sciences, 1998. === Concern has been raised about pharmacy education and whether it is lagging behind
practice. This concern has come about because of the various factors impacting upon the
profession. These factors are: the practice environment, the economic environment,
demographical changes and information technology.
Because o f the above factors, the role played by pharmacists is likely to change. It is
possible that pharmacy education is not adequately preparing students for the practice o f
pharmacy. The present pharmacy curriculum as prescribed by the Pharmacy Act, No 54 of
1974 was examined to ascertain whether or not it is preparing adaptable and competent
entry level pharmacists. In order to develop a new pharmacy curriculum, it was necessary
to get a base line of information by evaluating the present pharmacy curriculum. This was
achieved by using a practitioner survey to collect information - which is grouped according
to sector - from pharmacists regarding the perceived importance o f various activities they
perform, their competence to perform in these areas and the time spent in these activities.
Regardless o f sector, the importance o f the major function; management, dispensing and
manufacturing, counselling, and public health was always greater than the pharmacists
average ‘perceived level’ of competence to perform the major function. This indicates that
none o f the pharmacists felt over-qualified. Community pharmacists showed the highest
average importance for management, dispensing and manufacturing, counselling and public
health activities. Community pharmacy also had the highest average competence rating for
management, dispensing and manufacturing and counselling. The highest public health
competence rating was shown by hospital pharmacists.
Regarding specific subject areas, community and hospital pharmacists ranked Pharmacology
as the subject area that has made the greatest contribution to their competence to function
in their jobs. Industrial pharmacists ranked the Pharmaceutics subject area as having made
the greatest contribution to their competence to function in their fuli-time work. All three
pharmacy sectors ranked Biochemistry as having made the least contribution.
A curriculum analysis factor formula was devised by the author to indicate how much
emphasis the pharmacy curriculum should place on the major functions for each sector of
pharmacy. According to the curriculum analysis factor, the emphasis o f the pharmacy
curriculum should be placed upon community pharmacy for all four major functions.
Finally, a modified curriculum assessment model is recommended by the author.
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