Introducing social pharmacy courses to pharmacy students in Malaysia

Abstract

SUMMARY Faculty in the Social Pharmacy area believe that curricular changes accommodating components or subject-matter in social/behavioral courses would constitute a substantial increase in the quality of pharmaceutical education and in students' competency. Based on the fact that students must be provided with more opportunities and exercises that elevate communication competence, critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical and ethical reasoning, a list of social pharmacyrelated courses was introduced into the undergraduate curriculum. This paper is intended to describe the significance and relevance of a sample program in social pharmacy-'Drugs in Developing Countries'. It has two components: (1) mid-term projects;, 30%; and (2) final exam, 70%. The use of various learning modalities in this course as well as the introduction of new topics aims to provide students with a better understanding of the application of social pharmacy-related concepts to the Malaysian health care system.