Attitudes and perceptions of pharmacy students toward pharmacognosy and related competencies of the national core education program in Türkiye

Abstract

Background and Aims: Competency-based education (CBE) and the use of natural health products have been increasingly discussed in pharmacy. The national core education program of Türkiye has 108 mandatory competencies. This study investigated pharmacy students’ thoughts about pharmacognosy and their preparedness to provide related competencies. Methods: A descriptive online survey consisting of a 35-item questionnaire was administered to pharmacy students in Türkiye between June and July 2023. A 3-point Likert scale was used to assess students’ opinions. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 (P < 0.05). Results: A total of 404 students in the third, fourth, and fifth years from 19 different faculties participated in the study. The interest in pharmacognosy was high, and students attributed significant value and importance to the field. Most of the students believed that their pharmacognosy education (67.1%) is sufficient, particularly on herbal medicinal plants (62.4%) and traditional and complementary medicine (59.2%). However, their satisfaction rates with education on marine pharmacognosy (10.4%) and drugs sourced from animals (30.2%) and microorganisms and minerals (32.2%) were low. Students rated their preparedness toward related competencies at concerning levels. The lowest value was observed in homeopathy (21.0%). Students felt more confident in academic and industrial practices (52.4%) than in community and hospital pharmacy requirements (35.3%). The impacts of national accreditation status and the education model of the faculties were found to be limited. Conclusion: An overall review may be needed to adapt the field to outcome-based education or CBE.

Keywords

• competency
• integrated curriculum
• pharmacognosy outcomes
• pharmacy

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