Using drug chemical structures in the education of pharmacology and clinical therapeutics key concepts

Abstract Medicinal chemistry made it possible for pharmacists to propose pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics explanations of many existing drugs. Moreover, medicinal chemistry education provides pharmacy students with a reasonable understanding of drug physicochemical properties, mechanism of action (MOA), side effects, metabolism and structure-activity relationship (SAR). This paper highlights the importance of these medicinal chemistry key elements in understanding other pharmacy core courses, mainly pharmacology and clinical therapeutics. Such elements can be utilized as a tool for pharmacists while training or counseling their patients on the use of their treatments. Different new examples from the literature have been incorporated in this paper to show how chemical structures of existing drugs can provide essential information about main concepts in the education of pharmacology and clinical therapeutics, and the key structural elements for the discovery and development of other same class drugs.

Avaliação das atitudes de colaboração entre estudantes de graduação dos cursos de Farmácia e Medicina na Universidade de São Paulo / Evaluation of collaboration attitudes among undergraduate students of Pharmacy and Medicine courses at the University of São Paulo

A prática farmacêutica vem, ao longo dos anos, mudando o seu foco, uma vez que as mudanças de perfil epidemiológico, como a elevação da expectativa de vida, a diversidade de enfermidades crônicas, bem como a morbimortalidade associada ao uso de medicamentos e o aumento dos gastos com saúde, requerem acompanhamento prolongado de pacientes e abordagem integral que contemple as múltiplas dimensões da assistência à saúde dos usuários e da população em geral, com ênfase em prevenção e educação em saúde. Atributos importantes dos profissionais de saúde incluem, mas não estão limitados, à empatia cognitiva, a colaboração interprofissional e as orientações centradas no paciente. Instrumentos de pesquisa para medir cada um desses atributos foram projetados e validados em diferentes graus. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o grau de cooperação entre estudantes de graduação dos cursos de Farmácia e de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Campus da Capital. Trata-se de um estudo do tipo transversal, quantitativo, com aplicação de questionário online construído e validado especificamente para avaliar o grau de cooperação entre estudantes de todos os anos de graduação dos cursos de Farmácia e de Medicina. Os dados foram coletados por meio do envio do questionário aos estudantes dos dois cursos, o qual contempla dados sócio-demográficos, contato prévio com a prática interprofissional e a versão validada para o português do instrumento "Scale of Attitudes Toward Pharmacist-Physician Collaboration". Foi realizada análise estatística empregandose métodos descritivos (média, mediana e desvio padrão) e inferenciais (Software R - teste t de Student e ANOVA). Com o presente estudo, observou-se que, de maneira geral, os estudantes dos dois cursos são favoráveis às práticas interprofissionais, porém, os dados apontam que os estudantes de Farmácia se mostram mais favoráveis a estas práticas quando comparados aos de Medicina. São necessários mais estudos para aprofundar as causas das diferenças encontradas entre os dois grupos e no que diz respeito à relação das atividades de educação interprofissional e a percepção dos estudantes quanto à colaboração médicofarmacêutico

The pharmaceutical practice has, over the years, changing its focus, since the epidemiological profile changes, such as increased life expectancy, the diversity of chronic diseases, as well as the morbidity and mortality associated with the use of drugs and the increase in health spending, require prolonged follow-up of patients and require comprehensive approach that addresses the multiple dimensions of health care users and the general population, with emphasis on prevention and health education. Important health professionals attributes include, but are not limited to cognitive empathy, interprofessional collaboration, and guidance centered on the patient. Research tools to measure each of these attributes have been designed and validated to varying degrees. The objective of this study is to measure and evaluate the level of cooperation among undergraduate students of Pharmacy and Medicine courses at the University of São Paulo, Campus Capital. It is a transversal, quantitative study with online application of online questionnaire developed and validated specifically to evaluate the level of cooperation between students from all undergraduate years of Pharmacy and Medicine courses. Data will be collected by sending the questionnaire to students from both courses. The questionnaire will be prepared on the basis of the Federal University of Sergipe tool and every student can respond to even just once. It will be performed the statistical analysis employing descriptive methods (mean, median and standard deviation) and inferential (Software R - Student's t-test and ANOVA). With the present study, it was observed that, in general, the students of the two courses are favorable to interprofessional practices, however the data indicate that the students of pharmacy are more favorable when compared to those of medicine. Further studies are necessary to look into the causes of the differences found between the two groups and also regarding the relation of the activities of interprofessional education and the students' perception regarding the physician-pharmacist collaboration

Effect of practical training on the learning motivation profile of Japanese pharmacy students using structural equation modeling / 보건의료교육평가

PURPOSE: To establish a model of Japanese pharmacy students' learning motivation profile and investigate the effects of pharmaceutical practical training programs on their learning motivation. METHODS: The Science Motivation Questionnaire II was administered to pharmacy students in their 4th (before practical training), 5th (before practical training at clinical sites), and 6th (after all practical training) years of study at Josai International University in April, 2016. Factor analysis and multiple-group structural equation modeling were conducted for data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 165 students participated. The learning motivation profile was modeled with 4 factors (intrinsic, career, self-determination, and grade motivation), and the most effective learning motivation was grade motivation. In the multiple-group analysis, the fit of the model with the data was acceptable, and the estimated mean value of the factor of ‘self-determination’ in the learning motivation profile increased after the practical training programs (P=0.048, Cohen's d=0.43). CONCLUSION: Practical training programs in a 6-year course were effective for increasing learning motivation, based on ‘self-determination’ among Japanese pharmacy students. The results suggest that practical training programs are meaningful not only for providing clinical experience but also for raising learning motivation.

A Survey of Pharmacy Students' Perceptions of National Drug Supply Strategy through Public Pharmaceutical Companies

BACKGROUND: Currently establishment of public pharmaceutical companies became an issue for securing stable supply of national essential drugs in order to respond appropriately to national public health crisis. Pharmacy students as future pharmacists need to be interested in drug related issues under the discussion in our society. This study aimed to investigate perceptions of pharmacy students on the national drug supply strategy through public pharmaceutical companies. METHODS: A 20-items questionnaire designed for this study was used. Pharmacy students nationwide were enrolled in July 2017. They responded to questions through on-line survey program. Data were analyzed descriptively. RESULTS: 160 students from 26 pharmacy schools participated. 5th and 6th grade students accounted for two-thirds, and one third aspired future jobs in pharmaceutical industry. Among responders, 71.3% was unaware of current national essential drugs, 52.5% did not know the Rare and Essential Drug Center, and 91.9% was unaware of the legislation on the supply and management of essential drugs. 82.5% favored the establishment of public pharmaceutical companies. 80.6% agreed that government should intervene in pharmaceutical market for ensuring drug accessibilities, 73.8% agreed that public pharmaceutical companies make possible to reach a goal of stable supply of pharmaceuticals, and 85.1% agreed that active compulsory license by public pharmaceutical companies is necessary. CONCLUSION: We found that pharmacy students recognized the need for governmental control to achieve social values of pharmaceuticals. More attention and participation of the pharmacy students as well as pharmacists in the process of national debate on public pharmaceutical companies are expected.

Leadership Attitudes and Beliefs of Pharmacy Students: A cross-sectional Study from a Malaysian University.

Background: Pharmacy profession requires pharmacists to have leadership qualities to respond the challenges in healthcare system to meet the patient’s medication-related needs. Therefore, to build leadership qualities among pharmacists, it is essential to discuss it during the early training of the future pharmacists. Aim: The study aims to evaluate leadership attitudes and beliefs of pharmacy students at School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Methods: The study was designed as a cross-sectional, descriptive survey. All undergraduate pharmacy students (n=478) were targeted for the study. The Leadership Attitudes and Beliefs Scale was usedResults: Three hundred and forty-five students responded to the survey (response rate = 72.1%). The mean scores for hierarchical and systemic thinking were 25.7±6.56 and 30.7±6.88 respectively. It indicates that most of the students believe in a high hierarchical-high systemic thinking. Significant associations observed in a comparison between ethnicity and leadership aspects: leader being responsible of controlling, keeping authority, and charge of the organization (p=0.002,p=0.024and p=0.047respectively). Gender was reported to have a significant association with factors of participation (p=0.035) and security of the organization (p=0.014).Conclusion: The study findings suggest that pharmacy undergraduates prefer a high hierarchical thinking and high systemic thinking approach to leadership. Therefore, specialized programs about leadership are suggested to be included as part of the students activities and training. In these programs, more emphasis on systemic thinking is needed rather than overly depending on hierarchical thinking. Moreover, students should be equipped with knowledge necessary to decide which style of leadership to adapt to promote the well-being of the organization.

Awareness of Pharmacy Students regarding the Importance of Folic Acid Intake for the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects / 医薬品情報学

<b>Objective: </b>Adequate periconceptional folic acid intake decreases the risk of neural tube defects in infants.  The present study aimed to investigate the awareness of pharmacy students regarding the importance of folic acid intake for the prevention of neural tube defects.<br><b>Design: </b>Questionnaire survey.<br><b>Methods: </b>A self-administered questionnaire regarding the importance of folic acid intake for the prevention of neural tube defects was distributed to 750 pharmacy students at Tohoku and Ohu Universities.<br><b>Results: </b>Among the 685 respondents (response rate; 91.3%), 74 (10.8%) were aware that folic acid intake decreases the risk of neural tube defects.  In multivariate logistic regression analysis, awareness of the importance of folic acid intake was evident among 5th- and 6th-year pharmacy students (odds ratio=3.352, 95% confidence interval=1.797-6.253) and among those who used dietary supplements (2.275, 1.306-3.966).  Among the 74 pharmacy students who recognized the importance of folic acid intake, 17 (23.0%) and 3 (4.1%) were aware that women should begin taking a folic acid supplement before conception and should take about 400 μg per day during pregnancy, respectively.<br><b>Conclusion: </b>Only about 10% of the pharmacy students in this study recognized that folic acid intake decreases the risk of neural tube defects, and many were unaware of the recommended intake amount.  Therefore, awareness of the importance of folic acid intake must be more aggressively promoted among pharmacy students.

Survey on the Satisfaction of Adult Pharmacy Students in Higher Education to the Teaching of Professional Courses in Our School / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effect of adult pharmacy students in higher education on the teaching of professional courses in our school. METHODS:Questionnaire survey and Likert 5 point measurement method were used for the 2012-2014 grades of adult pharmacy students majoring pharmacy and drug management. RESULTS:Totally 260 questionnaires were sent out, and 236 were recyled with effective recovery of 90.8%. The average score of students for teaching attitude in professional courses was 3.58;the average score for teaching methods was 3.30;the average score for teaching ability satisfaction was 3.08;the aver-age satisfaction of students for teaching of professional courses was 78.98%;the average satisfaction of teaching attitudes,teaching methods and teaching abilities were 84.15%,78.13% and 76.65% respectively. CONCLUSIONS:The survey not only help estab-lishing a good interaction between students and teachers,promoting teaching and learing,but also play a role in monitoring and evaluating the teaching quality and effects of professional courses,which is conducive to promoting the process of teaching quality evaluation reform of adult higher learing.

The applicability of a validated team-based learning student assessment instrument to assess United Kingdom pharmacy students' attitude toward team-based learning / 보건의료교육평가

PURPOSE: It aimed at testing the validity and reliability of a validated team-based learning student assessment instrument (TBL-SAI) to assess United Kingdom pharmacy students' attitude toward TBL. METHODS: TBL-SAI, consisting of 33 items, was administered to undergraduate pharmacy students from two schools of pharmacy each at University of Wolverhampton and University of Bradford were conducted on the data, along with comparison between the two schools. RESULTS: Students' response rate was 80.0% (138/173) in completion of the instrument. Overall, the instrument demonstrated validity and reliability when used with pharmacy students. Sub-analysis between schools of pharmacy did, however, show that four items from Wolverhampton data, had factor loadings of less than 0.40. No item in the Bradford data had factor loadings less than 0.40. Cronbach's alpha score was reliable at 0.897 for the total instrument: Wolverhampton, 0.793 and Bradford, 0.902. Students showed preference to TBL, with Bradford's scores being statistically higher (P<0.005). CONCLUSION: This validated instrument has demonstrated reliability and validity when used with pharmacy students. Furthermore students at both schools preferred TBL compared to traditional teaching.

Preocupação com a forma do corpo de graduandos de Farmácia-Bioquímica / Body shape concern of the graduate students of Pharmacy-Biochemistry

Objetivo Identificar a preocupação com a forma do corpo de estudantes de Farmácia-Bioquímica e sua relação com variáveis sociais e laborais e com o estado nutricional. Métodos Participaram 346 discentes com média de idade de 20,2 (DP = 2,4) anos, sendo 278 (80,3%) do sexo feminino. Utilizou-se o Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ). As validades fatorial e convergente e a consistência interna (α) do BSQ foram estimadas. Utilizaram-se como índices de ajustamento o qui-quadrado pelos graus de liberdade (χ2/gl), o Comparative Fit Index (CFI), o Normed Fit Index (NFI) e o Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA). O escore médio de preocupação com a forma do corpo foi obtido por meio de algoritmo gerado na análise fatorial confirmatória. Para comparar os escores médios segundo as variáveis de interesse, utilizou-se Análise de Variância (ANOVA). Resultados O BSQ apresentou, para a amostra de estudo, adequada validade (χ2/gl = 3,29; CFI = 0,87, NFI = 0,82, RMSEA = 0,08) e confiabilidade (α = 0,97) após ajustamento. Verificou-se que as mulheres (p < 0,001) apresentaram maior preocupação com a forma do corpo que os homens. Além disso, os estudantes que avaliaram o curso como pior que as expectativas iniciais (p = 0,048), que consomem medicamentos por causa dos estudos (p < 0,001), que já pensaram em desistir do curso (p = 0,002) e foram classificados com sobrepeso/obesidade (p < 0,001) também apresentaram alta preocupação com a forma do corpo. Conclusão As varáveis sexo, avaliação em relação ao curso, ingestão de medicamentos por causa dos estudos, pensamento em desistir do curso e o estado nutricional apresentaram relação significativa com a preocupação com a forma do corpo entre os estudantes. .

Objective To determine the body shape concern among pharmacy-biochemistry students and its association with several social and labor variables and nutritional status. Methods A total of 346 students (80.3% female) with mean age 20.2 (SD = 2.4) years were asked to answer the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ). The factorial and convergent validities and the internal consistencies (α) of the BSQ were calculated. The goodness-of-fit indices, the chi-square by degree of freedom ratio (χ2/df), the comparative fit index (CFI), the normed fit index (NFI), and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) were also used for data analysis. The mean score of body shape concern was estimated using an algorithm generated from the confirmatory factor analysis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the mean scores with variables of interest. Results The BSQ presented adequate validity (χ2/df = 3.29; CFI = .87, NFI = .82, RMSEA = .08), and reliability (α = .97) after fit. Female students showed more body shape concern than male students (p < .001). Furthermore, the students who rated the course as dissatisfactory relative to their initial expectation (p = .048), consumed drugs under academic pressure (p < .001), thought about quitting the course (p = .002), and were overweight/obese (p < .001) also presented greater body shape concern. Conclusion The variables gender, dissatisfaction with the course, drug intake due to academic pressure, desire of quitting the course, and the nutritional status were significantly associated with the body shape concern among the participating students. .

<b>Attitudes of Pharmacy Students at Kyushu University of Health and Welfare Toward Kampo Medicine from a Questionnaire Survey Conducted in 2012</b> / 日本東洋医学雑誌

Kampo, the traditional Japanese Medicine, is an indispensable treatment methodology practiced by more than 70% of Japanese doctors. However, proper Kampo Medicine education for Japanese pharmacist still needs to be established. To better grasp how pharmacy students understand Kampo Medicine, we conducted a questionnaire survey with 1 st to 6 th year students at Kyushu University of Health and Welfare. The students answered that they were interested in Kampo Medicine (80.8%) and that Kampo education at college was a necessity (91.1%). Many (60.2%) of them were aware of their lack of Kampo medical knowledge, and 76.1% were willing to study it in future. In the free-written responses, some of the 1 st to 4 th year students wanted practical lessons in the handling of actual crude drugs. On the other hand, 5 th to 6 th year students wanted to know more about clinical evidence. A system of college education that meets these demands would surely boost post-graduate education in Kampo Medicine.

Assessment of students' satisfaction with a student-led team-based learning course / 보건의료교육평가

PURPOSE: To date, no studies in the literature have examined student delivery of team-based learning (TBL) modules in the classroom. We aimed to assess student perceptions of a student-led TBL elective. METHODS: Third-year pharmacy students were assigned topics in teams and developed learning objectives, a 15-minute mini-lecture, and a TBL application exercise and presented them to student colleagues. Students completed a survey upon completion of the course and participated in a focus group discussion to share their views on learning. RESULTS: The majority of students (n=23/30) agreed that creating TBL modules enhanced their understanding of concepts, improved their self-directed learning skills (n=26/30), and improved their comprehension of TBL pedagogy (n=27/30). However, 60% disagreed with incorporating student-generated TBL modules into core curricular classes. Focus group data identified student-perceived barriers to success in the elective, in particular the development of TBL application exercises. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that students positively perceived student-led TBL as encouraging proactive learning from peer-to-peer teaching.

Analysis of the study skills of undergraduate pharmacy students of the University of Zambia School of Medicine / 보건의료교육평가

It aimed to compare the study skills of two groups of undergraduate pharmacy students in the School of Medicine, University of Zambia using the Study Skills Assessment Questionnaire (SSAQ), with the goal of analysing students' study skills and identifying factors that affect study skills. A questionnaire was distributed to 67 participants from both programs using stratified random sampling. Completed questionnaires were rated according to participants study skill. The total scores and scores within subscales were analysed and compared quantitatively. Questionnaires were distributed to 37 students in the regular program, and to 30 students in the parallel program. The response rate was 100%. Students had moderate to good study skills: 22 respondents (32.8%) showed good study skills, while 45 respondents (67.2%) were found to have moderate study skills. Students in the parallel program demonstrated significantly better study skills (mean SSAQ score, 185.4+/-14.5), particularly in time management and writing, than the students in the regular program (mean SSAQ score 175+/-25.4; P<0.05). No significant differences were found according to age, gender, residential or marital status, or level of study. The students in the parallel program had better time management and writing skills, probably due to their prior work experience. The more intensive training to students in regular program is needed in improving time management and writing skills.

An Assessment of the Level of Awareness, Attitudes, Opinions of Pharmacy Students Concerning HIV and AIDS in Malaysia.

Aims: HIV and AIDS spreading wide and causing serious threats and deaths among Malaysian residents. A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the awareness, attitudes and opinions about HIV and AIDS among pharmacy students. Methods: A total of 316 pharmacy students of year three and onwards took part in the survey. Students were asked to fill in questionnaires with consent forms. The results were analyzed by using SPSS version 17. Results: The data indicated that awareness about HIV and AIDS was moderate. High level of awareness was seen for major routes of HIV transmissions, but lower level of awareness was seen for other modes of transmission like circumcision, visiting barbers, and blood splashes on outer body surface. Only 19.3% and 13.3% of respondents were aware about HIV prevention by sex abstinence and by staying faithful to one partner respectively. The respondents had doubts in keeping HIV and AIDS patients in close vicinity to them and their family. Conclusion: According to the findings, the respondents had a few misconceptions about HIV transmission and prevention. Data from this survey may be useful to hold programs and campaigns designed to convey accurate information about HIV transmission and prevention. Talks and media campaigns should also be carried out to change their attitudes and opinions about HIV and AIDS.

A survey of the death attitude of pharmacy students finished clinical training using the Death Attitude Inventory

<b>Purpose</b>: Pharmacists should play a positive role in palliative care. The pharmacy curriculum should also contain content promoting an appropriate attitude toward death. Hence, this study aims to gather fundamental information that can be used to understand the various death attitudes held by pharmacy students. <b>Methods</b>: We targeted 159 sixth-year students of the School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, in 2011. They studied "Up-to-date-Palliative-Care" (an elective subject). To investigate their overall perception of death, we used the Death Attitude Inventory (DAI), developed by Hirai and others (2000), and investigated their views of death on the basis of seven factors. We also classified students on the basis of type of death they had experienced, that is, the death of a household, relative, friend, or pet. We compared the scores obtained for each factor and conducted a logistic regression analysis. <b>Results and Conclusion</b>: We analyzed the data from 120 students (valid response rate: 75.5%). Students who had experienced the death of friend, had significantly higher scores on "Life Purpose" and "Death Concern" (<i>p</i><0.05). Students who had experienced the death of household etc., statistical positive correlation with "Death Concern" and statistical negative correlation with "Death Anxiety" were recognized.

Learning gain of pharmacy students after introducing guided inquiry learning with computer simulation in a pharmacology class in Fiji / 보건의료교육평가

PURPOSE: Active learning methods such as problem-based learning have been widely adopted in health professions education, although guided inquiry learning has been used only in limited settings. The objective of this study was to determine students' learning gain when guided inquiry learning was combined with computer simulation in a basic pharmacology course. METHODS: The second-year pharmacy students from Fiji National University participated in the study. Following classroom lectures on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, the students used tutor-prepared practice problems in groups of 3-4 to explore their concepts with Cyber Patient and Virtual Organ Bath software. Pre- and posttest assessments were administered to determine the learning gain from the exercises based on Hake's criteria. RESULTS: Forty-two students participated in the study. The average normalized learning gain from the pharmacokinetics exercises was 0.68. Thirty-seven participants (88.1%) achieved a significant learning gain, while 5 (11.90%) did not. The average normalized learning gain from the pharmacodynamics exercises was 0.76. Forty-one participants (97.6%) achieved a significant learning gain, while one participant (2.4%) did not. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that use of guided inquiry learning with computer simulations could produce significant learning gains with improvement in students' understanding of basic pharmacology.

Uso de álcool entre acadêmicos de farmácia de uma universidade pública / Alcohol use among pharmacy students at a public university / Consumo de alcohol entre estudiantes de farmacia de una universidad pública

Bebidas alcoólicas são amplamente consumidas, porém o consumo não moderado representa prejuízos. Estudo transversal com o objetivo de determinar a prevalência do consumo de álcool entre acadêmicos de farmácia da Universidade Federal do Maranhão, em São Luís. Foram aplicados dois questionários entre maio e junho de 2011: o primeiro baseado em um modelo da Organização Mundial de Saúde e o segundo o teste CAGE (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opened), que avalia dependência alcoólica. Participaram 76 estudantes com o seguinte perfil: 30 homens e 46 mulheres, faixa etária entre 17 e 32 anos e renda a partir de R$ 3.840,00. A prevalência do uso de álcool foi de 87%, sendo maior entre homens. O teste CAGE evidenciou que 4% apresentavam problemas físico-psíquicos. Destacou-se o fato de que 31% nunca receberam informações na faculdade sobre o consumo de álcool. Conclui-se que há necessidade de abordar esse tópico junto aos estudantes.

Alcoholic beverages are widely consumed, but immoderate consumption is prejudicial. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of alcohol consumption among Pharmacy students at Maranhão Federal University, São Luís. Two questionnaires were applied between May and June of 2011, the first based on a World Health Organization model and the second, the CAGE (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opened) test, which determines alcohol dependence. The sample consisted of 76 students with the following profile: 30 men and 46 women, from 17 to 32 years old with income ³ R$ 3,840.00. Overall prevalence of alcohol consumption was 87%, but higher among men. The CAGE test showed that 4% had physical and/or psychological problems. Strikingly, 31% received no information at college about alcohol consumption. It was concluded that this topic needs to be addressed with the students.

Las bebidas alcohólicas se consumen ampliamente, pero el uso no moderado representa perjuicios. Estudio transversal para determinar la prevalencia del consumo de alcohol entre académicos de farmacia de la Universidad Federal de Maranhão, en São Luís-MA-Brasil. Fueron utilizados dos cuestionarios entre mayo y junio de 2011: el primer basado en un modelo de la Organización Mundial de Salud y el segundo la prueba de dependencia alcohólica CAGE (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opened). La muestra consistió en 76 estudiantes con el siguiente perfil: 30 hombres y 46 mujeres, entre 17 y 32 años y renta de $ 3.840.00. La prevalencia del consumo de alcohol fue 87%, siendo mayor entre hombres. La prueba CAGE mostró problemas físico-psíquico de 4%. Fue importante el hecho que 31% nunca recibió información en la Universidad sobre el consumo de alcohol. Se concluye que es necesario abordar este tema con los estudiantes.

Breadth of knowledge vs. grades: What best predicts achievement in the first year of health sciences programmes? / 보건의료교육평가

This study aimed to identify those features within secondary school curricula and assessment, particularly science subjects that best predict academic achievement in the first year of three different three-year undergraduate health professional programmes (nursing, pharmacy, and health sciences) at a large New Zealand university. In particular, this study compared the contribution of breadth of knowledge (number of credits acquired) versus grade level (grade point average) and explored the impact of demographic variables on achievement. The findings indicated that grades are the most important factor predicting student success in the first year of university. Although taking biology and physics at secondary school has some impact on university first year achievement, the effect is relatively minor.

Attitudes of dental and pharmacy students to oral health behaviour at Jazan University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Hiroshima University Dental Behaviour Inventory (HU-DBI) was used to assess the attitudes towards oral health behaviour of the pharmacy and dental college students at Jazan University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). HU-DBI consists of 20 items primarily associated with tooth brushing behaviour. All of the items have a dichotomous response format (agree/disagree). A quantitative estimate of oral health attitude and behaviour is provided by the total appropriate agree/disagree responses. The maximum possible score is 12. Greater HU-DBI score indicates better oral health attitude and behaviour. A total of 57 students participated in the survey with a response rate of 71%. There was a significant difference (p=0.0001) between dental and pharmacy college students for oral health attitudes with dental students presenting a mean HU-DBI score of 6.65 in contrast to 4.74 among pharmacy students. Significantly greater percentage of pharmacy students (83.9%) reported that they don’t worry much about visiting the dentist than the dental students (53.8%). Nearly three-fourths of pharmacy students believed that their teeth was getting worse despite of daily brushing and significantly more pharmacy students were worried about bad breath Dental college students reported better attitudes to oral health behaviour than students of pharmacy.

Assessment Of Students’ Perceptions Towards E-Learning Management System (E-LMS) In A Malaysian Pharmacy School: A Descriptive Study

The study aims to evaluate students’ perceptions towards e-Learning Management System (e-LMS) in pharmacy education. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among all undergraduates enrolled at School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia. A pre-validated questionnaire consisting of two domains (demographic characteristics and students’ perception regarding the use of e-LMS) was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the demographic characteristics of the study respondents. Chi Square test was used to measure association between the study variables. All analysis was performed by using Predictive Analytical Software (PASW) v. 18. A total of 315 students completed the survey questionnaire with a response rate of 57.6%. Majority of the students (61.0%) accessed e-LMS to acquire lecture notes for their studies, followed by 53.3% have used e-LMS for the preparation of the assignments. Seventy eight percent of the respondents agreed that e-LMS is very useful and felt that e-LMS is making their studies easier. However, 50% of students claimed that poor network connection at the campus is a major barrier in accessing e-LMS. Moreover, 48% of the respondents disagreed that e-LMS should be taken into account as an assessment criterion for students’ grading. Students are found to be frequently engaged in using e-LMS and believed that online based learning is enhancing their academic performances. Nevertheless, students still prefer hybrid teaching methodologies than choosing traditional system or e-learning as an alone entity.

Dental Knowledge and Self-reported Oral Care Practices Among Medical, Pharmacy and Nursing Students / Jurnal Sains Kesihatan Malaysia

A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate the level of dental knowledge among senior medical, pharmacy and nursing students of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and to determine self-reported practices of oral care. Students were invited to complete a set of questionnaires on knowledge related to causes, prevention, signs and treatment of dental caries and periodontal disease; and practices related to oral hygiene and dental visits. A total of 206 questionnaire forms were distributed. 204 forms were returned complete (response rate = 99%). Dental knowledge scores ranged from 0 (no correct answer given) to 16 (gave all correct answers). The mean knowledge scores between the groups were statistically different (p < 0.05): pharmacy students scored highest (mean = 12.29, 95% CI 11.44, 13.14) followed by the medical students (mean = 12.02, 95% CI 11.33, 12.71) and nursing students (mean = 10.83, 95% CI 10.40, 11.26). Areas that had lowest knowledge scores were signs and treatment of gum disease. With regard to oral care practices, majority cited that they brushed teeth at least twice a day (94.6%) and used toothbrush and toothpaste (97.5%). Not many (21.8%) used dental floss and about half (54.2%) reported visiting the dentist more than twelve months ago. Reasons for dental visits included getting check-ups (64.6%), restorations (45.6%) and emergency care such as extractions (24.0%). In general students had at least a moderate level of dental knowledge but demonstrated poor knowledge in some areas. While most reported good oral hygiene habits, behaviour related to dental visits need to be improved. Findings suggest a need for inclusion of oral health education in the medical, pharmacy and nursing curriculum.