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Editorial

Revisiting and
innovating
pharmacology education
I cannot teach anybody anything; I can only make them think
Socrates
Education is the process of facilitating learning or acquiring
knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits that aim at
bringing a desired change in the learner. The value of
education is emphasized from time immemorial, be it the
ageold Gurukuls in India, the Academy of Athens founded
by Plato, the Famed Nalanda University, or the modern
universities across the world. Formal education happens
in a structured environment in which students train with
certified teachers in systems defined by goals, objectives,
curriculum, teachinglearning and assessment methods,
and an inbuilt or external mechanism for accreditation and
program evaluation.
Pharmacology education too has evolved since ages from materia
medica to the modern era of basic and clinical pharmacology.
Pharmacology is an integral component of all professional
courses for health professionals. Pharmacology education has
become increasingly important with a growing awareness
about the right methods of administering and prescribing
medicines and educating patients about their medications.
Health professionals need quality education and training in
pharmacology and pharmacotherapy. Prescribing errors and
prescribing faults have been linked to deficiencies in knowledge
and skills in prescribing and inadequate training.[1] A growing
concern about the knowledgeskills and theorypractice
gap is expressed by educators in pharmacology. The World
Health Organization also advocates investment in educational
opportunities for health professionals, to update their
knowledge and skills and thus provide the best patient care.[2]
Drawing an analogy between pharmacology and pharmacology
education, Keijsers and Ross in A pharmacological approach
to education write As with drug concentrations in the human
plasma, the levels of knowledge and skills available in the
health professionals brain are not static and can be influenced
by the route of administration and dosages of training.[3] Back
home, the regulatory councils for various professional courses
have been advocating and mandating interventions to meet
the challenges of the knowledgeskills gap. These include a
relook into the existing curricula, introducing innovations in
teachinglearning, assessment tools, and capacitybuilding
exercise aimed at developing a competent pool of educators.
The Pharmacy Council of India as a pharmacy educationist
regulatory body has proposed major amendments in
Pharmacy Practice Regulations for the first time in the
country. The Council emphasizes the need to strengthen and
upgrade the pharmacy curriculum and quality of education
to produce competent pharmacist workforce, to meet the
2016 Indian Journal of Pharmacology Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow

growing demands of the industry and the community.[4] The

All India Council for Technical Education lays down norms and
standards for courses, curricula, infrastructural and facilities
and quality of teaching, assessment, and examinations that
are revised periodically to meet the contemporary needs.[5]
Similar initiatives have been made by the Medical Council of
India, which has mandated Faculty Development Programs for
faculty. Astep further, it also provides training in advanced
techniques in medical education and educational research.
The longterm outcome envisaged with all these interventions
and regulations is to produce a competent Indian Medical
Graduate.[6] Pharmacological societies across the globe too
provide a platform for educators to train and share.[7] Back
home, professional societies such as the Indian Pharmacological
Society, the Indian Academy of Pediatrics, and The Indian
Ophthalmological Society have also undertaken similar
initiatives.
Research should be an integral and ongoing part of education.
Educational research refers to a variety of methods, in which
individuals evaluate different aspects of education including
curriculum, student learningteaching and assessment
methods faculty development, and classroom dynamics. It
drives us into exploring into educational methods that meet
the contemporary needs of the learners. Contrary to general
impression, educational research must be conducted in a
rigorous and systematic way, much in the same manner as
biomedical research. The research methods employed in
educational research, i.e.,the qualitative, quantitative, and
mixed methods are different from those used in biomedical
research. The last decade is witnessing a surge in educational
research being carried out by the faculty and students in
pharmacology. Significantly, publications in educational
research are gaining the deserved recognition and credit from
scientists and stakeholders alike. These facts reflect a paradigm
shift in the perception of pharmacology education and
educational research as also the impact of various regulatory
measures outlined above.
The Indian Journal of Pharmacology publishes articles in
pharmacology research. Lately, the journal has been receiving
articles on topics related to pharmacology education. Authors
have expressed their concerns, vision, suggestions and shared
their innovations, and experiments with teachinglearning
and assessment methods. In the past 4years alone, the
journal has received more than fifty articles on topics related
to pharmacology education and educational research. The
number is small compared to the number of articles related
to biomedical research in pharmacology but noteworthy
nonetheless. The readership of the journal comprises a
sizeable number of academicians from educational institutions
from various faculties, such as medical, pharmacy, dental,
veterinary, and Ayurveda.
Considering these facts, this special supplement themed
around topics in pharmacology education is a logical step
for the Indian Journal of Pharmacology. The articles received
encompass a wide range of topics from curriculum, trends,
innovations in teachinglearning, and assessment, experiments
S1

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Desai: Revisiting and innovating pharmacology education

with unconventional teaching methods such as the use of

poetry. The origin of the articles and affiliations of the authors
do not matter as much as the fact that each of these articles
documents a sincere effort by the authors to probe and dwell
into an innovation and its impact it may possibly have on the
quality of education imparted to the students in pharmacology.
These articles also provide us an insight into the methods and
rigors involved in educational research and serve perhaps as
a guide to educationists in pharmacology who may wish to
pursue similar explorations.
We hope you enjoy reading this special supplement.

3.
4.

5.
6.

7.

KeijsersCJ, RossS. Apharmacological approach to education.

Br J Clin Pharmacol 2015;80:32930.
Rules and Regulations. Available from: http://www.pci.nic.in/
GeneralInformation/AboutPCI/TheEducationRegulations.aspx.
[Last accessed on 2016Oct05].
Education. Available from: http://www.aicteindia.org/
education.php.[Last accessed on 2016Oct05].
National Faculty Development Program. Available from:
http://www.mciindia.org/InformationDesk/ForColleges/
NationalFacultyDevelopmentProgramme.aspx.[Last accessed
on 2016Oct10].
Teaching Pharmacology. Available from: https://www.bps.
ac.uk/educationcareers/teachingpharmacology.[Last accessed
on 2016Oct10].

Chetna Desai

Department of Pharmacology, B. J. Medical College,

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Email: ijpchetna@gmail.com

References
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2.

S2

DornanT, AshcroftD, HeathfieldH, LewisP, MilesJ, TaylorD,

etal. An InDepth Investigation into Causes of Prescribing
Errors by Foundation Trainees in Relation to Their Medical
Education: EQUIP Study. Final Report to the General Medical
Council. University of Manchester: School of Pharmacy and
Pharmaceutical Sciences and School of Medicine; 2009. Available
from: http://www.gmcuk.org/FINAL_Report_prevalence_
and_causes_of_prescribing_errors.pdf_28935150.pdf.[Last
accessed on 2016Oct01].
Continuing Education for Health Professionals. Available from:
http://www.who.int/genomics/professionals/education/en/.
[Last accessed on 2016Oct01].

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DOI:
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How to cite this article: Desai C. Revisiting and innovating

pharmacology education. Indian J Pharmacol 2016;48:S1-2.

Indian Journal of Pharmacology | October 2016 | Vol 48 | Supplement