Staff And Student Perceptions Of Teaching The History Of Pharmacy

Background; Previous surveys have assessed the extent of history of pharmacy taught in Schools of Pharmacy. None have so far explored the views of pharmacy staff and students.Aims; To assess the views of staff and students regarding teaching history of pharmacy in Schools of Pharmacy.Method; Questionnaire sent to all Schools of Pharmacy in UK to survey staff views. Questionnaire administered to all first year students from two Schools of Pharmacy.Results; Staff attach greater importance to historical development of the pharmacy profession, whilst students are more interested in history of medicines discovery. Nearly 60% of students would like a separate history of pharmacy module, with 10% wishing to work on a project.Conclusion; There is substantial support for teaching pharmacy history amongst staff and students at Schools of Pharmacy. Data obtained dispel the myth that students are not interested in history of pharmacy unless the subject is examinable.