Objectives & Background: Good curriculum is reflected as the backbone for standard\nuniversities to develop competitive professionals having great potential. Pharmacy education in\nPakistan has gone through the same developmental stages as in other countries, but is still striving for\nimprovement. In the present study, we want (i) to know the opinion on whether the current pharmacy\ncurriculum requires any improvement in order to meet the training needs of pharmacy professionals\nregarding clinical knowledge and pharmacy practice; and (ii) to present some humble suggestions to\ndecision-making authorities in order to improve it with respect to patient-focused programs (PFP).\nMethods: The study was conducted in two sessions. In first session, a questionnaire was distributed\nto pharmacy students of eight public/private sector universities of Karachi (N = 354) offering Pharm.\nD degrees. The second session dealt with the pharmacy teachers, deans, and practicing pharmacists\nin health care facilities (who are in any ways also related to academia), in order to take their opinions\non and suggestions for the development of a better Pharm. D curriculum (N = 135). Results: Our\nresults showed that 75.2% of respondents agree that the Pharm. D curriculum does not meet the\ninternational standards of practice, and 88.4% of respondents support the addition of more clinical\naspects than industrial ones, as Pharm. D could be both clinically and industrially oriented, according\nto the needs of the Pakistani people. Furthermore, 80.2% of respondents are of the view that an\napprenticeship should be included in last two years, while 88.4% demand a ââ?¬Ë?paid residency programââ?¬â?¢\nto facilitate the hospital, clinical and compounding areas of pharmacy. In addition, we also received\na number of verbal suggestions for improving the Pharm. D curriculum being followed in Pakistan.\nDiscussion & Conclusions: We conclude that our Pharm. D curriculum needs additions in terms\nof clinical practice by providing residencies and electives in health care settings. Accordingly, the\nneed for a clinically oriented curriculum is highlighted in Pakistan, keeping in mind the continuing\nimportance of the industrial viewpoint. Various studies have criticized the pharmacy curriculum in\nPakistan in the past. Conversely, we suggest some changes in the curriculum, as change is always\nneeded for a better tomorrow.
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