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Guilding C, White PJ, Cunningham M, Kelly-Laubscher R, Koenig J, Babey AM, Tucker S, Kelly JP, Gorman L, Aronsson P, Hawes M, Ngo SNT, Mifsud J, Werners AH, Hinton T, Khan F, Aljofan M, Angelo T. Defining and unpacking the core concepts of pharmacology: A global initiative. Br J Pharmacol 2024; 181:375-392. [PMID: 37605852 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Development of core concepts in disciplines such as biochemistry, microbiology and physiology have transformed teaching. They provide the foundation for the development of teaching resources for global educators, as well as valid and reliable approaches to assessment. An international research consensus recently identified 25 core concepts of pharmacology. The current study aimed to define and unpack these concepts. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH A two-phase, iterative approach, involving 60 international pharmacology education experts, was used. The first phase involved drafting definitions for core concepts and identifying key sub-concepts via a series of online meetings and asynchronous work. These were refined in the second phase, through a 2-day hybrid workshop followed by a further series of online meetings and asynchronous work. KEY RESULTS The project produced consensus definitions for a final list of 24 core concepts and 103 sub-concepts of pharmacology. The iterative, discursive methodology resulted in modification of concepts from the original study, including change of 'drug-receptor interaction' to 'drug-target interaction' and the change of the core concept 'agonists and antagonists' to sub-concepts of drug-target interaction. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Definitions and sub-concepts of 24 core concepts provide an evidence-based foundation for pharmacology curricula development and evaluation. The next steps for this project include the development of a concept inventory to assess acquisition of concepts, as well as the development of case studies and educational resources to support teaching by the global pharmacology community, and student learning of the most critical and fundamental concepts of the discipline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Guilding
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Paul J White
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Margaret Cunningham
- Strathclyde Institute for Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (SIPBS), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Roisin Kelly-Laubscher
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Jennifer Koenig
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Anna-Marie Babey
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Steve Tucker
- School of Medicine, Medical Science and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - John P Kelly
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Laurel Gorman
- Department of Medical Education, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida, USA
- Department of Biomedical Education, Temple University, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Patrik Aronsson
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Martin Hawes
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | - Suong N T Ngo
- School of Animal and Veterinary Science, Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Janet Mifsud
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Arend H Werners
- School of Veterinary Medicine, St. George's University, True Blue, Grenada
| | - Tina Hinton
- Sydney Pharmacy School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Fouzia Khan
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Mohamad Aljofan
- Department of Biomedical Science, School of Medicine Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan
| | - Tom Angelo
- University of North Carolina, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Fasinu PS, Wilborn TW. Pharmacology education in the medical curriculum: Challenges and opportunities for improvement. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2024; 12:e1178. [PMID: 38361337 PMCID: PMC10869893 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.1178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The knowledge and application of pharmacology is essential for safe prescribing and administration of drugs. In this narrative review, the challenges to pharmacology education in the medical curricula were broadly identified to include issues around content and pedagogies. The increasing number of approved drugs and drug targets, expanding field of pharmacology and the often-changing treatment guidelines and board-defined competencies can make pharmacology education in the medical curriculum daunting. There has been a consensus around the deployment of innovative medical curricula with emphasis on vertical and horizontal integration. This strategy, effective as it has been, presents new challenges to pharmacology education. As a discipline often perceived by students to be hard-to-learn, the future of pharmacology education must include heavy reliance on active learning strategies. The continuing utilization of problem-based, team-based and case-based learning can be complemented with personalized learning which aims to identify the learning gaps in individual students. Technology-inspired student engagement can foster pharmacology learning and retention. Early exposure to pharmacology from premedical preparation through an enduring across-the-level integration can be an effective way to enhance pharmacology learning in the medical curricula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pius S. Fasinu
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Heersink School of MedicineThe University of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamAlabamaUSA
| | - Teresa W. Wilborn
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Heersink School of MedicineThe University of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamAlabamaUSA
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Guilding C, Kelly-Laubscher R, White P. The future of pharmacology education: a global outlook. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2024; 17:115-118. [PMID: 38192241 DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2024.2302602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Clare Guilding
- School of Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Roisin Kelly-Laubscher
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Paul White
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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Guilding C, Kelly-Laubscher R, Netere A, Babey AM, Restini C, Cunningham M, Kelly JP, Koenig J, Karpa K, Hawes M, Tucker SJ, Angelo TA, White PJ. Developing an international concept-based curriculum for pharmacology education: The promise of core concepts and concept inventories. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2023. [PMID: 38093035 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.15985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Over recent years, studies have shown that science and health profession graduates demonstrate gaps in their fundamental pharmacology knowledge and ability to apply pharmacology concepts in practice. This article reviews the current challenges faced by pharmacology educators, including the exponential growth in discipline knowledge and competition for curricular time. We then argue that pharmacology education should focus on essential concepts that enable students to develop beyond 'know' towards 'know how to'. A concept-based approach will help educators prioritize and benchmark their pharmacology curriculum, facilitate integration of pharmacology with other disciplines in the curriculum, create alignment between universities and improve application of pharmacology knowledge to professional contexts such as safe prescribing practices. To achieve this, core concepts first need to be identified and unpacked, and methods for teaching and assessment using concept inventories developed. The International Society for Basic and Clinical Pharmacology Education Section (IUPHAR-Ed) Core Concepts of Pharmacology (CCP) initiative involves over 300 educators from the global pharmacology community. CCP has identified and defined the core concepts of pharmacology, together with key underpinning sub-concepts. To realize these benefits, pharmacology educators must develop methods to teach and assess core concepts. Work to develop concept inventories is ongoing, including identifying student misconceptions of the core concepts and creating a bank of multiple-choice questions to assess student understanding. Future work aims to develop and validate materials and methods to help educators embed core concepts within curricula. Potential strategies that educators can use to overcome factors that inhibit adoption of core concepts are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Guilding
- School of Medical Education, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Roisin Kelly-Laubscher
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Adeladlew Netere
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anna-Marie Babey
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Carolina Restini
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, Clinton Township, Michigan, USA
| | - Margaret Cunningham
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (SIPBS), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - John P Kelly
- Pharmacology & Therapeutics, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Jennifer Koenig
- Division of Medical Sciences & Graduate Entry Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Kelly Karpa
- Department of Medical Education & Family Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
| | - Martin Hawes
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guilford, Surrey, UK
| | - Steven J Tucker
- School of Medicine, Medical Science and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Thomas A Angelo
- Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Paul J White
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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