ATTITUDE PERCEPTION AND RECOMMENDATIONS BY ”Pharm. D” STUDENTS UNDER-GOING THEIR COURSEWORK IN A GOVERNMENT UNIVERSITY – A MAILED QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY

Background: The quality of education offered by Pharmacy institutions in the country varies widely. There are only a few institutions which maintain internationally recognized standard. Aim: To assess the pharmacy student’s (Pharm. D) perception today, their course, curriculum, and facilities provided. Methods: A postal survey was conducted on the Pharm. D students in Tamil Nadu, India, affiliated to The TN Dr. MGR Medical University. Students were evaluated for the perception on their curriculum, education, facilities provided and perception about the practice of clinical pharmacy in India. Results: 412 students responded to questionnaire. Based on the evaluated questionnaire, the student’s perception towards pharmacy education and curriculum seems to be very poor and survey also revealed poor inclination towards pharmacy as a profession. Student’s perception on scope and contribution was found to be unsatisfactory. Student’s learning tools, teaching methods and evaluation system were found inexpressive to the pharmacy students. Therefore, there is a need to change such a wrong perception and poor inclination from the minds of pharmacy students by the regulatory authorities. Conclusion: Findings of this study provide further recommendations for making adjustments in pharmacy education/ curriculum as well as improving the availability of clinical materials to effectively learn the trade of clinical pharmacy.