¹Marmara University, School of Pharmacy, Istanbul, Türkiye
²Near East University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Nicosia, KKTC DOI : 10.12991/2013171312 Pharmacists have a crucial role in promoting rational use of drugs. Therefore, pharmacy schools should prepare a realistic program that is competent with the changing role of the pharmacist. Pharmacy education should provide ability for critical thinking, improve problem-solving skills and decision making during pharmacotherapy. Problem-based pharmacotherapy teaching methods help pharmacy students gain the skill to implement theoretical knowledge into practice. The present study evaluates the efficacy of a problem based “rational drug use course” in the pharmacy curriculum of Near East University and reviews the results of this two year experience. An elective practical rational pharmacotherapy course was given in 2011 and 2012, to 3rd year pharmacy students at Near East University by a method based on simulated patients and evaluation of dispensing scores. A pretest was conducted to evaluate the baseline dispensing score by OSPE (objective structured practical examination) and it was repeated at the end of the course (post-test). It was seen that the average dispensing score of group A (n=34) students was 34.26 ± 13.6, whereas it was 34.94 ± 11.6 for group B (n=17) in the pre-test (before the course). It increased almost twice to 62.18 ± 13.0 and 67.06 ± 15.6, respectively in Group A and B at the end of the semester (post-test). This improvement in the dispensing scores of the pharmacy students after the practical rational pharmacotherapy course were statistically significant (p<0.001). Thus, the unique OSPE score sheet/ checklist (that has been developed by Turkish Pharmacological Society) seems user-friendly and useful. Keywords : Dispensing score; pharmacy practice; rational use of medicine; problem- based pharmacotherapy; pharmacist; pharmacy student; simulated patient, Cyprus