Pharmaceutical Biotechnology in Pharmacy Education: USA Pharmacy Schools

摘要

Pharmaceutical biotechnology, pharmacogenomics, pharmacogenetics, combinatorial chemistry, in close relation to high-throughput screening technologies, and bioinformatics are major advances that give a new direction to pharmaceutical sciences and education. Biotechnology influenced not only the pharmaceutical science and education but also the practice in pharmacies. The aim of our study was to review the scientific literature on biotechnology inclusion in pharmacy curriculum and to systematize the approaches that the colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States of America (USA) apply to address this education. For the period 1989?￠????2010 a total of 18 publications satisfying the search criteria were found. The articles were systematized in historical order following the date of publication. The developments in modern pharmacy practice are taken into account and implemented in the pharmacy curriculum in the colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States. In 78% of the USA universities this is achieved by integrating biotechnology content in the PharmD curriculum. Together with the development of biotechnology science the educational programs are improving but they still delay providing knowledge, especially for undergraduate students.