Pharmacy professionalism in the undergraduate course: a survey of undergraduate and preregistration pharmacy students

摘要

A classic triad of professionalism is 'a high level of intellectual and technical expertise, autonomy in the practice and regulation of the discipline, and a commitment to public service'.1 The period of professional development may be termed 'proto-professionalism' during which the learner develops skills and knowledge, and gains the experience needed to acquire professionalism,,2 Students studying a professional degree, such as pharmacy, will therefore be moving through this phase of their professional lives,. However, there are few methods employed to teach professionalism in any healthcare subject (including pharmacy) in a formal manner. Students may be unaware of professionalism and its importance as they progress through training and eventual qualification to practise as a pharmacist.The aim of this study was to survey a cohort of undergraduate pharmacy and preregistration students to ascertain their views on pharmacy professionalism, including their perceptions of how it is currently taught and how such teaching could be improved.