A lecture about pharmaceuticals used in animal patients

To implement a lecture on interesting and clinically relevant facts about animal patients to engage students in a veterinary therapeutics course.

Active-learning methods were used to introduce students enrolled in a 2-credit-hour elective course in veterinary therapeutics to critical yet little known facts pertaining to veterinary informatics, pharmacology, pharmacotherapy, and toxicology resources.

Precourse and postcourse learning surveys were conducted and showed that students had retained clinically relevant facts about pharmaceutical use in animal patients at the end of the course. Student performance on weekly quizzes, discussion board postings, and 2 examinations also suggested comprehension and retention of course content.

Using active-learning methods to educate pharmacy students in veterinary therapeutics is an effective way of preparing them to treat the "4-legged patients" they will likely encounter in community pharmacy practice.