A pharmacokinetics module taught within a pediatrics pharmacotherapy course

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Pharmacokinetics
• Pediatric Pharmacology

Background:

• Effective teaching of pediatric pharmacokinetics is crucial for pharmacy students.
• Traditional large-class lectures may not adequately foster application of complex pharmacokinetic principles.
• Integrating foundational knowledge with clinical scenarios is essential for developing competent pharmacists.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a pedagogical approach for teaching pediatric pharmacokinetics to a large cohort of third-year pharmacy students.
• To assess the effectiveness of interactive, small-group discussions in applying pharmacokinetic principles to pediatric cases.

Main Methods:

• Lectures utilizing PowerPoint presentations introduced core pediatric pharmacokinetic concepts.
• Small-group, context-focused discussions required students to apply lecture principles to pediatric case scenarios.
• The pedagogical approach was implemented within a required third-year Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy course.

Main Results:

• Student comprehension of pediatric pharmacokinetics concepts was measured through a written examination.
• The effectiveness of the teaching methodology was assessed based on examination outcomes.

Conclusions:

• A small-group, context-focused teaching strategy proved effective for pediatric pharmacokinetics in large classes.
• This approach facilitated interactive application of foundational knowledge in an engaging atmosphere, despite resource constraints.
• The method supports the development of practical pharmacokinetic skills in future pharmacists.