Key Elements of Pharmacoinformatics for the Degrees of Bachelor and Master of Pharmacy

The Internet and rapid development of technology has led to the application of pharmacoinformatic technologies in improving the efficiency of the medication use process. By integrating pharmacoinformatics in pharmacy education, a qualified workforce of pharmacists well trained in the perspective of both pharmacy practice and informatics for safe and positive health-related outcomes can be produced. This survey assessed the level of importance of the suggested topics for pharmacoinformatics courses for pharmacy bachelor's and master's degrees by giving a questionnaire to pharmacy lecturers in both public and private universities, and to pharmacists registered with the Ministry of Health, Malaysia. Briefly the study of pharmacoinformatics was classified into 5 major areas: Drug Information Services, Information Technology & Internet, Drug Formulary Management, Supply Chain Management, and Health Policy. The relative importance of all relevant topics were evaluated and reported. It was found that compared with the undergraduate level, master's degree had higher expectations, and thus a more in-depth pharmacoinformatics curriculum content. In addition, the experiential method of learning instead of formal lectures alone was used on pharmacy master's courses. The findings from this survey could serve as a guide to improve pharmacoinformatics curricula in order to produce pharmacists who can safely and effectively utilize pharmacy informatics to disseminate information in drug use.