The 2024 Saudi Pharmacotherapy Didactic Curriculum Toolkit: A Modified Delphi Study

Several pharmacy schools in Saudi Arabia (S.A.) refer to the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) pharmacotherapy toolkit in developing their pharmacotherapy curriculum. However, the ACCP toolkit does not specifically address the healthcare needs of the Saudi population. A tailored pharmacotherapy curriculum that offers graduates the essential competencies to better serve the nation's needs is warranted. This study aims to develop a population-centered didactic pharmacotherapy toolkit for the Saudi population to assist pharmacy schools in designing pharmacotherapy course content.

This study employed a modified Delphi method to achieve consensus among expert pharmacists on prioritizing the tiers of the 2019 ACCP Pharmacotherapy Didactic Curriculum toolkit. A questionnaire was distributed over three rounds to gather input. Following the Delphi rounds, subject matter experts from professional organizations reviewed sections of the developed toolkit and assessed the consensus tiers and unresolved topics. The research steering group then proposed additional amendments based on the latest edition of the ACCP toolkit, released in 2024. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Fifty-six panel members participated in the first Delphi round. After three rounds, the panel reached a consensus on 234 of the 300 topics. The consensus on the remaining 57 topics was achieved through the Pharmacy Specialty Network groups and the Saudi Oncology Pharmacy Assembly. The finalized Saudi toolkit included 234 topics (tier 1 = 86, tier 2 = 86, tier 3 = 62). The toolkit aligned with the tier ranking of 184 topics of the ACCP 2023 edition; however, 50 topic tiers were changed, either escalated (26), de-escalated (17), removed (3), or retained (5). Additionally, two new topics-"Mass Gathering Medicine" and "Other Infections (e.g., brucellosis and dengue fever)"-were added to the infectious diseases section.

This study introduces Saudi Arabia's first Pharmacotherapy Didactic Curriculum toolkit, providing standardized, culturally relevant resources for pharmacy education nationwide. Future revisions of this toolkit are anticipated to incorporate emerging practices and educator feedback, ensuring its continued relevance and effectiveness. The Saudi Society of Clinical Pharmacy and the Saudi Oncology Pharmacy Assembly endorse and support the toolkit.