Digital learning in pharmacy education: Utilization, perceived outcomes, and barriers among undergraduate pharmacy...

The integration of digital technologies into pharmaceutical education is crucial for preparing future practitioners. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the utilization, perceived importance, associated learning outcomes, and challenges related to technological tool usage among undergraduate pharmacy students.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate pharmacy students. Data were collected using a validated, structured, self-administered paper-based questionnaire. Perception scores were trichotomized for analysis. Statistical analysis employed descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression to identify predictors of poor perceived learning outcomes.

The study included 549 undergraduate pharmacy students (female: 47.7% vs male: 52.3%) with a median age of 23 years (IQR: 20-25 years). Hardware utilization pattern shows that the majority of the participants (87.8%) utilized smartphones, followed by tablets (72.7%) and laptops (72.1%), while eBooks (65.0%), file-sharing tools (51.2%), and wikis (47.4%) dominated software use. Laptops and smartphones were consistently rated as highly important by over 50.0% of respondents. Also, students perceived strong technological support for collaboration (77.0% rated tools as highly important) and skill development (67.4% agreed technology connected learning to the real world). However, 42.6% of students reported poor perceived learning outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that age and year of study were the strongest predictors of poor outcomes, with younger students (AOR = 3.36; 95% CI: 1.39-8.12; p = 0.007) and third-year students (AOR = 27.73; 95% CI: 14.32-53.70; p < 0.001) having substantially increased odds compared to older and fifth-year students, respectively. The primary barriers were lack of steady electricity (20.0%), limited access to technology (19.7%), and poor internet connectivity (19.3%).

While pharmacy students actively use and value digital tools, significant infrastructural barriers and a disconnect between perceived support and actual reported learning outcomes exist. Targeted interventions addressing technological access, power instability, and curriculum support, particularly for intermediate-level students, are urgently needed to realize the potential of educational technology.