Embedding entrepreneurship in a pharmacy curriculum: design and outcomes of an elective course

This study describes an elective pharmacy entrepreneurship course and reports on students' satisfaction, knowledge, and perceptions of the course's effectiveness.

An observational, cross-sectional study design was used to analyze retrospective data on direct and indirect assessments from first- and second-year professional pharmacy students who completed the course between 2017-2018 and 2024-2025. Students completed end-of-course surveys assessing their satisfaction with course structure, instructional methods, and perceived attainment of the course's learning objectives, using Likert-scale responses. Direct assessment data were obtained by mapping examination items and graded assignments to course learning objectives. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed from the students' survey comments. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis.

The course used a project-based learning approach, including a semester-long entrepreneurial project and an individual case analysis. Overall, 362 students (62% of 8 class years) completed the course across 12 sessions. Survey results showed high student satisfaction, with 89%-98% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing in various areas. Direct assessment confirmed significant achievement of learning objectives, with normalized mean scores from 4.44 to 4.53 (out of 5) and 88%-100% of students earning at least 80% of the points. Indirect assessment results were similar, with 76%-84% of students expressing satisfaction with the course's coverage of its learning objectives. Students praised the course's relevance, value, and instruction, but found the workload and projects excessive.

A project-based elective course in pharmacy entrepreneurship effectively supports student learning and satisfaction, highlighting the value of incorporating entrepreneurship education into the pharmacy curriculum.