Abstract:

Introduction: The Pharmacy syllabus has been considered, due to the impact of these professionals on the Health Care System, by different authorities on the matter, as WHO and UE. These studies have faced the challenge of a polyvalent single diploma, as pharmacists are involved in drug preparation and quality assurance, drug acquisition and supply control, pharmacotherapy information to the patients and health care professionals, the prevention of disease and promotion of health and the so called pharmaceutical care, among others. The learning-teaching process of this kind of matters is compulsory designed at the European level as a period of professional training. Despite this harmonization process, the actual training program is different among the different countries of the EU. This work summarizes the variability at the Hospital Pharmacy settings and points out the necessity of a consensus to guarantee the mobility of professionals and the access of the public to the Pharmaceutical care of the highest quality level.
Methods: The evaluation of the professional training period is accomplished in the Faculty of Pharmacy as the result of a test, the tutor evaluation and a Memory on the activities carried out. We have reviewed the Memories presented at the Faculty of Pharmacy on the last two academics years (08-09 and 09-10), developed at Hospital settings in Valencia and those corresponding to our Erasmus student outgoing. We have focused on the items developed by the students in their report as an index of the activities where they participated, regardless of the structure of the Hospital.
Results Memories corresponding to the area of influence of the Faculty in Valencia were homogeneous in the number of sections where the students were implicated; nevertheless, the actual importance among them varied among hospitals and even among the students attending the same Hospital. There were: 1. administration and management section, 2. pharmacokinetics and monitoring; 3. preparation of dosage forms; 4. parenteral nutrition, 5. supply unit dose; 6. chemotherapy unit; 7. external consultations. They correspond to the actual services that the Hospital Pharmacy can be responsible for following the national rules applying. Concerning Erasmus students, the hosting countries were: Greece, France, Italy and Germany. Concerning the number of sections and the nature of them, the variability is remarkable. Only the three different sections were present in more than two countries: i.e. chemotherapy unit, preparation of dosage forms and administration and management section.
Conclusions: The professional training that is offered to our students of Pharmacy is very different in the EHEA. Considering the impact of this part of the curricula for pharmacists, it would be very convenient to develop a guideline, listing the minimum areas to work at, the learning objectives and the minimum ECTS of everyone.

1) OPS/HSS/HSE/95.01
2) Directive CEE 85/432

Keywords:

Practical training, hospital pharmacies, erasmus students.