Abstract:

This work describes the innovative experience of integrating the Pharmaceutical Services Entrepreneurship Laboratory I with the Curricular Extension of the 5th semester of the Pharmacy course at Faculdade Pernambucana de Saúde (FPS), using Design Thinking as the central methodological framework. The initiative complies with national guidelines for extension curricularization and seeks to strengthen the teaching-extension-research articulation through the resolution of real community problems, using a creative, interdisciplinary, and user-centered approach.

The proposal integrated 20 hours of laboratory activities, whose syllabus explicitly provides for the application of Design Thinking, and 50 hours of extension in Integrative Practices III, in which social entrepreneurship and the use of medicinal plants constitute strategic inputs for product and service development. The methodological process included identification of one persona per semester, application of a semi-structured questionnaire, and complete execution of the Design Thinking cycle: empathy, definition, ideation, prototyping, and testing, as recommended by international models in the field.

In the 2022.2 semester, the identified persona was elderly caregivers, whose main pain point was self-care neglect. In 2023.1, the persona was administrative staff from the institution itself, focusing on occupational stress management. Based on these real needs, students conducted brainstorming sessions, challenge reframing, conceptual maturation, and selection of the most viable solutions, aligning the dimensions of desirability, viability, and feasibility, according to Design Thinking literature applied to health education.

After the initial stages, groups advanced to the pharmaceutical and analytical development of products in the extension, including selection of inputs, formulation definition, regulatory analysis, product identity, packaging, marketing plan, and cost evaluation. Among the products generated are candles with essential oils, functional moisturizers, therapeutic chocolates, gummies, and aromatherapy blends, developed in the course laboratories and at the University Pharmacy (Farma FPS®). The entire process culminated in pitch-format presentations and the creation of an evaluative portfolio.

The results demonstrate the potential of Design Thinking to foster creativity, interdisciplinary collaboration, empathy, and the ability to solve complex problems, competencies widely recognized as essential for contemporary pharmaceutical professional training. These findings align with international literature, which identifies Design Thinking as an effective approach to promote innovative thinking, creative confidence, and student protagonism in addressing health challenges.

It is concluded that the experience promoted meaningful learning, developing products with social impact and expanding students' understanding of their professional responsibility and capacity to generate community transformation. The integration between laboratory and extension proved to be a powerful pedagogical strategy, aligned with emerging demands in pharmaceutical education and health innovation.

Keywords:

Design Thinking, Active Learning Methodologies, Experiential Learning, Pharmacy Education, Pharmaceutical Product Development.