[e-drug] Medicine education in schools' curriculum?

e-drug
1

E-DRUG: Medicine education in schools' curriculum?
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Hi,

I'm a PhD Student finishing my dissertation about medicine
education for children. By medicine education I mean education
about the proper use of medicines, not traditional "don't do drugs"
drug education.

In Finland, the curriculum of health education for elementary and
middle schools was reviewed in the beginning of the millenium. For
the first time the curriculum includes also the proper use of
medicines as one topic that the teachers have to teach as a part of
health education. Thus, it is obligatory for teachers to teach this
topic.

I have been trying to find out what is the situation worldwide with
poor results. This is why I want to ask You all three questions:

1. In your country, does the curriculum include medicine education
(i.e., education about the proper use of medicines)?

2. Is it obligatory or voluntary for teachers to teach this topic?

3. How medicine education is defined in the curriculum, i.e., what
kind of issues are addressed about the proper use of medicines?

Thank you for your help!

Kind regards,
Katri Hämeen-Anttila

M.Sc.(Pharm)
Researcher
Department of Social Pharmacy
Faculty of Pharmacy
University of Kuopio
P.Box 1627
70211 Kuopio
Finland
e-mail: katri.hameen-anttila@uku.fi
phone: + 358 - 17 - 162497

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E-DRUG: Medicine education in schools' curriculum? (2)
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Dear Katri Hameen-Anttila,

In our state (West Bengal) nothing about use of medicine has been taught in
school, except a few issues on Health education. We are trying to promote
the concept of Rational Use of Drugs amongst the health professionals and
general people.

I feel interested to note the name of your Dept.-"Dept. of Social Pharmacy".
Will you please let me know the Objective and course curriculum of your
Dept.?

Thanking you and with best regards.

Subhash C. Mandal, M.Pharm., Ph.D(Pharm.)
Regulatory Pharmacist
India
e-mail:pharmid@vsnl.net