E-drug: Undergraduate pharmacotherapy teaching (cont'd)
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The pharmacy course offered at the Victoria College of Pharmacy,
Monash University (Australia) is very comprehensive but does not
include the concept of essential drugs and the essential drugs program
as a major pillar in Primary Health Care programs in developing
countries. I don't know about other courses in Australia. A few years
ago I made a presentation at a conference in Indonesia about the role
of pharmacists in primary health care programs, including their role as
PHC team member, teacher of other health workers and providers of
drug information etc. Participants asked me if they could learn that
material if they came to pharmacy courses in Australia. I had to say,
unfortunately not.
There are too few Australian pharmacists who are aware of these
aspects of pharmacy. Those who are, have learnt on the job in
developing countries or have done other international health or PHC
courses. I think essential drugs concepts etc. should be included at
least as an elective, but better as a unit in undergraduate pharmacy
courses.
Beverley Snell
International Health Unit
Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research
P O Box 254 Fairfield Australia 3078
Telephone 613 9282 2115 / 9282 2275
Fax 613 9482 3123
e-mail: bev@burnet.edu.au
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