At Okayama University, a pharmacy educational curriculum requiring a period of six-years was started in April, 2006 and in its novel core curriculum, long-term practical training in a hospital is specified. Preliminary practical training based on the core curriculum was conducted to uncover problems in the long-term hospital training.
The preliminary training, which was given to fourth-year undergraduate students and focused on dispensing practice, was preceded by lectures. Arrangements for the training included the preparation of a new textbook, drawing up evaluation criteria, the appointment of pharmacists to conduct the training and preparing a schedule for it. Students were evaluated using oral examinations, practical examinations to assess skills and written tests.
By the end of the preliminary training, approximately 69% of the training schedule created beforehand had been reorganized showing that it was difficult to base the syllabus for the practical training on the core curriculum. In addition, from having conducted the training, we felt that it was important to have coordination among academic staff and hospital pharmacists as well as in the preparation of the standard text and tutorial manual.