2017 Volume 1 Article ID: 2017-002
Ten years have passed since six-year pharmaceutical education was introduced in 2006. As the environment surrounding pharmacists changes, further advancement in pharmaceutical education is expected. In this context, an increasing number of studies have been conducted to improve pharmaceutical education and practice, with an emphasis on not only quantitative but also qualitative research. The present paper introduces qualitative research based on content analysis and the Grounded Theory Approach (GTA) to assess pharmaceutical education programs and the professional skills of pharmacists, and discusses the characteristics of the qualitative research. Teachers involved in pharmaceutical education are required to focus on changes in health care environments, while paying attention to universal education required for pharmacists as specialists and their advancing professional skills, to exert their efforts to improve pharmaceutical education and maintain its quality. Therefore, they should discuss methods for educational approaches and assess the effects of pharmaceutical education on students to reflect the results of assessment in its improvement.
