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Abstract

Critical thinking, problem-solving and academic performance are central competencies of contemporary pharmacy education, yet the research literature addressing them among pharmacy students has never been mapped systematically. This study applies bibliometric methods to characterise the intellectual structure, productivity and thematic evolution of this field. A dataset of 443 English-language articles indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection (2020–2026) was retrieved and analysed with the bibliometrix R-package, combining performance analysis (annual output, sources, authors, countries, citations) with science mapping (co-word analysis, thematic mapping and factorial analysis). The field averaged 5.61 citations per document and involved 1,940 authors from 41 countries, with 16.0% international co-authorship. Output was strongly shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, peaking in 2020–2021 and again in 2023. The United States (51.7% of articles), Australia, Canada and Saudi Arabia led production, and Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education and BMC Medical Education were the core sources. Science mapping revealed seven themes, with pharmacy education and curriculum as motor themes and assessment, objective structured clinical examinations, simulation and clinical reasoning as developing specialties. The most-cited works concerned emergency remote teaching, team-based learning and productive failure. The findings map an emerging, pandemic-accelerated field and identify priorities for future competency-focused research and international collaboration‎.

Keywords: Bibliometric analysis, Pharmacy students, Critical thinking, Academic performance, Pharmacy education

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