Naoto Nakagawa , Keita Odanaka , Hiroshi Ohara , Shigeki Kisara

Abstract

Pharmacists are the only medical professionals who can support pharmacotherapies by searching for, collecting, processing, and communicating appropriate drug information to patients and medical staff. Thus, drug information literacy (defined as appropriate understanding, interpretation, analysis, and restatement/expression of drug information) is essential. We created an e-learning program to train pharmacy students in drug information literacy before beginning their practical experience training. Students could complete the program at home in their free time. We then evaluated the program’s educational outcomes in terms of attitudinal change. A cloud-based e-learning system was used in the study. We targeted fifth-year pharmacy students who were preparing for practical experience training. We investigated whether the e-learning program actively enhanced drug information literacy among students by administering a questionnaire to test students’ drug information literacy before and after the e-learning program. Twenty-one students were enrolled in the study. The e-learning program significantly enhanced pharmacy students’ drug information literacy (p = 0.008) and made them more confident when speaking to physicians or nurses (p = 0.031). Seven out of thirteen respondents (54%) used the acquired literacy in their practical experience training, and they applied the skills more often in hospitals than in community pharmacy training. The e-learning program was able to foster drug information literacy, and pharmacy students were able to apply the literacy during their practical experience‎.

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