Role of Nutrition Education in Pharmacy Curriculum-Students' Perspectives and Attitudes

• Main Authors: Majid Mufaqam Syed-Abdul (Author), Syed Sadath Kabir (Author), Dhwani Satishkumar Soni (Author), Tony J. Faber (Author), Jeremy T. Barnes (Author), Maureen T. Timlin (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.3390/pharmacy9010026; 2226-4787
• Keywords: pharmacy; nutrition; education; attitude; course; Pharmacy and materia medica; RS1-441
• Source: Pharmacy, Vol 9, Iss 1, p 26 (2021)

Many pharmacists report they lack nutritional knowledge and believe the best time to educate pharmacists about nutrition is during pharmacy school. Purpose: This study was conducted to determine if today's pharmacy students receive education in nutrition and if they realize the importance of a nutrition course. Methods: Ninety-five pharmacy students attending pharmacy school were surveyed in two pharmacy schools in the United States. Results: The survey showed only 13.7% received nutrition education and 82.9% of students believed nutrition education should be incorporated into the pharmacy degree curriculum. When the pharmacy-related experience was taken into account, 73.3% of students believed that a nutrition course should be incorporated into the curriculum. Conclusion: This study suggests that pharmacy students from two major universities in Alabama and Illinois realize the importance of nutrition education and believe a nutrition course should be incorporated into the pharmacy degree curriculum.