CAM Education

Australian pharmacy students rate CAM

Pharmacy students view education about CAM as a core and integral part of their professional degree.

First, the details.

  • 119 undergraduate pharmacy students from a University in South East Queensland, Australia participated in a survey or interview.

And, the results.

  • 96% of pharmacy students believe that pharmacists should be able to advise patients about CAM.
  • 94% used CAM prior to enrolling in the program.
  • 89% perceived education about CAM as a core and integral part of their professional degree.
  • They favored it over an additional postgraduate degree.
  • They saw a greater need for education in herbals, vitamins and minerals compared to acupuncture, meditation, and bio-magnetism.
  • Greater knowledge of CAM was associated with a greater need for education about it.

The bottom line?
The author first reported these findings at a pharmacy meeting in Australia several months ago. The results have now been published.

It’s one more in a series of studies that shows support for CAM education by healthcare students in Canada, Wales, and the US, here and here.

4/9/08 23:23 JR

Hi, I’m JR

John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.