Examination of students' interest in a public health pharmacy course in Malaysia

Health care in Malaysia has undergone a dramatic change consequent to an increasingly affluent society with an increasing per capita income. However, although mortality has decreased and the quality of life is getting better, Malaysia still faces public health problems, such as those associated with a high prevalence of smoking, inappropriate use of medicines, and high drug prices. A public health pharmacy curriculum was developed to educate first-year undergraduate pharmacy students on these issues. The topics include medicine pricing, rational use of medicines, generic medicines, unethical drug promotion, health promotion and wellness, medicine-seeking behavior, and the role of the pharmacist in public health. The course was evaluated after delivering the lectures and, overall, the subject matter was found interesting and was well understood. However, topics that interested students the most included "New trends in drug promotion," "The pharmacist's role in public health," and "The pharmacist's role in disease prevention and health promotion." The students also found that the knowledge gained can be applied in the wider health care setting. The study concludes that curricula such as this can be very useful in sensitizing students at the early stage of their professional career to people-centered issues.