No abstract

No abstract

Objectives. To explore a pharmacy school curriculum for opportunities for student engagement and to determine how these might shape student identity as pharmacists. Methods. The learning aims and objectives and methods of assessment from the curriculum of a bachelor of pharmacy (BPharm) program were collected and a concept map was generated. The concept map was interpreted using Barnett and Coates' curricular domains of knowing, acting and being. Results. The key concepts within the intended curriculum that were identified from the concept map were drugs, pharmacy, understanding, practice, and skills. Concepts such as patient and consumer, which would indicate a patient-centered approach to the curriculum, were limited. The main form of assessment used in the curriculum was multiple-choice and short-answer examinations. Conclusion. There was an emphasis in the curriculum on student acquisition of knowledge and this was reinforced by the use of theoretical examinations. The content of the curriculum was drug-centered rather than patient-centered and the emergence of students' identity as pharmacists may be fragmented as a result.

The proposed 'frameworks' and identification of influential characteristics provided a 'lens' through which to understand and evaluate competency standards. While consistent application of and attention to some of these characteristics appear to consolidate and affirm the authority of competency standards, it is suggested that the national context should be a critical determinant of the design and content of the final document. The Australian Occupational Therapy Competency Standards (OT AUSTRALIA, 1994) are critiqued accordingly, and preliminary recommendations for revision are proposed.

No abstract