Development of Extemporaneous Compounding as an Initiating Factor in the Transformation of Pharmaceutical Education: International Experience and Current Trends

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. Currently, stakeholders across the Russian medical and pharmaceutical community are focusing on the restoration of national pharmaceutical compounding. The Russian pharmaceutical compounding market, with its great potential for growth, requires highly qualified professionals able to ensure the operation of compounding pharmacies and the proper quality of extemporaneous medicinal products. The effectiveness of training for such specialists can be improved by analysing the experience of educational institutions in countries with developed pharmaceutical compounding systems.AIM. This study aimed to analyse the distinguishing features of training for pharmaceutical compounding specialists, as well as determine the main trends in pharmaceutical compounding education in leading international academic institutions.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The study used methods of logical, comparative, structural, and content analysis. The analysis covered 106 pharmacy and pharmacology curricula of the top-25 higher education providers from the QS World University Rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds. The curricula were analysed using open data published online, particularly, on the official websites of the selected universities.RESULTS. The article presents the distinguishing features of pharmaceutical compounding education at different academic qualification levels; these features include the requirements for applicants, time to degree, competence standards, structure of exams, and specifics of students’ professional engagement, with consideration of the national context. The key trends in the education of specialists in pharmaceutical compounding include a decrease in training time for mid-level specialists; a tendency towards concentrating on clinical disciplines due to the expansion of the roles of pharmacy professionals; a growing focus on specialisation in the areas of paediatric, dental, sterile, veterinary, radiopharmaceutical, and orphan drug compounding; increasing use of simulated practice experiences and online learning technologies; and the development of continuing professional education systems.CONCLUSIONS. Pharmaceutical education programmes of leading international educational organisations include disciplines related to extemporaneous compounding. Current international trends—pharmaceutical education with further specialisation in extemporaneous compounding, integration of simulation technologies and online learning into the educational process, and development of continuing professional education—coincide with the development directions of pharmaceutical education in the Russian Federation. Whereas international pharmacy specialists complete additional professional education programmes to gain an additional specialisation in the extemporaneous preparation of paediatric medicinal products, sterile dosage forms, chemotherapy products, radiopharmaceuticals, veterinary products, and dental products, Russian specialists can acquire these additional competencies through further education programmes at the levels of advanced training and residency.

Keywords

• pharmaceutical education
• extemporaneous compounding
• accreditation
• pharmacy technician
• licensing of pharmaceutical workers
• compounding pharmacies
• international experience