Development and Implementation of an Integrated Framework for Undergraduate Pharmacy Training in Maternal and Child Health at a South African University

Abstract

The South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) regulates undergraduate pharmacy education and pharmacy practice. The SAPC Good Pharmacy Practice manual describes the role of pharmacists in maternal and child health (MCH) in line with the recommendation of international health regulatory bodies. However, baseline study findings in 2017 supported literature from around the world that indicated a need for curriculum review and integration to address the knowledge and skills gap in pharmacists' MCH training. This paper describes the development and implementation of an integrated framework for MCH training across the four years of a Bachelor of Pharmacy program. The intervention included didactic lectures, skills practical on infant growth assessment, and an experiential learning component at primary health care clinics and pharmacies. Knowledge and skills assessment on contraception, maternal and antenatal care, and neonatal and child care were carried out pre, eight weeks post, and two years post intervention using the same questionnaire. ANOVA and post hoc analyses showed that participants' knowledge and skills increased post intervention but decreased significantly two years later except in contraception where students experienced longitudinal integration of the MCH component. Generally, participants performed above the university average except in maternal and antenatal care.

Keywords: South Africa; curriculum; integrated maternal and child health care framework; knowledge; pharmacy education; skills and attitude; undergraduate pharmacy students.

Figure 1

Progression of infant growth skills assessments from the practical intervention (2nd year 2017) to the 2019 post intervention assessment (two years later).

Figure 2

Progression of knowledge assessments from the 2017 pre-intervention to the 2019 post intervention assessment.