Pharmacy students' attitudes toward a required public health course and developing a public health program.
OBJECTIVE
To determine pharmacy students' attitudes towards a required public health course and developing a public health program.


METHODS
Two hundred ten first-year pharmacy students enrolled in a public health course at a large private pharmacy school were surveyed. A 24-item adjective rating scale and a 10-item scale were used to measure students' attitudes towards the course and developing a public health program.


RESULTS
Of 198 respondents, two-thirds found the course to be extremely or very appealing, of practical value, and only slightly demanding and difficult. The majority of the students indicated that establishing a public health program would be an opportunity to help the community and make a difference. Few students indicated that it would be a poor use of time or an example of busy work.


CONCLUSIONS
Pharmacy students had positive attitudes towards a required public health course and developing a public health program. Strategies to mold positive attitudes into actual behaviors of engaging in public health activities are needed.
Shah
Bupendra
B
Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy, USA.
Rahim
Hamid
H
Yin
Hongjun
H
Bhavsar
Jinali
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D003479:Curriculum; D004512:Education, Pharmacy; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011314:Preventive Health Services; D016730:Program Development; D011594:Psychometrics; D011634:Public Health / Q000193:education*; D013339:Students, Pharmacy / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult