title: Perspectives on educating pharmacy students about the science of safety.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify opinions about pharmacy graduates' science of safety (SoS) educational needs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured interviews were performed with 25 educators and researchers at US pharmacy colleges and schools and 5 individuals from associations engaged in drug safety-related issues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Themes that emerged from the 30 interviews with key informants included: pharmacists should meet minimum SoS requirements; medication safety education is inconsistent; and barriers exist to improving SoS curricula. Student deficiencies noted included the lack of: student acceptance of a "culture of safety": ability to effectively communicate verbally about medication safety; knowledge of the drug development process; and quality improvement skills. Key informants did not agree on how to address these gaps.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While educators, researchers, and other leaders in drug safety-related issues thought that US colleges and schools of pharmacy covered portions of SoS well, there were perceived deficiencies. Minimum standards should be set to assist with curricular adoption of SoS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, The University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, USA. warholak@pharmacy.arizona.edu
authors.forename: Terri L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Warholak
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Holdford
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: Danielle L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: DeBake
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bentley
authors.forename: Daniel C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Malone
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D004514:Education, Pharmacy, Graduate / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D040441:Health Educators / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000592:standards; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000193:education; D012580:Schools, Pharmacy / Q000592:standards*; D013339:Students, Pharmacy