To examine to what degree pharmacy students understand the essential parts of palliative care and opioids through clinical practice, we conducted a study on the level of acquisition of knowledge about palliative care and opioids in pharmacy students who had completed practical training in community pharmacies and hospitals.
We conducted a questionnaire survey of 121 fifth-year pharmacy students, who completed practical training, before and after the training in community pharmacies and hospitals. The content of the questionnaire included the significance of palliative care and the appropriate use of opioids.
The level of understanding showed a tendency to be higher after training for all question items regarding knowledge. This tendency was marked in the students after in-hospital training compared to those before in-hospital training. Furthermore, a student group who experienced direct contact with patients receiving palliative care showed a higher level of understanding compared to students without direct contact with those patients.
The present investigation revealed that practical training in healthcare settings has beneficial effects on pharmacy students learning palliative care. In addition, it was suggested that the experience of direct contact with patients receiving palliative care further improves the level of understanding, and is markedly effective for educating students.