Trial and evaluation of a remedial education program at Kobe Pharmaceutical University

Pharmaceutical education is suffering from the decentralization of students due to the establishment of new pharmaceutical universities, the shift to a six-year program from a four-year program in the colleges of pharmacy in 2006, and a decrease in the number of students. Combined, these have lead to academic failings, even at high-ranking universities. However, abundant knowledge and ability are necessary to pass the national examination for pharmacists. At Kobe Pharmaceutical University, a Basic Education Center for Pharmacy was instituted in 2006 for the purpose of supporting the scholastic abilities of students with various challenges, as well as for students in general. One approach at the Basic Education Center for Pharmacy, has been to offer supplementary lessons, and to provide additional opportunities for learning for the repeater. We offer supplementary lessons as an "Office Hours Class" and also use DVD-learning for remedial teaching. "Office Hours Class" is conducted in a question/answer format with a small number of students. In order to develop the DVD-learning system (pharmaceutical educational digital learning; PEDL), which promotes self-learning, our supplementary lectures and "Office Hours Class" lectures are recorded and edited on DVD media. The learning effect of using these systems, as determined by regular examination, shows that these have been helpful. As a result, we concluded that these supplementary learning programs are useful as a learning method to help students acquire necessary knowledge as potential pharmaceutical professionals, and to increase student motivation.