Non-Cochrane · intervention · PM41718228
International Benchmarking of Pharmacology Curricula and Prescribing Related Learning Outcomes, Implications for Australian Health Professional Education: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Omar Syed Haris, Barwick Anna · Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026 · PubMed · doi:10.3390/pharmacy14010027
Findings
Population Undergraduate and postgraduate health professional students (medicine, nursing, pharmacy)
2 findings
| Integrated, case-based, blended, team-based or active pharmacology teaching | Traditional lecture-based teaching | Pharmacology knowledge (final or professional pharmacology exam) | SMD 0.35 [0.07, 0.64] GRADE not reported 11 studies · 4140 participants |
| Integrated, case-based, blended, team-based or active pharmacology teaching | Traditional lecture-based teaching | Student satisfaction (Likert scale) | OR 1.53 [1.16, 2.02] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
Included primary studies 12
Open in Studies| Study | Year | Also included by | Outcomes it informs here | Trial data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arien-Zakay 2024 Blended learning in nursing pharmacology: elevating cognitive skills, engagement and academic outcomes. PMID:38455960 | 2024 | this review only | Pharmacology knowledge (final or professional pharmacology exam); Student satisfaction (Likert scale) | not extracted yet |
| Felemban 2025 Comparing Case-Based and Lecture-Based Learning Methods in Pharmacology Teaching: Assessing Learning Outcomes, Memory Retention, and… PMID:40364922 | 2025 | this review only | Pharmacology knowledge (final or professional pharmacology exam); Student satisfaction (Likert scale) | not extracted yet |
| Inam 2022 Impact of Integrated Modular Pharmacology Curriculum on Undergraduate Medical Student’s Performance DOI:10.53350/pjmhs22161049 | 2022 | this review only | Pharmacology knowledge (final or professional pharmacology exam) | not extracted yet |
| Luitjes 2024 Using Team-Based Learning to Teach Pharmacology within the Medical Curriculum. PMID:38921967 | 2024 | this review only | Pharmacology knowledge (final or professional pharmacology exam) | not extracted yet |
| Meechan 2011 The impact of an integrated pharmacology and medicines management curriculum for undergraduate adult nursing students on the acquisition… PMID:20833455 | 2011 | this review only | Pharmacology knowledge (final or professional pharmacology exam); Student satisfaction (Likert scale) | not extracted yet |
| Mengesha 2025 Impact of pharmacology perception and learning strategies on academic achievement in undergraduate pharmacy students. PMID:40355613 | 2025 | this review only | Pharmacology knowledge (final or professional pharmacology exam); Student satisfaction (Likert scale) | not extracted yet |
| Nezhad 2024 Implementation of an integrated pharmacy education system for pharmacy students: a controlled educational trial. PMID:39506666 | 2024 | this review only | Pharmacology knowledge (final or professional pharmacology exam); Student satisfaction (Likert scale) | not extracted yet |
| Nicolaou 2024 Factors affecting pharmacology learning in integrated PBL in diverse medical students: a mixed methods study. PMID:38515169 | 2024 | this review only | Pharmacology knowledge (final or professional pharmacology exam); Student satisfaction (Likert scale) | not extracted yet |
| Sharp 2023 Comparative study between academic performances of traditional versus competency-based medical education M.B.B.S. curriculum students in… DOI:10.5455/njppp.2023.13.09461202202102022 | 2022 | this review only | Pharmacology knowledge (final or professional pharmacology exam) | not extracted yet |
| Tekes 2025 Enhancing pharmacology education through role-play: impact on student attitudes. PMID:41039414 | 2025 | this review only | Student satisfaction (Likert scale) | not extracted yet |
| Yadav 2015 Effectiveness of integrated teaching module in pharmacology among medical undergraduates. PMID:27563591 | 2016 | this review only | Pharmacology knowledge (final or professional pharmacology exam) | not extracted yet |
| Zhang 2024 Evaluation of Student Performance Based on Integrated Teaching Method in Pharmacology Curricula DOI:10.5530/ijper.58.2.46 | 2024 | this review only | Pharmacology knowledge (final or professional pharmacology exam); Student satisfaction (Likert scale) | not extracted yet |
Review question
| Element | Planned (methods) | Found (results) |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Undergraduate and postgraduate students of medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry and allied health studying pharmacology curricula | Health professional students (medical, nursing, pharmacy) from 11 countries; 4140 students in pooled analysis; sample sizes 76 to 1275 |
| Intervention | Teaching approaches in pharmacology and clinical pharmacology beyond lecture-based education (integrated, PBL, flipped, simulation, VR, gamification, concept-based curricula, competency frameworks) | Integrated, case-based, blended, team-based or active learning curricula |
| Comparison | Traditional lecture-based teaching, conventional teaching methods, standard curriculum | Traditional lecture-based learning |
| Outcomes | Knowledge, academic performance, clinical competence, OSCE, prescribing competency, student satisfaction | Pharmacology knowledge (11 studies); student satisfaction (8 studies) |
| Study designs | RCTs, quasi-experimental, cross-sectional, mixed-methods, curriculum evaluations, national surveys, Delphi frameworks | 11 studies: 2 RCTs, quasi-experimental, cohort, cross-sectional and mixed-methods studies |
| Timing | Not specified | Not specified |
AMSTAR 2 items
Two independent extractors rated each item. Their ratings are shown side by side because they have not been reconciled yet. The overall rating follows Shea et al. 2017: one critical flaw gives Low, more than one gives Critically Low.
| Item | Extractor A | Extractor B | Agree |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Research question includes PICO components | Yes | Yes | yes |
| 2Protocol established before the reviewcritical | Partial Yes | Partial Yes | yes |
| 3Choice of study designs explained | No | No | yes |
| 4Comprehensive literature searchcritical | Partial Yes | Partial Yes | yes |
| 5Study selection in duplicate | Yes | Yes | yes |
| 6Data extraction in duplicate | Yes | Yes | yes |
| 7List of excluded studies with reasonscritical | No | No | yes |
| 8Included studies described in detail | Partial Yes | Yes | no |
| 9Risk of bias assessed satisfactorilycritical | RCT: Yes · NRSI: Partial Yes | NRSI: Partial Yes · RCT: Yes | no |
| 10Funding of included studies reported | No | No | yes |
| 11Appropriate meta-analysis methodscritical | RCT: No · NRSI: No | NRSI: No · RCT: No | no |
| 12Impact of risk of bias on the pooled results | No | No | yes |
| 13Risk of bias accounted for in interpretationcritical | Yes | Yes | yes |
| 14Heterogeneity explained | Yes | Yes | yes |
| 15Publication bias investigatedcritical | Yes | Yes | yes |
| 16Conflicts of interest reported | Yes | Yes | yes |
| Overall | Critically Low | Critically Low | yes |