Evaluation of Teaching Pharmacoeconomics to Japanese Students

ABSTRACT This study's purpose was to teach a pharmacoeconomics elective course and determine whether Japanese pharmacy students understood basic pharmacoeconomic concepts and evaluate their attitudes about the topic. This study found students understood the importance of knowing costs and consequences of drug therapy alternatives. Students had a reduction in apprehension about pharmacoeconomics at the end of the course and they felt the topic would be important to their government and pharmaceutical industry. Pharmacoeconomics should be required course material within Japanese schools of pharmacy. Foreign language teaching difficulties and the importance of tangible examples are discussed.