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$The researccommittee at Da
* CorrespondiLviv National MUkraine.
E-mail: horil
Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 5 (2013) 191–200
Research
Situational analysis of pharmaceutical education in Ukraine$
Bohdan Hromovyk, PhD, DSc, Artem Horilyk, Mgr*Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, Lviv, Ukraine
http://www.pharmacyteaching.com
Abstract
Background: Nowadays pharmaceutical education in Ukrain
e is actively modernizing in the light of globalization processes,including the Bologna Process and conversion to lifelong learning.Objective: Impartial and versatile assessment of the current state of pharmaceutical education in Ukraine.Methods: Information retrieval, content analysis, SWOT (an abbreviation of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats)analysis, expert appraisement, and statistical data analysis.Results: The lists of four categories of factors (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) related to pharmaceuticaleducation in Ukraine were created. Based on these lists, a questionnaire for expert appraisal of the expected influence of everyelement was worked out. The study was conducted by surveying 192 participants—tutors from six universities that trainpharmacists. According to the expert estimations in each group of factors, a ranking based on the influence of factors on thestatus of pharmaceutical education was conducted.Conclusions: The results of the study demonstrate the current status of pharmaceutical education in Ukraine. Expert evaluationdata can be used for elaborating the strategies for reformation of the Ukrainian system of pharmaceutical education in responseto the existing strengths and weaknesses, as well as the most significant opportunities and threats.r 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Keywords: Pharmaceutical education in Ukraine; SWOT analysis; Questionnaire; Expert appraisal; Universities
Introduction
According to the World Health Organization concept of‘‘seven-star pharmacist’’ and the main principles of goodpharmacy education practice, professional learning cannotbe limited to basic education mostly at the beginning ofhuman life.1,2 Continuous updating of information requirescontinuous learning and training. Specialists need toimprove their knowledge and skills to allow for rapidadaptation to unexpected changes in the environment.3
Today, higher pharmaceutical education, as well as allother fields of higher education in Ukraine, is activelyintegrating into the Bologna Process. By the terms of this
– see front matter r 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserv/10.1016/j.cptl.2013.01.007
h was reviewed and approved by local ethicsnylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University.ng author: Artem Horilyk, Mgr, Danylo Halytskyedical University, Pekarska street 75b, Lviv 79010,
process, the following will be accessible: common educationaland research spaces, expanding mobility of students, teachersand researchers, and orientation of educational programs foremployment of graduates within the united Europe.
Participation in the Bologna Process has allowed forthe transformation of higher education in Ukraine in thecontext of lifelong learning, the acceleration of changes inUkrainian pharmacy education and practice, as well as thedefinition of a new form of pharmacists’ training. However,the scientific and popular scientific literature publicationswith authors’ concern to the theoretical and practical levelsof graduates periodically appear.4–6 Also often employershave reprimands to graduates.7,8
So today, the national educational system has its owngood teaching traditions and well-known pharmaceuticalscientific schools; however, it cannot keep up with scientificand technical progress, as well as the high level of Europeanand world education. Actual problems of pharmaceuticaleducation are complicated and multifaceted; therefore the
ed.
B. Hromovyk, A. Horilyk / Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 5 (2013) 191–200192
strategic actions for improvement of the processes of training,retraining and advanced training of pharmacists are needed.
The aim of this research is to obtain an impartial, many-sided assessment of the current status of pharmaceuticaleducation in Ukraine as a basis for further reforming strategy.
Methods
The modern status of pharmaceutical education inUkraine became a research object. For meaningful situa-tional analysis of pharmaceutical education in Ukraine, atechnique that includes five stages was worked out. It wasbased on the method of SWOT (an abbreviation ofstrengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). Thismethod allows systematization of the factors that positivelyor negatively, directly or indirectly affect the status anddevelopment of pharmaceutical education. Strengths ofpharmaceutical education are the advantages and benefitsthat favorably distinguish the educational system andsupport the training of a competitive specialist (e.g.,introduction of the principles of continuouseducation—S2). Weaknesses are the disadvantages ofeducation that need to be corrected. Opportunities ofpharmaceutical education are the positive factors (trendsand events) of the external environment that can enhance thelevel of training and, consequently, the level of pharmaceut-ical care for the population. Further development of theconcept of continuous education likely improves the systemof education in the future, but currently is considered anopportunity (O3). Threats are the negative factors of theenvironment that may, in the absence of appropriate reaction,lead to a significant reduction in theoretical and practicaltraining of pharmaceutical specialists.
At first, about 70 publications that characterize highereducation (including pharmaceutical) were selected as aresult of information retrieval. Information retrieval wasconducted in catalogs of National Scientific Library, andusing the search engine Google. The Google search wasperformed with the following keywords: higher education inUkraine: state, problems, prospects; pharmaceutical educa-tion; the Bologna Process; distance education, new tech-nologies; problems of education; pharmaceutical science,information and communication technologies, pharma-ceutical practice, postgraduate education, and the qualityof training.
Based on the results of further content analysis, a set of59 factors that have or may have an impact on thepharmaceutical education in Ukraine was created.
On the second stage all the factors were divided withSWOT analysis into four categories: internal strengths andweaknesses of pharmaceutical education in Ukraine, andopportunities and threats of the external environment.Eleven and 21 factors were included into the lists ofstrengths and weaknesses, respectively, and 10 and 18factors were included into the lists of opportunities andthreats, respectively.
Considering that certain features of current pharma-ceutical education are variously opined in literature, theseelements were taken to both lists. For example, the numberof universities offering pharmacy training has increasedalmost seven times over the last 15 years (today there are22, whereas 15 years ago only three universities). This factis estimated by some authors as a strength that significantlysupports access to pharmaceutical education for the pop-ulation and improves pharmaceutical services since gradu-ates often stay to work where they studied.9 Others take theview that plenty of newly established departments areunable to provide the proper staff (professors, tutors, etc.)and quality of organization of educational process, and, as aresult, the quality of Ukrainian pharmaceutical education ischanging for the worse.5,10 Therefore the element ‘‘Thewide network of pharmaceutical universities’’ is includedinto both strengths and weaknesses of pharmaceuticaleducation.
The third stage of situational analysis involved thedeveloping of a questionnaire based on four lists of factors,which should be evaluated by weight. Strengths and oppor-tunities were evaluated as follows: ‘‘1’’—unlikely benefit(prospect), ‘‘2’’—little benefit (prospect), ‘‘3’’—essentialbenefit (prospect), ‘‘4’’—important benefit (prospect) and‘‘5’’—very important benefit (prospect). The similar scale ofpoints was also offered for assessment of weaknesses andthreats: ‘‘1’’—unlikely disadvantage (danger), ‘‘2’’—littledisadvantage (danger), ‘‘3’’—significant disadvantage (dan-ger), ‘‘4’’—considerable disadvantage (danger) and ‘‘5’’—very considerable disadvantage (danger).
The feature of this questionnaire is that an expected fieldof influence of each element was mentioned. Respondentsappreciated the factors in accordance with this field. Forexample, such opportunity of pharmaceutical education as‘‘an increase of amount of pharmaceutical organizations’’should be estimated within the probability of employmentof graduates (Table 1). The fourth stage of methodologyprovided the multicenter expert evaluation of factors thatcan affect the pharmaceutical education in Ukraine. Tutorsfrom six universities, who provide pharmacists training,participated in the study as the experts. Tutors were fromNational university of Pharmacy, Danylo Halytsky LvivNational Medical university, Zaporizhzhia State Medicaluniversity, Bogomolets National Medical university,Lugansk State Medical university, I.Ya. HorbachevskyTernopil State Medical university and Lviv Polytechnicuniversity. It is worth mentioning that these universitiesrepresent all the regions of Ukraine. There were universitiesamong them with a long tradition of pharmacist training;universities, where pharmaceutical departments were estab-lished under the independent Ukraine; as well as ‘‘non-core’’ (polytechnic) university that trains specialists for thepharmaceutical industry.
Out of the 220 questionnaires sent, 216 were returnedand 192 of them were selected and processed. Selectedquestionnaires included evaluation of absolutely all
Table 1Lists of factors, defined consequently of SWOT analysis
Factor
Code Title Regarding Refs.
Category ‘‘S’’—strengthsS1 Introduction of Bologna Process into pharmaceutical
educationMobility of students, teachers and specialists 16–18
S2 Introduction of principles of continuous education Improvement the quality of training of pharmacists 19–21S3 Presence of known pharmaceutical scientific schools Realization of successful scientific researches and quality of
practical and theoretical training of pharmacists22,23
S4 Growth amount of DSc and PhD in pharmacy Building and development of scientific schools 24,25S5 Publication of new textbooks, tutorials and methodical
worksQuality of organization of educational process 26
S6 State licensed examinations ‘‘Krok-1’’ and ‘‘Krok-2’’ for thestudents of full-time studies
Impartiality of appraisement of pharmacists’ training andstandardization of educational requirements
27,28
S7 Functioning of students’ science clubs at departments Discovering creative capabilities of students 29S8 Regular holding of conferences of regional, national and
international significanceInvolving teachers, students and specialists into scientific
activity30
S9 The wide network of pharmaceutical universities Availability of pharmaceutical education for wide sections ofthe population
9
S10 Introduction of Scale of values of different types ofpharmacists’ activity between pre-attestation cycles(pharmacists in Ukraine must pass the attestation everyfive years)
Quality of practical and theoretical training of pharmacists 31
S11 The possibility for students of final course to work inpharmacies in a second shift or on the night duties
Practical training for students, self-dependence and materialstatus
32
Category ‘‘W’’—weaknessesW1 The wide network of pharmaceutical universities Quality of pharmaceutical education 5W2 Insufficient level of training of graduates in a row of
universitiesQuality of pharmaceutical care 10
W3 Low scientific level of the cadre and material support ofeducational process at recently created departments
Quality of practical and theoretical training of pharmacists 5
W4 Training of pharmacists in non-specialized (non-medicaland non-pharmaceutical) universities
Qualifying requirements to graduating students, stuff support,material and technical basis, loss of prestige of profession
33
W5 The discrepancy between the programs of core educationaldisciplines and requirements of present time
Quality of practical and theoretical training of pharmacists 34
W6 A lot of disciplines, which do not have a relationship to theprofession
Quality of practical and theoretical training of pharmacists 6
W7 Inadequacy of pedagogical culture and ethics to the aims ofpharmaceutical education
Quality of practical and theoretical training of pharmacists 4
W8 Presence of distance studies for undergraduate students Quality of practical and theoretical training of pharmacists 5,35W9 Lack of state licensed examinations ‘‘Krok-1’’ and ‘‘Krok-
2’’ for the undergraduate students of distance studiesObjective appraisal of quality of external students’ training 4
W10 The old methods of administration the universities,insufficient use of organizational innovations andprogressive methods of management
Educational and scientific co-operation between thedepartments of the university and between the universitieson the whole
36,37
W11 A weak-developed infrastructure of universities (theimproper living conditions, low security in students’hostels)
Amount of university entrants 38
W12 Limited financial resources Development and introduction of innovative technologies 39W13 Affection toward rendering the educational services for
paymentMotivation to the studies, quality of practical and theoretical
training of pharmacists40
W14 High and growing cost of studies Availability of pharmaceutical education for wide sections ofthe population, amount of university entrants
41
W15 Corruption Discredits to education 8W16 Increase of age interval between youths and senior teachers,
and decrease the part of middle aged personsThe formation and development of scientific schools,
professional and educational activity of departments4
W17 Low wages for teachers The prestige of teaching and motivation of teachers to work,in particular the quality of lessons, progressive teachingmethods, individual work with students
42,43
B. Hromovyk, A. Horilyk / Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 5 (2013) 191–200 193
Table 1Continued
Factor
Code Title Regarding Refs.
W18 Reducing the social status of teachers of the universities 44W19 High, by international standards, the workload of teachers 45W20 The predominance of basic (undergraduate) educational
modelTraining of specialists during all their professional life with a
focus on post-graduate (professional) stage3
W21 Inaccessibility of databases of questions of state licensingexams ‘‘Krok-1’’ and ‘‘Krok-2’’
The objective assessment of quality of students’ training,because preparation of tests is subjectively carried out byteachers of different universities on the basis of variousliterature.
4
Category ‘‘O’’—opportunitiesO1 Internationalization and integration of higher education Entering universities the world educational community and
active development in it (participation in grants,international projects, and creating merged universities)
46,47
O2 Diversification of professional education (the ability to reactto changes in accordance with labor market conditions)
Changes in nomenclature (appearance of new) specialties,new courses and subjects
48
O3 Development of the concept of lifelong education Obtaining the required knowledge, skills and abilities notonce and for all, but as far as how they are needed for aprofessional life
3,49
O4 Holding competitions for grants for scientific research Intensification of research work, involving young researchersto scientific elaborations
50
O5 Implementation of computer technologies into highereducation
Reducing the country’s delay due to accessibility ofknowledge and education
51–53
O6 Decrease of the cost of computer equipment Automation management of universities and educationalprocess
54
O7 Development of information technologies, including onlinedistance education
Creation of computer support systems for the educationalprocess, differentiation and individualization of training,particularly at the stage of continuous professionaldevelopment
55–57
O8 Increase number of pharmaceutical organizations Increasing the probability of employment of graduates 58–60O9 Employers’ investments in pharmaceutical education The quality of practical and theoretical training of pharmacists 61O10 The WHO revises the role of pharmacist as the bearer of
specialized knowledgePossibility to influence the process of the use of medicines 62
Category ‘‘T’’—threatsT1 Westernization of higher education Expansion of the western model of society and loss of
national identity63
T2 Negative demographic trends Fluctuations in demand and supply of educational services,reducing the number of applicants and graduates
64
T3 The crisis situation in the national economy The solvency of the parents of potential students and thedemand for qualified professionals
65
T4 Imperfection of the regulatory framework for the training,planning, monitoring, and creation of a unified system ofjob positions in the pharmacy field
Achieving professionalism of graduates according torequirements of state standards of higher pharmaceuticaleducation
66
T5 Inconsistency of the current nomenclature of specialties torequirements of pharmacy practice
Quality of pharmaceutical care 67
T6 Lack of nomenclature of positions that meet modernstandards of pharmacy practice
Certification by the appropriate specialty 68
T7 The absence of adequate specialization in accordance withthe nomenclature of pharmaceutical positions
Quality of pharmaceutical care 7
T8 Imperfection of financial legislation Difficulty of employers’ investing in pharmaceuticaleducation
4
T9 Imperfection of state system of order for training specialistswith higher education
The opportunity for best students to study at public expenseand increase budget for universities with high qualitytraining, qualified teaching stuff, etc.
69
T10 Employers’ inobservance of the Labor Code Social security of pharmacists, motivation for work 4T11 Low wages for pharmacists Loss of prestige of the profession 70
B. Hromovyk, A. Horilyk / Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 5 (2013) 191–200194
Table 1Continued
Factor
Code Title Regarding Refs.
T12 Frequent changes in curricula Creation of qualitative educational and programmaticdocuments in the universities
71
T13 Lack of system of state loans and subsidies for theeducational process
Empowering children from needy families to acquireprofessional education, training students for specialties thatare essential for national social and economic development
72
T14 Lack of quality assurance system for education Achieving professionalism of graduates according torequirements of state standards of higher pharmaceuticaleducation
73
T15 The presence of step training (bachelor, specialist, andmaster)
Clear division of qualifications, positions for specialists ofdifferent levels
68
T16 Lack of legal framework for distance education Legitimacy of distance education 74,75T17 The negative attitude of government officials, media and
society to the pharmacyPrestige of the profession, emotional burnout of pharmacists 4
T18 The rapid reduction of bases for students’ practices(drugstores with extemporal producing of medicines)
Real students’ passing the practices and internship inaccordance with state requirements
76
B. Hromovyk, A. Horilyk / Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 5 (2013) 191–200 195
factors, without any exception, for at least one categoryof SWOT.
Among the respondents 69.8% had a PhD degree and10.4% had a DSc degree. The range of variation ofprofessional work experience of respondents was from sixmonths to 47 years; the average one was 15 years. 19.8% ofthe respondents were engaged in both pre-and post-graduatetraining, and 11.9% provided only post-graduate training ofpharmacists.
The optimal sample size was calculated using non-repeated sampling.11 Considering that in sociological stud-ies an error p ¼ 0.05 is permitted, a sample size of 81 wasneeded. Thus, the number of specialists interviewed in theresearch can be considered sufficiently representative.
The last (fifth) stage of methodology involved theanalysis of results of expert evaluation and statisticalanalysis.
In order to analyze the obtained results the averagevalues (ai) and standard error of the mean (m) werecalculated. The degree of coherence of respondents’ viewswas assessed using the coefficient of variation (Cv). It wasassumed that a set of data is homogeneous and the mean istypical if the coefficient of variation was less than 33%.12 Inan effort to assess the degree of importance of factors, theweight of each factor was calculated as the relativeimportance using the formula:
Pi¼Xm
j¼1
Bij
Bcj
� �.m
where Pi is the weight of ith factor; i is the factor number, jis the expert number; m is the amount of experts; Bij is therating assigned to the ith factor by jth expert; Bcj is the sumof points awarded by jth expert to all the factors of the
category. ProvidedPn
j¼1 Pi¼1. Quantitative impact offactor i was estimated by value of aiPi.
13 Weighted sumof all factors of each SWOT category was calculated usingthe following formula14:
a¼Xn
i¼1
aiPi
and statistical calculations were carried out using IBMSPSS Statistics 19.
Results and discussion
The situational analysis showed a slight predominanceof negative categories over positive ones. Weighted sums ofweaknesses and threats were larger than strengths andpossibilities by 1.04 and 1.06 times, respectively.
The results of evaluation of the strengths of Ukrainianpharmaceutical education found that the experts provided asignificant advantage to factors S5, S3 and S8, namelypublication of new textbooks and tutorials, presence ofknown pharmaceutical scientific schools and regulararrangement of conferences, respectively (Table 2). FactorsS7, S4, S2 and S11 (functioning of students’ science clubs,increasing amount of DSc and PhD in the pharmacy field,implementing the principles of lifelong education andpossibility for students of final course to work in pharma-cies in a second shift or on the night duties) came close tothis level. The lowest quantitative impact belongs to factorS1—‘‘Introduction of Bologna Process into pharmaceuticaleducation’’. It corresponds to little benefit–essential benefit.The other factors were closer to the level of essentialbenefit.
The analysis of evaluation of weaknesses of pharma-ceutical education reveals the most significant deficiencies:
Table 2Results of expert evaluation of strengths of pharmaceutical education (number of questionnaires 179)
Factor
Code Title aiPi Rank ai (mi) Cv (%)
S5 Publication of new textbooks. tutorials and methodical works 0.44 1 4.08 (0.08) 26.2S3 Presence of known pharmaceutical scientific schools 0.43 2 4.00 (0.08) 27.4S8 Regular holding of conferences of regional, national and international significance 0.41 3 3.93 (0.07) 24.3S7 Functioning of students’ science clubs at departments 0.39 4 3.85 (0.07) 25.3S4 Growth amount of DSc and PhD in pharmacy 0.37 5 3.73 (0.08) 30.4S2 Introduction of principles of continuous education 0.33 6 3.54 (0.09) 32.3S11 The possibility for students of final course to work in pharmacies in a second shift
or on the night duties0.33 7 3.50 (0.09) 33.9
S10 Introduction of Scale of values of different types of pharmacists’ activity betweenpre-attestation cycles
0.23 8 2.97 (0.08) 34.4
S9 The wide network of pharmaceutical universities 0.22 9 2.89 (0.09) 40.7S6 State licensed examinations ‘‘Krok-1’’ and ‘‘Krok-2’’ for the students of full-time studies 0.21 10 2.78 (0.09) 41.2S1 Introduction of Bologna Process into pharmaceutical education 0.16 11 2.42 (0.08) 44.6
Average rating of all categories 3.51 —
B. Hromovyk, A. Horilyk / Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 5 (2013) 191–200196
low wages and decline in social status, and high workload ofuniversity tutors according to the international standards(factors W17–W19) (Table 3). Indeed, a university tutor getssalary of about 250–300 USD per month, at the same time inthe neighboring Poland it is about 1500 USD. While teachingload in Ukraine is 3–4 times higher than in Poland (200–300 hours a month against 700–800 hours for a professor).
The experts reached consensus (Cv ¼ 21.9%) thattraining of pharmacists in non-core universities (W4) is avery considerable disadvantage of the modern pharmaceut-ical education in Ukraine. Today, the pharmacists’ trainingis carried out at 16 medical and pharmaceutical universities,as well as in six ‘‘non-core’’ universities. The factors W16‘‘Increase of age interval between young and seniorteachers, and decrease of the part of middle aged persons’’and W9 ‘‘Lack of state licensed examinations ‘Krok-1’ and‘Krok-2’ for the students of distance studies’’ were the leastinfluential among the factors of this category. They arereferred to as having little disadvantage-significant dis-advantage. The others factors were estimated as havinghigher than significant disadvantage.
It is worth noting that presence of the wide network ofpharmaceutical universities as a strength (S9) is close toessential benefit, but as a weakness (W1) it is a significantdisadvantage. At the same time, presence of state licensedexaminations ‘‘Krok-1’’ and ‘‘Krok-2’’ for the full-time students(S6) is close to essential benefit and their absence for thecorrespondence students (W9) is a significant disadvantage.‘‘Krok-1’’ is a test exam on nine theoretical disciplines, whichis taken at the beginning of the fourth year of study. ‘‘Krok-2’’includes tests on nine professional disciplines and it is taken bygraduates. Generally, there is no agreement that these factorsare strong or weak side of pharmaceutical education.
The results of evaluation of opportunities of the environ-ment for pharmaceutical education in Ukraine showed that
experts attributed all the factors to important or essentialbenefits, with only a little separating their weight (Table 4).The most attractive elements for pharmaceutical educationare: implementation of computer technologies into highereducation (O5), participation in competitions for theresearch grants (O4), revising the role of pharmacist asthe bearer of specialized knowledge by the WHO (O10),costs reduction for computer equipment (O6) and develop-ment of the concept of lifelong education (O3), as well asonline technologies for distance education (O7).
Experts agreed that a rapid decrease in the number ofbases for students practices (T18) is extremely dangerousfor the pharmaceutical education in Ukraine. According tothe license registry data on November 1, 2011, only 449pharmacies produced the medicines, representing about3.1% of pharmacies in Ukraine (14,346), and the processof reducing the number of such pharmacies is still running(Table 5).15
Economic problems, such as low salary for pharmacists(T11), national economic crisis (T3) and lack of system ofstate loans and subsidies for the educational process are ontop positions by weight in the list of threats for pharma-ceutical education in Ukraine. Solving these problemsobviously requires a centralized state regulation. Consid-erable dangers for pharmaceutical education are: imperfec-tion of the state system for training specialists with highereducation (T9) and inobservance of the Labor Code byemployers (T10). The slightest, but still significant dangersare: presence of step training (bachelor, specialist, andmaster) (T15), the absence of adequate specialization (T7),current nomenclature of pharmaceutical positions (T6), etc.
On the final stage of the research, a direct linear correlationsof medium strength were found between the elements:S2—‘‘Introduction of principles of continuing education’’ andO3—‘‘Development of the concept of lifelong education’’
Table 3Results of expert evaluation of weaknesses of pharmaceutical education (number of questionnaires 170)
Factor
Code Title aiPi Rank ai (mi)Cv
(%)
W17 Low wages for teachers 0.27 1 4.47 (0.06) 17.7W4 Training of pharmacists in non-specialized (non-medical and non-pharmaceutical) universities 0.25 2 4.32 (0.07) 21.9W19 High, by international standards, the workload of teachers 0.24 3 4.26 (0.07) 21.7W18 Reducing the social status of teachers of the universities 0.24 4 4.25 (0.07) 22.7W12 Limited financial resources 0.24 5 4.19 (0.07) 21.7W14 High and growing cost of studies 0.20 6 3.88 (0.08) 28.1W3 Low scientific level of the cadre and material support of educational process at recently created
departments0.20 7 3.86 (0.08) 26.5
W5 The discrepancy between the programs of core educational disciplines and requirements of present time 0.19 8 3.80 (0.08) 26.9W2 Insufficient level of training of graduates in a row of universities 0.19 9 3.76 (0.08) 26.7W15 Corruption 0.18 10 3.65 (0.10) 36.3W6 A lot of disciplines, which do not have a relationship to the profession 0.15 11 3.41 (0.09) 34.0W21 Inaccessibility of databases of questions state licensed exams ‘‘Krok-1’’ and ‘‘Krok-2’’ 0.15 12 3.39 (0.10) 38.2W11 A weak-developed infrastructure of universities (the improper living conditions, low security in
students’ hostels)0.15 13 3.35 (0.09) 33.7
W10 The old methods of administration the universities, insufficient use of organizational innovations andprogressive methods of management
0.15 14 3.34 (0.08) 31.9
W13 Affection toward rendering the educational services for payment 0.15 15 3.32 (0.08) 32.0W7 Inadequacy of pedagogical culture and ethics to the aims of pharmaceutical education 0.13 16 3.09 (0.09) 36.6W1 The wide network of pharmaceutical universities 0.12 17.5 3.06 (0.09) 39.1W20 The predominance of basic (undergraduate) educational model 0.12 17.5 3.06 (0.08) 34.1W8 Presence of distance studies for undergraduate students 0.12 19 3.05 (0.09) 38.4W16 Increase of age interval between youths and senior teachers, and decrease the part of middle aged
persons0.11 20 2.87 (0.09) 40.4
W9 Lack of state licensed examinations ‘‘Krok-1’’ and ‘‘Krok-2’’ for the undergraduate students of distancestudies
0.09 21 2.61 (0.10) 51.2
Average rating of all category 3.65 —
B. Hromovyk, A. Horilyk / Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 5 (2013) 191–200 197
(0.59; p ¼ 0.01); S6—‘‘State licensed examinations ‘Krok-1’and ‘Krok-2’ for the students of full-time studies’’ andW9—‘‘Lack of state licensed examinations ‘Krok-1’ and
Table 4Results of expert evaluation of opportunities for pharmaceutical educatio
Factor
Code Title
O5 Implementation of computer technologies into higher educationO4 Holding competitions for grants for scientific researchO10 The WHO revises the role of pharmacist as the bearer of speciaO6 Decrease of the cost of computer equipmentO3 Development of the concept of lifelong educationO7 Development of information technologies, including online distaO1 Internationalization and integration of higher educationO9 Employers’ investments in pharmaceutical educationO8 Increase number of pharmaceutical organizationsO2 Diversification of professional education (the ability to react to
with labor market conditions)Average rating of all category
‘Krok-2’ for the students of distance studies’’ (0.47; p ¼0.01), etc. This indicates the reliability and integrity of datareceived from respondents during the expert evaluation.
n (number of questionnaires 192)
aiPi Rank ai (mi) Cv (%)
0.41 1 3.82 (0.08) 27.90.38 2 3.68 (0.08) 30.0
lized knowledge 0.37 3 3.63 (0.08) 31.00.37 4 3.62 (0.08) 30.30.37 5 3.60 (0.07) 26.0
nce education 0.36 6 3.54 (0.08) 30.00.34 7 3.47 (0.09) 35.10.33 8 3.47 (0.09) 36.50.33 9 3.41 (0.08) 33.8
changes in accordance 0.29 10 3.23 (0.07) 32.0
3.56 –
Table 5Results of expert evaluation of threats for pharmaceutical education (number of questionnaires 180)
Factor
aiPi Rank ai(mi)Cv
(%)Code Title
T18 The rapid reduction of bases for students’ practices (drugstores with extemporal producing ofmedicines)
0.30 1 4.44 (0.06) 17.7
T11 Low wages of pharmacists 0.27 2 4.20 (0.06) 19.7T9 Imperfection of state system of order for training specialists with higher education 0.26 3 4.15 (0.07) 24.2T3 The crisis situation in the national economy 0.26 4 4.13 (0.06) 20.2T10 Employers’ inobservance of the Labor Code 0.24 5 4.00 (0.07) 22.7T13 Lack of system of state loans and subsidies for the educational process 0.23 6 3.94 (0.06) 21.8T8 Imperfection of financial legislation 0.22 7 3.81 (0.07) 26.2T12 Frequent changes in curricula 0.21 8 3.76 (0.07) 25.7T4 Imperfection of the regulatory framework for the training, planning, monitoring, the creation of a
unified system of job positions in the pharmacy field0.21 9 3.74 (0.07) 23.8
T2 Negative demographic trends 0.20 10 3.69 (0.07) 26.8T17 The negative attitude of government officials, media and society to the pharmacy 0.20 11 3.67 (0.08) 29.4T1 Westernization of higher education 0.18 12 3.52 (0.09) 34.5T14 Lack of quality assurance system for education 0.18 13 3.50 (0.08) 29.5T16 Lack of legal framework for distance education 0.17 14 3.38 (0.08) 32.8T5 Inconsistency of the current nomenclature of specialties to requirements of pharmacy practice 0.17 15 3.34 (0.08) 30.4T6 Lack of nomenclature of positions that meet modern standards of pharmacy practice 0.16 16 3.32 (0.08) 31.1T7 The absence of adequate specialization in accordance with the nomenclature of pharmaceutical positions 0.16 17 3.26 (0.08) 31.5T15 The presence of step training (bachelor, specialist, master) 0.15 18 3.14 (0.09) 36.7
Average rating of all category 3.76 —
B. Hromovyk, A. Horilyk / Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 5 (2013) 191–200198
Conclusions
1.
The lists of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities andthreats for pharmaceutical education in Ukraine wereformed based on the SWOT analysis.2.
As a result of the multi-center evaluation of thefactors by 192 experts from six universities that trainpharmacists, the weight of influence of each factor onthe state of pharmaceutical education in Ukraine wasdetermined.3.
Among the largest advantages of modern pharma-ceutical education, there are active publishing ofacademic literature, presence of many well-knownscientific schools, holding regular conferences,increase of number of PhD and DSc holders in thepharmacy field, functioning of student researchgroups and implementing the principles of lifelongeducation. The most significant deficiencies are lowsalaries of teachers and training the pharmacists innon-core (non-medical and non-pharmaceutical) uni-versities. Great benefits for the pharmaceutical edu-cation are information, holding tenders for obtaininggrants, developing concepts of lifelong education anddistance learning technologies. From the most dan-gerous threats, experts named the rapid decrease ofbases for students’ practices and numerous economicand financial problems.4.
The obtained data can be used to build a strategy forreforming the pharmaceutical education in Ukrainewhich should be directed to amplify the existingstrengths, adjustment of weaknesses, using availableperspectives and protecting from the possible dangers.
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