“Mudou a minha forma de me ver como profissional ": a perspectiva de estudantes de graduação em farmácia sobre uma disciplina de Atenção Farmacêutica.

Abstract

Over time, the pharmacy profession has been marked by several changes. In the 1990s, discussions began on the need for pharmacists to redefine their social role in view of the high rates of morbidity and mortality resulting from the use of medications. These changes were also reflected in the teaching of Pharmacy, especially through the National Curriculum Guidelines, which propose changes in the curriculum structure of the Pharmacy program. This study aimed to understand, from the student's perspective, the culture of a course on pharmaceutical care practice in the context of the UFMG’s College of Pharmacy. The methodology adopted for the study was ethnography, which was conducted with students enrolled in the Pharmaceutical Care course at the UFMG Faculty of Pharmacy in the second half of 2019 and the first half of 2020. Data were collected through field diaries generated by participant observation, reflections, interviews, and materials produced by students throughout the course. Thematic analysis was conducted using the NVivo software. From the analysis and interpretation of the results, two central themes emerged: “A movement of search for professional identity” and “Understanding professional identity within the Pharmaceutical Care course”. The results revealed aspects identified by students as important in the construction of their professional identity, such as lack of knowledge of the social role of the pharmacist, as well as curricular issues such as the distance between theory and practice, lack of practical experiences in the curriculum and the need for knowledge focused on patient care. In addition, it was possible to observe elements of the Pharmaceutical Care course that strengthened students’ professional identity, such as the paradigm shift experienced by them, learning linked to practice, the discipline as a first contact with patient care in the curriculum and the learning of clinical reasoning. Even though this study was conducted in a specific setting, the findings can contribute to the construction of professional identity within the undergraduate curriculum, improving and strengthening the profile of graduates focused on patient care, as suggested in the new National Curriculum Guidelines and in the curricula reform proposals for the pharmacy program.