Refining knowledge, attitude and practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM) among pharmacy students for professional challenges

Practicing evidence based medicine (EBM) is a professional need for the future clinicalpharmacist in UAE and around the world. An attempt was made to evaluate pharmacy student’sknowledge, attitude and proficiency in the practice of EBM. A within-subject study design withpre and post survey and skill test were conducted using case based practice of EBM through a validatedquestionnaire. The results were tabulated and there was a statistically significant increase inpharmacy students’ perceived ability to go through steps of EBM, namely: formulating PICO questions(95.3%), searching for evidence (97%), appraising the evidence (81%), understanding statistics(78.1%), and applying evidence at point of care (81.2%). In this study, workshops and (ProblemBased Learning) PBLs were used as a module of EBM teaching and practices, which has been shownto be an effective educational method in terms of improving students’ skills, knowledge and attitudetoward EBM. Incorporating hands on experience, PBLs will become an impetus for developing EBMskills and critical appraisal of research evidence alongside routine clinical practice. This integrationwould constitute the cornerstone in liftingEBMinUAEup to the needed standards and would enablepharmacy students to become efficient pharmacists that rely on evidence in their health practice.