Malaysian pharmacy educators’ view of the role of non-pharmacy trained educators in teaching pharmacy students

<p>The common statement “…Pharmacy students should only be taught by pharmacists…” is a norm among many pharmacy educators in countries such as Malaysia. It is not, per se, a confronting statement but could indicate alarming attitudes not favorable to the current pharmacy education framework.Pharmacy education in the third millennium is transformed to contain and reflect on the innovations of the modernization era in which, globalization in health education, public health, development of the new facets of professionalization and professionalism, interprofessional and interdisciplinary teaching and learning activities are among the most talked about topics.1-6Interestingly, these innovative ideas are the result of extremely cautious, vigilant, accurate, and continuous observations and contemplations which have undergone thorough examinations and experimentations before being presented as novice ideas and/or theories. For example, the notion of interdisciplinary learning dates back to late 1970s7 and today, there is concrete evidence of its effectiveness and usefulness in delivery of better health care.6,8 Hence, to contest such ideas and/or theories, one needs to be able to provide reliable evidence(s), as agreements or disagreements should be borne with a full sense of responsibility and accountability.</p>