A Qualitative Study on Ethics Education at Pharmacy Colleges in Japan Based on a Survey of Ethics Educators
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Survey Method and Sample
2.2. Data Analysis
- Data input: The text data (the questionnaire responses) were segmented and arranged into a table;
- Encoding: The text was replaced with alternative words/phrases (codes) according to the context;
- Categorization: Similar codes were grouped into categories;
- Storyline: For each category, a storyline was written incorporating every code in the category;
- Theoretical description: A theoretical description was crafted to encapsulate all the storylines;
2.3. Ethical Considerations
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Perspective | Concept | Theoretical Description |
---|---|---|
[An ethical education system that incorporates diversity and focuses on society] | <students’ ethical interpretations tend to be self-centered>, <ethical standards form the basis of careers as medical professionals, as they are responsible members of society >, <a lack of socially aware ethics education>, <a desire for ethics education that is responsive to societal changes>, <a need for an educational system that incorporates diversity>. |
|
[Instill the basic ethical awareness necessary for a medical professional or researcher] | <opportunities to foster the ethical standards that form the basis of a career as a medical professional or researcher>, <the importance of balancing medical science and research when inculcating ethical standards>, <the ethics curriculum is ill-suited to the needs of students who do not aspire to pursue a medical career>, <the difficulty of maintaining student motivation>. |
|
[The pharmacy education community has no shared objectives] | <understanding the importance of teaching medical ethics necessary for pharmacy educators>, <university faculty staff are uninterested in changes in pharmacy education>, <views about ethics education differ between different fields>, <a poor understanding of the ethics education required in pharmacy education>, <the prevailing educational environment impedes integrated ethics education>, <pharmacy educators tend to believe that it is unnecessary to train ethics specialists>, <the pharmacy education community has no shared objectives for ethics education>, <pharmacy ethics education is far from ideal>. |
|
[Concerns about whether or not these teachings are applicable in clinical practice] | <ethics education should foster professionalism in medical professionals>, <fostering ethical sensitivity should be an educational objective>, <a desire to instill ethical standards that all medical professionals should uphold>, <as a faculty that trains medical professionals, the faculty should give priority to ethics education>, <a lack of awareness as a faculty for trains medical professionals>, <a discrepancy in understanding between pharmacy educators>, <ethics education is not integrated with the training of medical professionals>, <the ethics education that pharmacists require>, <it is necessary to understand that ethics education is for the patient>, <it is necessary to disseminate patient-oriented ethical standards>, <ethics education is a necessary preliminary step in clinical practice>, <it would be effective to incorporate the required educational content into practical training>, <ethics education should be relevant to clinical practice>, <there is a lack of mutual respect between active pharmacists and university faculty staff>, <there is a disconnect between ethics education and clinical practice>, <there are too few opportunities to encounter the diverse values that one would encounter through communication>, <there are concerns about whether or not these teachings are applicable in clinical practice>. |
|
[Believing in the potential of ethics education to cultivate logical thinking skills] | <the problems of knowledge-centered exams>, <misgivings about education based on the assumption of definite right answers>, <the education content should foster logical thinking skills>, <ethics education is becoming increasingly important as a way of developing problem-solving skills>, <ethics education as a course subject that is integrated and independent>, <delayed because obtaining licenses is prioritized>, <belief in the potential of ethics education to help address the insufficiency of thinking skills and problem-solving skills caused by a knowledge-driven curriculum> |
|
[Want an advocate to present a teaching model] | <active learning is necessary>, <active learning is unfeasible in practice due to time constraints and lack of manpower>, <educators would struggle to use an active-learning approach because of a lack of experience>, <need for practical examinations that are broad enough to encompass ethics>, <performance assessments would be effective>, <non-standardized curriculum content and assessment>, <difficulties in objectively assessing students’ ethical standards>, <insufficient teaching ability>, <educators need to engage in self-improvement activities>, <need for opportunities to learn teaching and assessment approaches>, <shortage of ethics educators in pharmacy education>, <the right educator is unavailable, resulting in a logjam>, <want someone to present a model for pharmacy ethics education>, <hope that someone will take on an advocacy role in pharmacy education> |
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Arita, E.; Masamura, Y.; Takehira, R. A Qualitative Study on Ethics Education at Pharmacy Colleges in Japan Based on a Survey of Ethics Educators. Pharmacy 2025, 13, 45. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy13020045
Arita E, Masamura Y, Takehira R. A Qualitative Study on Ethics Education at Pharmacy Colleges in Japan Based on a Survey of Ethics Educators. Pharmacy. 2025; 13(2):45. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy13020045
Chicago/Turabian StyleArita, Etsuko, Yuko Masamura, and Rieko Takehira. 2025. "A Qualitative Study on Ethics Education at Pharmacy Colleges in Japan Based on a Survey of Ethics Educators" Pharmacy 13, no. 2: 45. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy13020045
APA StyleArita, E., Masamura, Y., & Takehira, R. (2025). A Qualitative Study on Ethics Education at Pharmacy Colleges in Japan Based on a Survey of Ethics Educators. Pharmacy, 13(2), 45. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy13020045