Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences

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PARTNERSHIP – IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE? DIFFERENT ATTITUDES OF MEDICAL AND PHARMACY STUDENTS TOWARD INTERPROFESSIONAL COOPERATION

MAGDALENA CERBIN-KOCZOROWSKA1*, MICHAŁ MICHALAK2, MARCIN SKOTNICKI1, MAGDALENA WASZYK-NOWACZYK1

1.Department of Pharmaceutical Technology Poznan University of Medical Sciences 6 Grunwaldzka Street, 60-780 Poznan, Poland
2.Department of Computer Science and Statistics Poznan University of Medical Sciences 79 Dabrowskiego Street, 60-529 Poznan, Poland

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The aim of this study was to determine attitudes of medicine and pharmacy students toward the possibility of establishing cooperation between pharmacists and physicians. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 215 final years students’. Data were analysed using the chi-square test of independence or the Fisher- Freeman-Halton exact test in case zero observed frequency values occurred. The level of statistical significance was assumed at p < 0.05. Students differed in their opinions about areas for future cooperation. Medical students did not perceive collaboration as necessary for proper designing and modifying patient’s therapy. Both medical (40.70%) and pharmacy students (41.12%) found the cooperation important in the field of patient’s education. Moreover, in pharmacy students’ opinion, pharmacist should participate in collecting information regarding patient's diseases (60.17%) and medicines concomitantly used (71.79%). On the other hand, respectively only 12.64% and 35.63% of the medical students agreed with this statement (in both cases p<0.0001). The lack of clear division of responsibilities or indication of areas for cooperation between health care professionals in the future may result both in interfering with the competence of other professionals or the lack of self-confidence in undertaken actions.