Effective use of real-life events as tools for teaching-learning clinical pharmacology in a problem-based learning curriculum

Aim: This paper describes how in a problem-based learning (PBL) medical curriculum, having identified the learning outcomes, problems can be developed from real-life events for teaching-learning clinical pharmacology topics for which PBL cases might be inadequate. Such problems can be very interesting and educational. Methodology: Using the story of the development and withdrawal of rofecoxib (Vioxx ® ), we developed a problem for undergraduate medical students to address important issues related to clinical pharmacology and therapeutics such as new drug development, preclinical testing, clinical trials, adverse drug reactions, professionalism, and critical appraisal of literature. These topics would otherwise be difficult to address in patient-based problems. Results: The evaluation of the problem based on pooled feedback from 57 tutorial groups, each comprising 8-10 students, collected over 5 years, supported the effectiveness of the problem. Conclusion: A systematic approach described in this paper can be used for the development and validation of educational material for introducing focal topics of pharmacology/clinical pharmacology integrated with other disciplines in innovative medical (and other health profession) curricula.