Abstract Objective Here we describe undergraduate and graduate degrees for pharmacy-related careers, the pharmacy practice model, including community pharmacies, the research culture among pharmacists, and the future focuses for pharmacy education and practice in Italy. Methods All available Italian laws posted on the Education Ministry web pages have been taken into account to describe the pharmacy education organization and the career paths afforded by university degrees in pharmacy and related subjects. Key findings Four kind of courses are present at the School of Pharmacy in Italy: a 3-year degree for Pharmaceutical Representatives which is obligatory for those wishing to work for large or and small pharmaceutical firms to illustrate new products for doctors, community pharmacists, and hospital pharmacists. A 5-year degree in Pharmacy prepares students to work in a community pharmacy to dispense drugs requiring a prescription and to produce galenic preparations. A 5-year Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology degree qualifies students to be pharmacists but also provides expertise in the chemical production of drugs. Further, a 4-year graduate degree in Hospital Pharmacy provides the extra training required for pharmacy graduates to work in hospital pharmacies. Regarding research activity at community pharmacy, there are no expectations of research or research-related activity, other than the proper compilation of the obligatory registries. Instead, in the hospital setting, research is organized by hospital pharmacists, often in collaboration with medical doctors. Conclusions Different courses at the faculties of pharmacy are available in Italy, and research activity generally only takes place in the hospital context.
Polidori et al. (Mon,) studied this question.