Pharmaceutical Technology innovation laboratory practice
Maria Cristina Benéitez1*, Ángela Gómez2
1Prof, Dr., Dpt. Ciencias Básicas de la Salud, Área de Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón (Madrid), 28933, SPAIN, cristina.beneitez@urjc.es
2Prof., Dpt. Ciencias Básicas de la Salud, Área de Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón (Madrid), 28933, SPAIN, angela.gomez@urjc.es
*Corresponding Author
Abstract
The recent demand for new degrees has created the need for universities around the world, both private and public, to adapt to these requests. The recruitment of new staff or the adaptation of previously recruited staff has been and is a very common action in order to be able to teach the new subjects of these demanded degrees.
This new staff is faced with the challenge of developing, from the outset, teaching guides detailing the syllabus, as well as the creation of competitive and quality seminars. In addition, it must be taken into account that in the case of health science courses or degrees, innovative laboratory practices must be prepared which are able to offer the student not only general but also specific competences.
As mentioned above, in many cases, the creation of new degrees in universities implies the establishment of new spaces to develop quality teaching. This means that the teaching staff may find that they not only have to prepare theoretical teaching, but also have to equip the places where, for example, practical (laboratories) are carried out with all the necessary equipment.
In many cases, this requirement involves administrative or even commercial formalities that the teacher must undertake in order to be able to develop the subject he or she has to teach. All of this, taking into account the current world situation where there is a shortage of certain types of resources, which implies delays.
The development of new practices is one of the points where the teacher must show greater teaching innovation, as it allows him/her to implement new practices in the laboratory in order to test the theoretical contents.
In the field of health sciences, for example, in the degree of Pharmacy, specifically in the subject of Pharmaceutical Technology, innovation has been made in the creation of a practice such as the formation of liposomes. This practice allows students to see a modified release system in a teaching laboratory.
Liposomes are spherical structures that form spontaneously when the forming lipids are dispersed in an aqueous medium. They have the capacity to encapsulate a wide range of active ingredients, and their biodegradability and lack of toxicity have favored their widespread use and the continuous emergence of new applications.
In order to carry out this practice, the student is previously informed through a virtual platform where the teacher details the steps that must be followed to carry out the practice.
In this practical project, the student must encapsulate a water-soluble product for which different phospholipids are available.
Each student must choose the phospholipid they would use, as well as the optimal method for the elaboration of the lipomas.
As a result, the student learns in situ the knowledge acquired in the theoretical lectures and can ask the teacher any questions that arise.
The experimental results of this practice were observed with the formation or not of the liposome and with the encapsulation or not of the active ingredient.
The result was that only 14 % of students were not able to obtain liposomes. After a second attempt, the result was 100% success in creating the modified release system.
In addition to the practical part, a theoretical exam was held in which 100% of the students passed. The results were as follows. 90% outstanding and 10% passed the exam.
Objective: development of new laboratory practices, an opportunity for teaching innovation.
Conclusions: The creation of new degrees gives rise to new subjects with their corresponding internships. They are an opportunity for teaching innovation which allows students to learn new general and specific competences.
Keywords: new practices, opportunity, teaching innovation
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