Next-Generation Pharmacology Education: Innovative Strategies and Evidence-Based Approaches for Comprehensive Understanding

The field of pharmacology is experiencing a concerning trend: the continued loss of educators who possess a robust understanding of fundamental pharmacological principles, such as pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenomics, and toxicology. While pharmacology departments excel at preparing students for research careers, the intense specialization required for doctoral success threatens the breadth and depth of pharmacological expertise available to learners. Vacant faculty positions and shrinking contact hours contribute to the dilemma. At the same time, rapid advances in artificial intelligence, virtual/augmented reality, and integrated, competency-based curricula are redefining how pharmacology is being learned.

Therefore, there is a significant need for a Research Topic dedicated to educational methodologies and innovations in pharmacology. This Research Topic aims to catalyze a vibrant, evidence-driven conversation on how best to teach, learn, and assess pharmacology across the health professions. By bringing together empirical studies, rigorous reviews, and thoughtful perspectives from diverse regions and disciplines, the collection seeks to advance comprehensive understanding of pharmacology while building an international community committed to safe, effective, and inclusive therapeutics education.

Scope of the Research Topic Includes (but not limited to):

1.    Landscape
2.    Historical Milestones and Lessons Learned
3.    Innovations in teaching and technology
a.    Teaching techniques (TBL, PBL, Gamification, Virtual patients)
b.    Technology-Enhanced Modalities (AI Tutors, VR/AR, Simulation, Mobile Apps)
c.    Instructional strategies (Flipped Classroom, Integration of Discipline Content, Interprofessional Education)
d.    Pharmacology Society Contributions (ASPET, IUPHAR, BPS)
4.    Assessment and Competency Validation (OSCE Design, Multiple-Choice Questions, Essays, Open-Ended Questions)
5.    Building Scholarly Mindsets in Learners (Research Skills, Metacognition)
6.    Faculty Development and Mentoring (Communities of Practice, Career Pathways)
7.     Pharmacology and Chemical Biology: Interdisciplinary Pharmacology Education
8.    Pharmacology Education for Regulatory Agencies
9.    Unmet Needs in Pharmacology Education and Moving Forward

Article Types Welcomed:
1.    Original Research with quantitative or qualitative data
2.    Systematic, scoping, or realist reviews
3.    Brief Research Reports and Case Studies of Educational Innovation
4.    Methods, Protocols, and Curriculum Design papers
5.    Perspective and Opinion pieces that map future directions

Author Guidance:
Submissions that include controlled educational interventions, multi‑institutional studies, or rigorous review methodologies are highly encouraged. Manuscripts should explicitly connect outcomes to educational theory and include sufficient methodological detail for replication.

We particularly encourage contributions from under‑represented regions, interprofessional programs, and early‑career scholars from a global perspective.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Pharmacology Education, Educational Innovation, Artificial Intelligence, Competency-Based Learning, Faculty Development, Assessment Strategies, Interprofessional Education

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.