Why Teach Pharmacy Ethics Through Literary Fiction?

Abstract

Pharmacy ethics is a challenging area in pharmacy education, as teaching it requires special recognition of complex pedagogical approaches. In accordance with the findings of recent studies focusing on the use of humanities in medical education, literary fiction may be an avenue that could be successfully employed as a thought-provoking tool for teaching pharmacy ethics. The major benefits of this approach includes increased empathy and complex interpretive skills, suitability for case-based learning, and students’ high level of interest in this method, as well as the promotion of patient-centered care, creation of cultural competence, and encouragement of professionalism among pharmacy students. The successful instruction of pharmacy ethics through carefully selected examples from literary fiction, possibly in an elective course or a special module, may be a promising step forward in modern pharmacy education.