Integrating Experiential Education into Pharmacy Curriculum in a Public Pharmacy School in Sudan

Background Fully recognizing the pivotal role of experiential pharmacy education, the current educational curriculum of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Gezira, Sudan was reviewed to check for integrating experiential activities to align with the national accreditation standards. The study aims to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the experiential component of the curriculum and to check its suitability to meet the standards of the national accreditation criteria. Methods Employing a descriptive approach, we borrowed the self-study checklist questions of the basic standards of the educational program domain of the national accreditation program, relevant to the experiential component. Namely, these are basic Standards III (design, delivery, and oversight), Standard IV (the practice experience of the educational program, the introductory pharmacy practice education IPPE), and Standard VI ( the advanced pharmacy practice education APPE). Results Key findings highlight a semi-competency-based curriculum transitioning from discipline-based to integrated pharmaceutical sciences, incorporating IPPE and APPE components. The study identifies strengths in integrating practical training but notes gaps in structured supervision, hospital pharmacy training, collaborative learning, and interprofessional education. Addressing these gaps could enhance the program's alignment with accreditation standards, ultimately improving the quality of experiential education and preparing students for effective pharmaceutical care. Conclusion The studied experiential program effectively incorporates essential pharmaceutical sciences and provides opportunities for practical application. However, the curriculum should enhance hospital pharmacy training, ensure structured supervision in community settings, and promote collaborative learning and inter-professional interaction to strengthen the experiential component.