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The blended learning material of gastrointestinal (GI) pharmacotherapy was noted by students as needed improvement. As pharmacology is the core component of pharmacotherapy, it was hypothesised that improved students engagement with online learning of GI pharmacology will engage and motivate students in the learning of GI pharmacotherapy. Constructivist learning, guided by a student-centred approach, was used to design an online GI pharmacology-predominant module containing some pharmacotherapy learning activities. Students' perception of the usefulness of the module was evaluated by survey, which consisted of 7 multiple-choice items in Likert-scale format and 4 open-ended questions. Twenty seven students participated in the study, recorded a 36% response rate. Majority of the students were satisfied with the module indicating it has improved learning effectiveness, learning efficiency, and self-efficacy. Students were engaged and motivated to learn from the module as evidenced from their active participation in the learning activities presented, including the discussion forums of pharmacotherapy case studies. This study demonstrated a creative approach of using students' feedback in guiding the implementation of a constructivist framework in the design of an online pharmacology module for pharmacy students. The range of interactive learning activities detailed the various strategies of constructivism, something that was not explicitly described in the literature. The findings uphold the hypotheses of the study, and provided evidence that improved effectiveness of blended learning of pharmacology contributed to improved learning experience of pharmacotherapy.

Pharmacy students' perception of the effectiveness of remote online learning experienced during the pandemic, and their learning expectations post-pandemic were unknown. The main purpose of this study was to examine students' perceived effectiveness of online teaching and learning activities developed for active learning and pharmacy professional skills development, and the feasibility of online assessments. A cross-sectional online survey involving second-year pharmacy students of Monash Malaysia (MA) and Monash Australia (PA) campuses was conducted. The survey consisted of 15 Likert-scale multiple-choice questions and an open-ended question. Data were analysed statistically. Students at both MA and PA campuses were satisfied with the remote online learning experienced during the pandemic but indicated a preference for a blended learning approach. Students at the MA campus felt that on-campus face-to-face classes were more engaging and advantageous for their learning and skills development (P <.05), and on-campus assessments allowed them to engage and perform better (P <.05) compared with students at the PA campus who felt neutral or disagreed. Both student cohorts were happy with some of the lectures being conducted online synchronously or asynchronously. Differences in cultures, and learning behaviour and preference may influence learners' perceptions and expectations of online learning. This study suggests that blended learning involving both online and face-to-face interactive activities may promote engagement, satisfaction, and outcomes of culturally diverse learner populations post-pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temozolomide (TMZ) is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic agents for glioblastoma multiforme, but the required high administration dose is accompanied by side effects. To overcome this problem and to further improve TMZ's efficacy, targeted delivery of TMZ by using polymeric nanoparticles has been explored. We synthesised the PLGA-PEG-FOL copolymer and attempted encapsulation of TMZ into PLGA-PEG-FOL nanoparticles using the emulsion solvent evaporation method and the nanoprecipitation method. Conjugation of PEG and FOL to PLGA has been reported to be able to increase the delivery of TMZ to the brain as well as targeting the glioma cells. However, despite making numerous modifications to these methods, the loading of TMZ in the nanoparticles only ranged between 0.2% and 2%, and the nanoparticles were between 400 nm and 600 nm in size after freeze-drying. We proceed with determining the release profile of TMZ in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Our initial data indicated that TMZ was slowly released from the nanoparticles. The metabolite of TMZ rather than the parent compound was detected in PBS. Our study suggests that while PLGA-PEG-FOL can be used as a polymeric or encapsulation material for central delivery of TMZ, a practical and cost effective formulation method is still far from reach., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.