Actionable companion · Assessment and evidence of learning

From evidence to district action: Reimagining pharmacology education

AI-assisted editorial implementation guide. The district actions are proposed applications, not findings or recommendations attributed to the original authors. No additional peer review is asserted.

Evidence and context

Health-professions education context: test transfer to K–12 rather than assuming it.

Original authors’ abstract, reproduced under the linked source license:

Abstract We are arguably experiencing the greatest disruption to higher education in modern history. High-quality education research has demonstrated that active learning and other innovations are significantly more effective than traditional methods. The recent pandemic forced educators to adapt in previously unimaginable ways. Generative artificial intelligence now presents great challenges and opportunities for our approaches to teaching, support of learning and assessment, such as streamlining personalized feedback while raising concerns about academic integrity. This article provides a research informed, expert commentary to support new pharmacology educators in navigating this complex environment. The article is neither a systematic review by design and methodology, nor is it offering comprehensive coverage of the pertinent literature (an insurmountable task, given the breadth of the topic). We highlight how educators in basic and clinical pharmacology are transforming their teaching and curricula to enhance student success in current and future settings. Global initiatives, such as those sponsored by the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, including the Pharmacology Education Project and Core Concepts-based curricula, are offering opportunities to enhance pharmacology education by standardizing key concepts, providing open-access learning resources, and fostering international collaboration. These efforts are intended to support alignment of curricula, improve student engagement through interactive materials, facilitating a global exchange of best practices, and supporting educators in adopting innovative teaching methodologies. These initiatives require contributions from pharmacology experts across multiple countries, languages, and cultures. Consequently, this article serves as a call to action to advance innovation and inclusivity in pharmacology education. Significance Statement Recent disruptions in higher education have forced educators to adapt in ways that would have previously been unthinkable. The article provides an evidence-based, expert commentary for new pharmacology educators that will assist them to thrive in this complex environment.

A 90-day district pilot

1. Days 1–15 · Appraise. Have the curriculum lead and a teacher read the methods and limitations. Record the study design, sample, comparator, outcomes and evidence gaps. Define a local question that the study can help inform.
2. Days 16–30 · Design. Redesign one low-stakes assessment: require a first attempt, an AI-assisted revision, a source-check log and a short oral explanation. Use the same rubric for the comparison task. Name an accountable owner and set the baseline, success threshold and budget before implementation.
3. Days 31–60 · Test. Start with a small voluntary cohort, preserve an accessible non-AI route and require teacher review. Use synthetic or de-identified examples; approve data handling and tool terms through district processes.
4. Days 61–90 · Decide. Blind-score reasoning, factual accuracy and unaided transfer on a fresh task. Record suspected misconduct separately from demonstrated evidence. Compare with baseline, document uncertainty and stop or revise if learning worsens, access is unequal or critical errors persist.

The board decision brief

Report the learning problem, evidence quality, participating population, total cost including review time, measured benefit, errors, access differences and remaining uncertainties. Make a dated recommendation to stop, revise or expand. A positive perception survey alone does not establish learning improvement.

Attribution and reuse

Clare Guilding; Roisin Kelly-Laubscher; Margaret Cunningham; Tinne Dilles; David Kennedy; David J Brinkman; Ali H Eid; Kelly M Quesnelle; Ferdi Engels; Simon Maxwell; Arthur Christopoulos; Paul J White. Reimagining pharmacology education. Pharmacological Reviews (2026-02-23). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pharmr.2026.100126

Companion prepared 2026-10-30. Original authorship and DOI are preserved. The abstract is an attributed source extract; the implementation plan is new AI-assisted editorial material, offered under the same CC BY 4.0 license. This guide has not undergone independent peer review.