La enseñanza de la nutrición en los planes de estudios de farmacia

Résumé

Information on the teaching of Nutrition in Faculties of Pharmacy is compiled before and after the recent incorporation to the European Space for Higher Education (ESHE). Since the year 1990, the national guidelines for the University Degree in Pharmacy (RD 1464/1990, BOE of November 20) point to Nutrition and Food Sciences as a main topic located in the second cycle of the degree with a 6 credits of academic load. According to Libro Blanco de Farmacia (2004) the interest of the Nutrition and Food Sciences is reinforced for Pharmacy students, being one of its professional skills: "To provide alimentary and nutritional counseling in different settings such as health centers, hospital and home". Nutrition and Food Sciences has about 8.5 to 11 credits in the Faculties of Pharmacy in Spain. Currently, after the incorporation into the ESHE with the aid of Spanish directives for university studies (CIN/2137/2008 of July 3) the requirements for the official university titles in Pharmacy are established. One competence for pharmacists is: "To provide therapeutic counseling in pharmacotherapy and diet therapy in the health-related establishments in which they work". One consequence of this design is that the Faculties of Pharmacy are including Nutrition and Food Sciences among their obligatory matters. In conclusion, the pharmacist continues to have some knowledge in the arena of food, diet and health.