Role of basic chemistry education in clinical pharmacy requirements: evidence from cross-sectional study and narrative review

BACKGROUND: Basic chemistry knowledge is important for the work requirements of clinical pharmacists. However, it is not clear which types of basic chemistry teaching are the most important. The purpose of this study was to determine the most important types of chemistry education for the professional requirements of clinical pharmacists. METHODS: Section I, a cross-sectional study was conducted through a questionnaire survey administered from December 2024 to February 2025 to collect data on the importance of analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, experimental medicinal chemistry, physical chemistry and biochemistry among undergraduate and graduate students who had received clinical pharmacist training, current clinical pharmacists or other personnel. Second II, we conducted a narrative review up through March 2025 that included our cross-sectional study and other publications to highlight the importance of various chemical education methods. RESULTS: In Section I, a total of 600 participants were included in the cross-sectional study of the questionnaire survey. We found that all categories of participants believed that there was no disconnect between chemistry education and clinical rotation and that knowledge of medicinal chemistry and biochemistry were considered more important among participants with different levels and backgrounds. In addition, in terms of the application of chemical knowledge, we found that undergraduate and graduate students tended to infer the solubility and adverse reactions of medications through the chemical structural formulas in the instructions. In Section II, the narrative review revealed that medicinal chemistry and biochemistry play particularly important roles in meeting the demands of clinical pharmacists. CONCLUSION: Through cross-sectional research and narrative review, this study revealed that medicinal chemistry and biochemistry education are more important for the professional requirements of clinical pharmacists, especially for junior clinical pharmacists.