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In an evolutionary era of medical education, “Artificial intelligence” (AI) is applied to replicate human intellect, encompassing abilities, logical reasoning and effective problem-solving skills. Previous research has explored the attitude of medical and dental students, toward the assimilation of AI in medicine; however, a significant gap exists in appraising the understanding and concerns of pharmacy students. Therefore, the current study was designed to explore undergraduate pharmacy students’ perceptions of integrating AI into education and practice. Methods : A cross-sectional study was conducted among final-year pharmacy students from different public and private sector universities in Karachi. The sample size on 60% anticipated response rate and 99% CI was calculated to be 390. Data was collected after acquiring ethical approval using convenient sampling. Frequency and percentage of the socio-demographic features were analyzed and then goodness of fit and Pearson’s chi-squared test of correlation was applied. Results were considered significant when p < 0.05. Results : The overall response rate of the study was 67%. More than 80% of the respondents were female. The students 35% (n = 202) strongly agreed and 59% (n = 334) agreed that AI plays an important role in healthcare, (χ2 = 505.6, p < 0.001). Around 79% (n = 453, χ2 = 384.3, p < 0.001) of students agreed on the replacement of patient care specialties with AI in the future, whereas 495 students (87%, χ2 = 682.3, p < 0.001) stated that they possess a strong comprehension of the fundamental principles governing the operation of AI. More than 80% of the students were comfortable in using AI terminologies (n = 475, χ2 = 598, p < 0.001) and 93% (n = 529, χ2 = 290, p < 0.001) were sure that AI inclusion in pharmacy education will develop a positive influence into the pharmacy curriculum (95%, n = 549, χ2 = 566.9, p < 0.001). A high and positive correlation was observed between the perception and willingness of students to adopt the AI changes in teaching undergraduate students (ρ = 0.491, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the outcomes showed students at private-sector universities stood out in computer literacy compared to public-sector universities (χ2 = 6.546, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The current outcomes revealed the higher willingness of pharmacy students towards AI-infused learning. They understood the prerequisite of having both formal and informal learning experiences on the clinical application, technological constraints, and ethical considerations of the AI tools to be successful in this endeavor. The policymakers must take action to ensure that future pharmacists have a strong foundation of AI literacy and take initiatives to foster the interests and abilities of imminent pharmacists who will spearhead innovation in the field.

Plagiarism is one of the most pressing challenges faced by higher education institutions, compromising academic integrity and negatively impacting the quality and credibility of scientific research. Therefore, this study aimed to assess undergraduate pharmacy students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding research ethics and plagiarism using the Plagiarism and Research Ethics Questionnaire (PRE-Q). This multi-centric, cross-sectional study aimed to validate the developed PRE-Q among final-year pharmacy students from different universities in Karachi, Pakistan. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, and principal component analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation was conducted for data interpretability and reduce cross-loadings. Sampling adequacy and item correlations were confirmed using the KMO and Bartlett’s tests of sphericity. Key predictors of student practices were identified using binary logistic regression and decision tree analysis. The response rate of the study was 72.1%. Female respondents comprised 73.5% ( n  = 480) of the sample, with a mean age of 22.3 ± 0.82 years. The cut-off value for good KAP and experience was defined as achieving  ≥ 70% scoring across all the constructs. Good knowledge was observed in 26.4% ( n  = 173) respondents , while only 7% ( n  = 46) displayed a positive attitude towards plagiarism. The majority of students, 67% ( n  = 438) demonstrated good practices,  despite their limited involvement in research activities. Only 11% ( n  = 72) respondents had attended courses or workshops on ethics or responsible conduct of research. The most frequently reported reasons for plagiarism among students were academic pressure ( n  = 119, 18.2%), followed by lack of time ( n  = 103, 15.7%) and lack of knowledge ( n  = 89, 13.6%). The findings indicate that the PRE-Q is a valid and reliable tool for assessing research ethics and plagiarism related constructs.  The outcomes revealed patterns in plagiarism-related practices and highlighted the key predictors that may guide the development of targeted educational and policy interventions.

Background Climate change has emerged as a major global threat, exerting significant impacts on public health and healthcare systems. Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess pharmacy students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding climate change and its impacts on health. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among fourth- and fifth-year undergraduate pharmacy students across various public and private sector universities in Karachi, Pakistan. A content-reviewed questionnaire was used to collect demographic information, awareness, perceptions, and responses of students related to climate change. Results The study revealed that 98.2% ( n  = 1211/1233) of the respondents were aware of the consequences of climate change, and most of themperceived it as a serious threat to public health. Approximately 43.1% of respondents reported taking steps to mitigate the impacts of climate change, even though 95% agreed that action must be taken to prevent it. Statistical analysis indicated that gender, university affiliation, and sources of information significantly influenced students’ opinions and understanding of climate-related issues. Conclusions The findings suggest that although pharmacy students possess theoretical awareness of climate change, they are not actively engaged in mitigation efforts. Integrating climate change education—emphasizing sustainable healthcare practices and the pharmacist’s role in addressing environmental challenges—into pharmacy curricula could help bridge this gap. Strengthening climate resilience through well-informed pharmacy professionals can make a substantial contribution to public health and sustainability initiatives.

Background Adverse Childhood Experiences are a significant global public health concern as these experiences have adverse effects on all the health determinants. Methods The interpretive phenomenological research design was used to explore the implications of adverse childhood experiences on the adult life of university students. An interpretive thematic analysis method was employed to analyze this study. Results Five major themes emerged after a comprehensive review of the information obtained from the interviews with the ten selected participants. These were (1) Chronic health struggles (2) Mental health disorders (3) Emotional and social difficulties (4) Paranoia and distrust and (5) Academic and professional under-performance. Conclusion This study concludes that adverse childhood experiences have long-lasting negative effects on university students’ health and behaviour, preventing them from leading healthy lives and excelling academically and professionally.