In person teaching and learning methodology is essential in pharmacy education

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a sudden shift in educational paradigms worldwide. This observational, cross-sectional study examined the perceptions of students and professors from the School of Pharmacy at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, regarding different teaching-learning methodologies implemented before, during and after the pandemic. A total of 157 participants (136 students and 21 faculty members) completed an anonymous questionnaire assessing satisfaction and perceived effectiveness of virtual teaching, limited face-to-face instruction, and traditional face-to-face teaching, using a 5-point Likert scale. The results revealed that both groups showed a clear preference for face-to-face modalities, particularly for practical-based activities. Fully in-person teaching received the highest satisfaction scores from students (4.04 ± 0.73 to 4.23 ± 0.85) and professors (4.57 ± 0.51 to 4.76 ± 0.43), followed by limited face-to-face instruction in small groups. While both groups recognized the benefits of virtual teaching in terms of flexibility, virtual teaching alone received the lowest rating, especially for practical components (students: 2.52 ± 1.28; professors: 3.05 ± 1.27) and competency-based assessment. Both groups agreed that exclusive virtual instruction negatively affected Pharmacy training (students: 3.17 ± 1.46; professors: 4.00 ± 1.26), although professors consistently reported slightly higher satisfaction scores than students across most items. In conclusion, these findings underscore the importance of integrating diverse teaching methodologies, highlighting face-to-face instruction as essential for optimizing learning outcomes in scientific disciplines such as Pharmacy.