Medicines, the Haute Couture of Pharmacy: A Summer Camp for High School Students

Abstract

Since ancient times, man has prepared medicines and used them in healing practices. Therefore, there has always been a great interest in the part of people in general and students in particular about medicines. The “Medicines, the Haute Couture of Pharmacy” summer camp has the objective to promote and improve the literacy in medicines and make participants aware of, and become interested in, pharmaceutical sciences. It is a five-day summer camp where high-school students learn about medicines, how they are constituted, how they work, and how they are formulated. This occurs through hands-on synthesis and isolation of bioactive molecules, namely, acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, and limonene, and subsequent formulation of pharmaceutical forms such as tablets, capsules, suppositories, and creams. Participant survey responses showed that they are very satisfied with this summer camp and the knowledge acquired, which may help them make their future career choices.