Rimkutė, Sigita

Introduction: Academic honesty is an ethical principle based on openness, confidence, respect, integrity,and responsibility,applicable to academic activities. Academic dishonesty is a relevant problem pervading all areas of science and education. A high number of studies showed a direct relationship between the way students behave at education institutions and how often they tend to be ethical and honest in their work environment. The main aim of the study was to explore the attitude of pharmacy students towards academic dishonesty. Materials and methods: Qualitative and quantitative methods were combined. First stage: interviews with 13 fifth-year pharmacy students helped identify the reasons for cheating, attitude towards cheating colleagues, and expectations of academic regulations. Second stage: The questionnaire was created based on qualitative research and distributed among first to third-year pharmacy students. Results: Academic dishonesty is widespread among pharmacy students (97.8%). Students are distributed into two main categories: those with a long cheating experience (since high school, 85.1%) and those who started cheating recently at the university (14.9%). The most common way of cheating is through using additional means (notes, drawers, mobile phones, smart bracelets, etc.) during lectures and exams (67%). Another prevalent way of cheating is to copy other students 'work (75.8%). The most uncommon means of cheating is buying various tasks for money (3.3%). Regardless of the average and the course, the main factors for cheating are good grades (62.7%) and excessive workload (76.9%). The most effective preventive measure of academic dishonesty is teachers’ attention to all educational activities (32%). Students’ expulsion from university is too strict and ineffective as a preventive measure (3%). Conclusions: Academic dishonesty is a very relevant problem among students, manifested in various ways of cheating due to different incentives. It is necessary to take new preventive measures to avoid this problem and encourage students to be honest academically.

Background: Tobacco is the only legal drug that kills many of its users. World Health Organization has estimated that tobacco use is currently responsible for the death of about six million people across the world each year. This total also includes about 600,000 people that are estimated to die from the effects of second-hand smoke [1]. Pharmacists are well-positioned to provide smoking cessation services within pharmacies, where smoking cessation products are stocked and retailed [2]. Systematic review of smoking cessation intervention research in other countries shows that the involvement of a pharmacist is effective. The aim of this research is to summarize Lithuania’s pharmacists experience in providing smoking cessation assistance. Methods: The qualitative research method - semi structured interview was applied. The participants were pharmacists who are smoking cessation advisers. The main questions were about reasons for initiation consultation, experience, difficulties and barriers, suggestions how to improve the effectiveness of smoking cessation programs. Results: The research shows that pharmacists who took part in a research understands the smoking as a preventable risk factor for a number chronic disease and first of all recommend smoking cessation for the patient who already suffer from respiratory or cardiovascular systems diseases. Most of the respondents admitted the professional duty, professional satisfaction, and joy of “lifesaving” as the main factors for decision about the initiation of consultation. The main difficulties that hinder them in providing smoking cessation services: low motivation of patients, lack of time and lack of knowledge about new methods. They suggest organizing more special training programs for pharmacists about smoking cessation methods that will improve their consultations. Improved public education about smoking damage and smoking cessation promotion using various media platforms could increase patient mo