Background Healthcare students and professionals could benefit greatly from using a holistic drug database as a reference point for clinical, physiochemical and structural information.¹ The involvement of certain drug therapy in the management of a condition can be facilitated by using 2dimensional and 3dimensional renditions.²

Objectives To compile an electronic molecular database of drugs used in respiratory conditions to include constructions in two and three dimension, representations of drug protein interactions and to assess its utility by carrying out a randomised control study on a pharmacy student cohort.

Design A repository of drugs pertaining to ‘respiratory system’ section of the BNF 64 was created to include structural information using molecular modelling software ex. Symyx^®, VMD^® and Sybyl^®, clinical and physiochemical information. The database was compiled and uploaded onto the University’s website. A randomised control study using validated questionnaires was carried out on students reading for a degree in Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science. Their performance was assessed at baseline, after two weeks from using the database and four weeks after. Statistical results were generated using SPSS^® 17.

Results A total of, 46 2D structures and interactive 3D formats, and 21interactive representations of the 7PDB entries identified were created. A positive trend in student knowledge on drugs used in respiratory conditions was identified both immediately (post)and after a period of time (delayed), with students performing better after being exposed to the database during the intervention lecture as can be seen in Table 1. A significant improvement in the final marks was attained in the experimental group with respect to the control group for the first, second, third and fourth year undergraduate pharmacy students.

Conclusions Student understanding and knowledge is enhanced when teaching practices take on an innovative approach. In fact, 86% of the students deemed the electronic database to be a relevant reference point of information during the undergraduate course.