Introduction:
In the Pharmacy degree at the University of Barcelona, the subject of Pharmacology and Therapeutics is developed through two mandatory core courses, each worth 6 ECTS credits, in the 7th and 8th semesters (Pharmacology and Therapeutics I and II). Traditionally, practical sessions for these courses have been based on computer simulation programs and demonstrative videos. In the academic year 2024-2025, we replaced computer-based practical sessions with case-based learning using group tutoring, but only in Pharmacology and Therapeutics II. During the same academic year, we evaluated and compared students' perceptions of both consecutive courses regarding their level of competency acquisition with the different methodologies, using the same survey.

Results:
At the end of the 7th semester, 178 out of 310 students registered in Pharmacology and Therapeutics I (computer-practice group, CP) responded to the survey after completing their respective practical sessions. We compared these results with preliminary results obtained from 132 out of 362 students enrolled in Pharmacology and Therapeutics II (case-based learning group, CBL). We observed that for all questions regarding skill acquisition, students using the case-based learning method showed a higher degree of satisfaction. Thus, 64.9% of the students of the CBL group vs 20.7% of the students of the CP group strongly agreed with the statement "the sessions have motivated me to delve deeper into learning the subject content". Also 66.2% of the CBL group vs 25.1% of the CP group strongly agreed that the practices had enabled them to acquire specific competencies in pharmacology. Regarding generic skills acquisition, 67.7% of the students enrolled in the CBL group strongly agreed that the sessions enhanced their autonomous learning skills, whereas only 25.1% of the CP group had this perception. Similarly, 70.8% of students in the CBL group agreed that the sessions improved their critical analysis, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, while this percentage was lower (24.6%) in the CP group. Other aspects rated more favorably by students enrolled in CBL in Pharmacology and Therapeutics II compared with the CP group were the contribution of the practices to their training as future pharmacists (63.4% vs 19.7%, respectively) and the support provided by instructors (85.5% vs 53.1%, respectively). Finally, we included in the survey a question to directly compare the quality of learning and competency acquisition using computer-based or case-based practice sessions. The results showed that 77.1% of the students strongly agreed that sessions based on clinical cases improved their learning and skill acquisition.

Conclusion:
Most surveyed students reported greater satisfaction with sessions focused on studying and analyzing clinical cases compared to computer-based practices in terms of learning and competency acquisition.

Keywords: Pharmacology, Case-Based Learning, Competency Acquisition, Student Satisfaction.