- José das Neves: Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) and Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica (INEB), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
To analyze the inclusion of nanotechnology in the curricula of Integrated Master's in Pharmaceutical Sciences programs in Portugal. Information regarding curricula (general notice and curricular unit description, objectives and syllabus) from national institutions was collected from their official websites or requested by e-mail, and analyzed for the occurrence of nanotechnology and related terms. A nanotechnology inclusion in curriculum (NIC) index was developed and used to rank each institution. All institutions with available data (eight out of nine) offered nanotechnology in their curricula. Both basic and applied nanotechnology-related education were offered to students but mostly from a theoretical perspective. The NIC index provided a standardized tool for comparing the institutions' programs and highlighted differences according to the relative importance of the presence of nanotechnology and related terms in curricula. Portuguese institutions offering integrated master's programs in pharmaceutical sciences are including nanotechnology in their curricula. However, its implementation across all institutions remains weak and requires further strengthening to meet the requirements of this emerging field in health care practice.