Search

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact of redesigning an entrustable professional activities (EPAs) assessment tool on the accuracy of student performance assessment within pharmacy education., Methods: The study used retrospective programmatic data for students on clinical rotations over a 3-year period and compared entrustment levels assigned by preceptors with suggested entrustment levels. This tool was redesigned to separate formative EPA feedback from final grade determination. Data were analyzed using chi-squared tests to identify trends in students ABOVE, AT, or BELOW the suggested entrustment levels. Additionally, to account for intercohort variability, the relationship between students ABOVE the suggested level of entrustment and postgraduate metrics was examined., Results: After the implementation of the revised tool, there was a significant decrease (-3%) in the percentage of students scoring ABOVE the suggested entrustment levels and an increase in the percentage of students scoring AT (+1%) or BELOW (+2%) the suggested entrustment levels. Changes were also observed in individual patient care settings, with a decrease in grade inflation and an increase in accurate assessments. North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) pass rates, residency match rates, and grade point average did not correlate with entrustment levels., Conclusion: The redesigned EPA assessment tool demonstrated a decrease in grade inflation resulting in more accurate assessments. The tool's focus on holistic grading and narrative descriptors contributed to better alignment between preceptor assessment and school-suggested achievement levels. This study suggests that EPA assessments in pharmacy education could benefit from a stronger emphasis on formative feedback and the use of holistic assessment methods for final grade determinations. The findings underscore the potential advantages of considering a separation between EPA scoring and final grades, prompting the Academy to explore their assessment practices to better reflect student performance in clinical experiences., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None declared., (Copyright © 2024 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aims to test the accuracy of large language models (LLMs) in answering standardized pharmacy examination practice questions., Methods: The performance of 3 LLMs (generative pretrained transformer [GPT]-3.5, GPT-4, and Chatsonic) was evaluated on 2 independent North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination practice question sets sourced from McGraw Hill and RxPrep. These question sets were further classified into binary question categories of adverse drug reaction (ADR) questions, scenario questions, treatment questions, and select-all questions. Python was used to run χ 2 tests to compare model and question-type accuracy., Results: Of the 3 LLMs tested, GPT-4 achieved the highest accuracy, with 87% accuracy on the McGraw Hill question set and 83.5% accuracy on the RxPrep question set. In comparison, GPT-3.5 had 68.0% and 60.0% accuracy on those question sets, respectively, and Chatsonic had 60.5% and 62.5% accuracy on those question sets, respectively. All models performed worse on select-all questions compared with non-select-all questions (GPT-3: 42.3% vs 66.2%; GPT-4: 73.1 vs 87.2%; Chatsonic: 36.5% vs 71.6%). GPT-4 had statistically higher accuracy in answering ADR questions (96.1%) compared with non-ADR questions (83.9%)., Conclusion: Our study found that GPT-4 outperformed GPT-3.5 and Chatsonic in answering North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination pharmacy licensure examination practice questions, particularly excelling in answering questions related to ADRs. These results suggest that advanced LLMs such as GPT-4 could be used for applications in pharmacy education., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest A.E. reports a relationship with National Institute of Aging that includes: funding grants. The remaining authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aimed to develop a prompt engineering procedure for test question mapping and then determine the effectiveness of test question mapping using Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) compared to human faculty mapping., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study to compare ChatGPT and human mapping using a sample of 139 test questions from modules within the Integrated Pharmacotherapeutics course series. The test questions were mapped by 3 faculty members to both module objectives and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Standards 2016 (Standards 2016) to create the "correct answer". Prompt engineering procedures were created to facilitate mapping with ChatGPT, and ChatGPT mapping results were compared with human mapping., Results: ChatGPT mapped test questions directly to the "correct answer" based on human consensus in 68.0% of cases, and the program matched with at least one individual human response in another 20.1% of cases for a total of 88.1% agreement with human mappers. When humans fully agreed with the mapping decision, ChatGPT was more likely to map correctly., Conclusion: This study presents a practical use case with prompt engineering tailored for college assessment or curriculum committees to facilitate efficient test questions and educational outcomes mapping., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Editorial Advisory Board member for AJPE - T.J.M. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: Pharmacist licensure exam first-time pass rates have declined for several years. Predictors of licensure exam performance, including the Pharmacy College Admission Test, are no longer required, necessitating alternative strategies. Our aim is to assess the relationship between numerical scores on advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) exams and pharmacist licensure exams first-time pass rates., Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective, observational analysis. APPE examination results between May 2020 and November 2023 were analyzed for association with licensure information from the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. Exam scores were collected for student cohorts graduating from 2021 to 2022 as study cohort data. Correlation between exam scores and probability of successful licensure was assessed using logistic regression. A classification and regression tree analysis identified the most significant threshold. Predictive ability of the best-fit model was prospectively validated using the 2023 graduate cohort., Results: The overall licensure success rate was 80.6% for the study cohort (2021-2022, n = 206). Exam scores were well correlated to the likelihood of licensing success. The most significant threshold was 77.8%. The success rate was 82.5% vs 16.7% for those scoring above and below the threshold, respectively. The observed and predicted licensure success rates were 91.0% and 88.8%, respectively, in the validation cohort (2023, n = 89). The positive and negative prediction values were 94.9% and 40.0%, respectively., Conclusion: The performances on APPE exams were reasonable in predicting the first-time licensure success rate for a graduating class. Our assessment appears promising as a risk-stratification tool for students in gaining successful pharmacist licensure., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None declared., (Copyright © 2024 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the validity of an integrated objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) station assessing both oral and written components with that of an OSCE station assessing 1 single skill (oral only), both targeted at assessing taking a best possible medication history., Methods: A convergent mixed-methods design that used the 4 inferences of Kane's validity framework (scoring, generalization, extrapolation, and implications) as a scaffold to integrate qualitative data (post-OSCE reflections) and quantitative data (assessment grades and categories of medication errors) was applied., Results: In 2022, 216 students completed the OSCE station with the oral component alone, while in 2023, 254 students completed the integrated (oral and written) OSCE station. Students in 2023 performed significantly better, with a median score of 88% vs 80% in 2022. There was a greater proportion of commission errors in the integrated assessment (20.4% vs 15.3%), but fewer omission errors (29.9% vs 31.8%) and patient profile errors (5.1% vs 69.4%). Student reflections revealed that conversations were rushed in the integrated assessment, with a greater focus on written formatting, but an appreciation for the authenticity and structured format of the integrated OSCE compared with the single-skill OSCE alone., Conclusion: Students completing the integrated OSCE (with oral and written components) had fewer patient profile and medication omission errors than students who completed the oral-only OSCE. Considering Kane's validity framework, there was a stronger argument for the more authentic integrated OSCE in terms of the inferences of extrapolation and implications., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To determine the impact of item-writing flaws and cognitive level on student performance metrics in 1 course series across 2 semesters at a single institution., Methods: Four investigators reviewed 928 multiple-choice items from an integrated therapeutics course series. Differences in performance metrics were examined between flawed and standard items, flawed stems and flawed answer choices, and cognitive levels., Results: Reviewers found that 80% of the items were flawed, with the most common types being implausible distractors and unfocused stems. Flawed items were generally easier than standard ones, but the type of flaw significantly impacted the difficulty. Items with flawed stems had the same difficulty as standard items; however, those with flawed answer choices were significantly easier. Most items tested lower-level skills and have more flaws than higher-level items. There was no significant difference in difficulty between lower- and higher-level cognitive items, and higher-level items were more likely to have answer flaws than item flaws., Conclusion: Item-writing flaws differently impact student performance. Implausible distractors artificially lower the difficulty of questions, even those designed to assess higher-level skills. This effect contributes to a lack of significant difference in difficulty between higher- and lower-level items. Unfocused stems, on the other hand, likely increase confusion and hinder performance, regardless of the question's cognitive complexity., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

From 2021 to 2023, 7978 graduates of pharmacy programs failed the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination on the first attempt. Presently, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education monitors programs with a passage rate of ≥ 2 SDs below the national mean pass rate. In 2023, this should lead to monitoring 7 programs that produced 140 failures out of the total of 2472 failures (5.7 %). In our view, this is neither equitable nor demonstrative of sufficient accountability. Analysis of failure counts among the 144 programs reported by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy demonstrates a distribution curve highly skewed to the right. The evaluation of average failure counts across all programs suggests that schools with absolute failures ≥ 2 SDs higher than the average number of failures should be identified for monitoring, in addition to those falling ≥ 2 SDs below the national mean pass rate. Based on the 2023 data, this additional criterion corresponds to ≥ 35 failures/program. This threshold would prompt monitoring of 18 programs and 36.5 % of the total failures. Of the 7 programs that will be monitored based on the current Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education criteria, only 1 would be captured by the ≥ 35 failure method of selection; the remaining 6 contribute 85 total failures to the pool. Thus, if both criteria were to be applied, ie, ≥ 35 failures and ≥ 2 SDs below the national mean pass rate, a total of 24 programs would be monitored (16.6 % of the 144 programs) that contribute 987 of the total failures (39.9 %)., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None declared., (Copyright © 2024 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

As first-time pass rates on the North American Pharmacy Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) continue to decrease, pharmacy educators are left questioning the dynamics causing the decline and how to respond. Institutional and student factors both influence first-time NAPLEX pass rates. Pharmacy schools established before 2000, those housed within an academic medical center, and public rather than private schools have been associated with tendencies toward higher first-time NAPLEX pass rates. However, these factors alone do not sufficiently explain the issues surrounding first-time pass rates. Changes to the NAPLEX blueprint may also have influenced first-time pass rates. The number of existing pharmacy schools combined with decreasing numbers of applicants and influences from the COVID-19 pandemic should also be considered as potential causes of decreased first-time pass rates. In this commentary, factors associated with first-time NAPLEX pass rates are discussed along with some possible responses for the Academy to consider., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None declared., (Copyright © 2024 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective. To implement an advanced elective compounding course where pharmacy students conduct investigations to improve compounding-related issues that were subsequently evaluated in a required compounding course. Methods. The elective compounding course required students to engage in self-directed learning, critical thinking, creation and evaluation of laboratory data, and self- and group reflection. Students researched and developed "solutions" to compounded preparation problems, and their solutions were tested in the next iteration of a required compounding course. For example, students in the elective course identified sources of potency variability in a ketoprofen Pluronic organogel (PLO) emulsion preparation. The students identified six variables and executed an investigative action plan. They considered all data collected and proposed a method to reduce potency variation. The recommended solution was implemented in the next offering of a required compounding course and the potency variability results were compared to the previous required course's results. Results. The mean ketoprofen PLO emulsion potency achieved in the required course prior to implementing the elective course recommendation was 129% (SD 21%), n=158. After the recommended change from elective course was implemented, the mean potency was 118% (SD 21%), n=131. Conclusion. The teaching methods and activities conducted in the elective course provided students with a deeper level of learning and understanding of compounding science, while providing practical experience in scientific research methodology. The course also provided a cyclic quality improvement feedback mechanism for the required course., (© 2020 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.)

Objective. To evaluate a clinical documentation rubric for pharmacotherapy problem-based learning (PBL) courses using inter-rater reliability (IRR) among different evaluators. Methods. A rubric was adapted for use in grading student pharmacists' clinical documentation in pharmacotherapy PBL courses. Multiple faculty evaluators used the rubric to assess student pharmacists' clinical documentation. The mean rubric score given by the evaluators and the standard deviation were calculated. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to determine the inter-rater reliability (IRR) of the rubric. Results. Three hundred seventeen clinical documentation submissions were scored twice by multiple evaluators using the rubric. The mean initial evaluation score was 9.1 (SD=0.9) and the mean second evaluation score was 9.1 (SD=0.9), with no significant difference found between the two. The overall ICC was 0.7 across multiple graders, indicating good IRR. Conclusion. The clinical documentation rubric demonstrated overall good IRR between multiple evaluators when used in pharmacotherapy PBL courses. The rubric will undergo additional evaluation and continuous quality improvement to ensure that student pharmacists are provided with the formative feedback they need., (© 2020 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.)

Objective. To assess the value of a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program using the Tuition: Licensure Index (TLI), a de novo metric combining tuition and licensure pass rates. Methods. The TLI is a ratio of program tuition and licensure pass rates, where separate indices are derived for the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination or NAPLEX (ie, TLI-N) and the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (ie, TLI-M). The TLI can be further nuanced depending on use of in-state (ie, TLI-N i and TLI-M i ) or out-of-state (ie, TLI-N o and TLI-M o ) tuition. The TLI-N for the 2018 cohort was used in this analysis. Total program tuition and NAPLEX pass rates were obtained from publicly available sources. Differences in traditional vs accelerated and public vs private programs were examined using the TLI-N categories "one or less" and "greater than one." Results. While differences in TLI-N i category (ie, "one or less" and "greater than one") for traditional vs accelerated PharmD programs were not significant, a major difference was found in the TLI-N i category for public vs private programs. No differences in the TLI-N o category for public vs private or for traditional vs accelerated programs were found. Conclusion. In-state public (vs private) PharmD programs may be preferable for optimizing value. Prospective students are encouraged to consider a school's tuition and licensure pass rates when selecting a PharmD program., (© 2020 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.)

Objective. To implement a continuous professional development (CPD) program in the didactic curriculum of a three-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program, and evaluate associated outcomes. Methods. The initial CPD program was implemented in the didactic curriculum of the PharmD program in 2014-2015. Barriers were identified and strategies adopted to overcome the barriers. A revised CPD curriculum was implemented in the 2015-2016 academic year. Student and faculty evaluations of the course were conducted, and students' perceived capabilities in the various skills related to professional development were measured. Results. The student ratings of the course were acceptable (ranging from 3.3 to 4.2 on a 5-point Likert scale). First-year students rated the course higher than second-year students did. The majority of faculty members found the CPD curriculum valuable for students. Students perceived that their skills in oral, written and interprofessional communication, leadership, and time management had significantly improved after completing the course. Conclusion. Implementation of a CPD process during the didactic curriculum for PharmD students is feasible and beneficial to students' professional development. This CPD model provided students with an opportunity to develop self-directed lifelong learning skills and prepared them to transition to practice-based learning in their final year of the program., (© 2019 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.)

Objective. To provide a practical guide to examination item writing, item statistics, and score adjustment for use by pharmacy and other health professions educators. Findings. Each examination item type possesses advantages and disadvantages. Whereas selected response items allow for efficient assessment of student recall and understanding of content, constructed response items appear better suited for assessment of higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy. Although clear criteria have not been established, accepted ranges for item statistics and examination reliability have been identified. Existing literature provides guidance on when instructors should consider revising or removing items from future examinations based on item statistics and review, but limited information is available on performing score adjustments. Summary. Instructors should select item types that align with the intended learning objectives to be measured on the examination. Ideally, an examination will consist of multiple item types to capitalize on the advantages and limit the effects of any disadvantages associated with a specific item format. Score adjustments should be performed judiciously and by considering all available item information. Colleges and schools should consider developing item writing and score adjustment guidelines to promote consistency., (© 2019 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.)

Objective. To investigate whether prior knowledge or reactivated marginal knowledge alone is sufficient for student pharmacists to transfer foundational science content to pharmacy application. Methods. In two experiments, transfer of foundational science knowledge was examined. Far transfer was examined by investigating the relationship between prior knowledge of chemistry and physiology to pharmacokinetic application. Near transfer was examined by investigating the relationship between foundational physiology content and its application to pharmacy. Participants completed fill-in-the-blank (FIB) items to assess accessible prior knowledge. Half the participants also received multiple-choice formats of the FIB questions to assess stored well but not readily retrievable information. Participants then answered application-type questions. Results. Participants were more successful in correctly answering multiple-choice questions than FIB questions. Participants could not apply stored and accessible nor stored but inaccessible knowledge in the far transfer condition (pharmacokinetics application). Participants were more successful in applying foundational science knowledge to the near transfer condition (pharmacy application of physiology) Conclusion. This study suggests some students may be able to transfer their prerequisite knowledge to pharmacy application, but most students probably cannot successfully transfer without formal instruction. In addition, reactivating the foundational knowledge through multiple-choice testing has been shown to be sufficient to cause retention of the knowledge, but this seems to be an insufficient stimulus to allow for transfer to occur. What this confirms is that even if students have the prior knowledge, transfer cannot be assumed to be an automatic process and probably requires specific instruction.

Objective. To describe the development and implementation of an innovative, comprehensive, multi-day module focused on assessing and providing feedback on student cognitive and interpersonal skill development and practice readiness after the first year (PY1) of a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum. Methods. A multi-day capstone assessment was developed to evaluate first-year students' knowledge of course content, ability to find and apply information, and interpersonal skills, including teamwork and adaptability. The PY1 Capstone consisted of four parts. Knowledge was assessed using 130 multiple-choice items on first-year course content and 50 fill-in-the-blank items on Top 200 brand and generic drug names. The ability to find and apply information was assessed using a 45-question open-book test. Interpersonal skills were assessed using a specially designed multiple mini-interview (MMI). The final part of the assessment was a debriefing session that provided rapid-cycle feedback on capstone performance and a bridge between students' recently completed first-year coursework and an upcoming 2-month experiential immersion. Results. The average score on the closed-book and open-book assessments were 75% and 68%, respectively. Most students displayed satisfactory interpersonal skills based on the MMI. Students viewed the assessment positively based on post-assessment survey responses (>75%). Most students (98%) reported not studying for the assessment, indicating that the results should reflect students' retention of knowledge and skills. Conclusion. The capstone assesses students on knowledge and skills and provides students with feedback on areas to focus on during their early immersion. Continued work is needed to ensure the process is transparent and cost-effective.

Objective. To examine relationships between students' demographic and academic performance factors and their scores on the Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA). Methods. Students' PCOA scores and demographics (eg, age, race/ethnicity, sex), preadmission data [eg, cumulative and science grade point average (GPA), Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT)], and academic performance variables (eg, pharmacy GPA, academic standing) were analyzed for one class of third-year pharmacy students (N=159). Independent t -tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to compare scores by demographic variables. Pearson's r correlations were used to assess relationships between PCOA scores and age, PCAT scores, and GPA. Stepwise linear regression was conducted to determine the predictive ability of variables with significant correlations to PCOA performance. Results. Significant correlations were found between sex and PCOA scores with males scoring higher than females. Significant correlations with PCOA scores were also found for PCAT scores, pre-pharmacy science GPA, and pharmacy didactic GPA. Significant differences were found by academic standing, where students in academic difficulty who were allowed to proceed without repeating curricular content scored significantly lower on the PCOA than those who did not experience academic difficulty. Conversely, there were no statistical differences between those who repeated courses and those who never experienced academic difficulty. PCOA performance predictors in the final regression model included PCAT composite score, pharmacy GPA and sex. Conclusion. New findings included differences in PCOA scores by sex and by academic standing, a variable not previously explored in published studies. Findings have implications for remediation decisions in pharmacy curricula.

Objective. To examine the relationships between pharmacy students' Myers-Briggs Type Indicators (MBTIs) and their first-attempt NAPLEX scores within an accelerated, dual campus curriculum. Methods. Data from the MBTIs and NAPLEX findings were retrieved from a single cohort of the Columbia, SC and Savannah, GA campuses of South University School of Pharmacy. A multiple linear regression technique was performed to assess the degree of variability in first-attempt NAPLEX scores that could be accounted for by MBTIs, campus of enrollment, and gender. Results. Of the 134 student data samples collected, 119 (86%) were included for study analysis. Campus of enrollment and MBTIs were predictive of first-attempt NAPLEX scores. Introversion personality types scored 9.5 points higher on the NAPLEX than extroversion types; feeling personality types scored 6.0 points higher than thinking types; students enrolled at the Savannah, GA campus scored 5.7 points higher than their Columbia, SC campus counterparts. Conclusion. Certain personality types were shown to have predictive value with regard to first-attempt NAPLEX score achievements. These results offer plausible insights into pharmacy student tendencies that can affect success on high-stakes standardized examinations. Additional research into sociological aspects of pharmacy students' composition may assist with optimizing performances on licensure examinations as prerequisites to proficient careers within the pharmacy profession.

Objective. To assess the impact of a debate exercise on self-reported evidence of student learning in literature evaluation, evidence-based decision making, and oral presentation. Methods. Third-year pharmacy students in a required infectious disease therapeutics course participated in a modified debate exercise that included a reading assignment and readiness assessment tests consistent with team-based learning (TBL) pedagogy. Peer and faculty assessment of student learning was accomplished with a standardized rubric. A pre- and post-debate survey was used to assess self-reported perceptions of abilities to perform skills outlined by the learning objectives. Results. The average individual readiness assessment score was 93.5% and all teams scored 100% on their team readiness assessments. Overall student performance on the debates was also high with an average score of 88.2% prior to extra credit points. Of the 95 students, 88 completed both pre- and post-surveys (93% participation rate). All learning objectives were associated with a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-debate surveys with the majority of students reporting an improvement in self-perceived abilities. Approximately two-thirds of students enjoyed the debates exercise and believed it improved their ability to make and defend clinical decisions. Conclusion. A debate format adapted to the pedagogy of TBL was well-received by students, documented high achievement in assessment of skills, and improved students' self-reported perceptions of abilities to evaluate the literature, develop evidence-based clinical decisions, and deliver an effective oral presentation.

Objective. To investigate the effect of strategic feedback and metacognitive processes on learners' ability to predict performance and improve self-awareness. Methods. Strategic faculty and peer feedback, as well as self-assessments, were implemented in a professional pharmacy elective course throughout the semester, focused on three case-based oral presentations. After each presentation, students utilized an objective rubric to determine self-predicted and peer-predicted scores. Actual scores from faculty were compared to students' predicted scores. Results. Students' ability to predict presentation scores did not improve over time; however, students were able to accurately estimate performance in certain rubric sections on individual presentations (depth of problem, presentation). Students were generally overconfident in predicting their performance. When broken down into tertiles, top performing students were more accurate in their self-assessments compared to bottom performing students. Bottom performing students were highly overconfident in their assessment. Conclusion. Self-awareness is essential for professionals, though difficult to cultivate and improve in one semester. Incorporating longitudinal, continuous feedback and metacognitive skills may help learners become more aware of their own performance and devise a plan for enhancement.

Objective. To create and implement a class in ethnopharmacology that would educate student pharmacists on folk medicine, including home remedies and native plants that are used as alternative medicinal sources; active components of medicinal plants including toxicity issues and the mechanism of action of beneficial compounds, such as catechins and other flavonoids; and nutraceuticals and poisonous plants. Methods. In this three-credit hour class, herbal remedies are investigated from the standpoints of medical efficacy, potential toxicities and drug interactions with prescribed medications. Class discussions are conducted on the usefulness of remedies, the attitudes of practitioners toward traditional remedy use and the risks of relying on herbal preparations. Each student prepares a 15-minute presentation on a disease state, which covers modern pharmaceuticals and herbal or folk remedy alternatives used in that disease. Special emphasis is given to drug-herb interactions. Results. The class has gained popularity among students and consistently fills within the first hour of computerized registration. Students agree that being educated in the benefits and potential toxicities of herbal products will better prepare them to counsel their patients who use these remedies. The elective has been offered 10 times since 2007. Anecdotal comments from our alumni indicate that they have found the information to be very useful in their practice environments. Conclusion. Providing our students with a greater understanding of herbal remedies is essential to prepare them for practice. By including both the uses and potential toxicities, the student pharmacist is able to counsel her patients from a standpoint of expertise on these self-administered remedies.

Objective. To design an educational game that will increase third-year professional pharmacy students' knowledge of diabetes mellitus disease management and to evaluate their perceived value of the game. Methods. Faculty members created an innovative educational game, the diabetes escape room. An authentic escape room gaming environment was established through the use of a locked room, an escape time limit, and game rules within which student teams completed complex puzzles focused on diabetes disease management. To evaluate the impact, students completed a pre-test and post-test to measure the knowledge they've gained and a perception survey to identify moderating factors that could help instructors improve the game's effectiveness and utility. Results. Students showed statistically significant increases in knowledge after completion of the game. A one-sample t -test indicated that students' mean perception was statistically significantly higher than the mean value of the evaluation scale. This statically significant result proved that this gaming act offers a potential instructional benefit beyond its novelty. Conclusion. The diabetes escape room proved to be a valuable educational game that increased students' knowledge of diabetes mellitus disease management and showed a positive perceived overall value by student participants.

Objective. To describe the redesigned assessment plan for a patient safety and informatics course and assess student pharmacist performance and perceptions. Methods. The final examination of a patient safety course was redesigned from traditional multiple choice and short answer to team-based, open-ended, and case-based. Faculty for each class session developed higher level activities, focused on developing key skills or attitudes deemed essential for practice, for a progressive patient case consisting of nine activities. Student performance and perceptions were analyzed with pre- and post-surveys using 5-point scales. Results. Mean performance on the examination was 93.6%; median scores for each assessed course outcome ranged from 90% to 100%. Eighty-five percent of students completed both surveys. Confidence performing skills and demonstrating attitudes improved for each item on post-survey compared with pre-survey. Eighty-one percent of students indicated the experience of taking the examination was beneficial for their professional development. Conclusion. A team, case-based examination was associated with high student performance and improved self-confidence in performing medication safety-related skills.

Objective. To examine the relationship between the NAPLEX and Pre-NAPLEX among pharmacy graduates, as well as determine effects of pre-pharmacy, pharmacy school, and demographic variables on NAPLEX performance. Methods. A retrospective review of pharmacy graduates' NAPLEX scores, Pre-NAPLEX scores, demographics, pre-pharmacy academic performance factors, and pharmacy school academic performance factors was performed. Bivariate (eg, ANOVA, independent samples t -test) and correlational analyses were conducted, as was stepwise linear regression to examine the significance of Pre-NAPLEX score and other factors as related to NAPLEX score. Results. One hundred fifty graduates were included, with the majority being female (60.7%) and white (72%). Mean NAPLEX score was 104.7. Mean Pre-NAPLEX score was 68.6. White students had significantly higher NAPLEX scores compared to Black/African American students. NAPLEX score was correlated to Pre-NAPLEX score, race/ethnicity, PCAT composite and section scores, undergraduate overall and science GPAs, pharmacy GPA, and on-time graduation. The regression model included pharmacy GPA and Pre-NAPLEX score. Conclusion. The findings provide evidence that, although pharmacy GPA is the most critical determinant, the Pre-NAPLEX score is also a significant predictor of NAPLEX score.

Objective. To compare student performance, elements of peer evaluation and satisfaction of teams created according to students' course entrance grade point average (GPA). Methods. Two course sections were divided into teams of four to five students utilizing Comprehensive Assessment of Team Member Effectiveness (CATME) software. Results. Of 336 students enrolled, 324 consented to participation. Weekly team quiz averages were 99.1% (higher GPA), 97.2% (lower GPA), 97.7% (mixed GPA). Weekly individual quiz averages were 87.2% (higher GPA), 83.3% (lower GPA), 85.2% (mixed GPA). Students with same GPA performed similarly individually independent of team assignment. Satisfaction ranged from 4.52 (higher GPA), 4.73 (lower GPA), 4.53 (mixed GPA). Conclusion. Academically stronger students in mixed GPA teams appeared to be at a slight disadvantage compared to similar students in higher GPA teams. There was no difference in team performance for academically weaker students in lower GPA versus mixed GPA teams. Team satisfaction was higher in lower GPA teams.

Objective. To describe best practices, necessary resources, and success or lessons learned from established consortia in pharmacy education. Methods. Using semi-structured interviews and qualitative analysis, interviews with members of established consortia in pharmacy education were conducted until saturation was reached. Themes were analyzed and meaningful descriptions of consortia characteristics were developed using systematic text condensation. Results. Thirteen interviews were conducted. The primary purpose for forming a consortium was identified as threefold: share ideas/best practices; facilitate collaboration; and perform shared problem-solving. For experiential education consortia, two additional purposes were found: share capacity for practice sites, and promote standardization across programs. When investigating best practices for established consortia, three main themes were identified. These included strategies for: (1) relationship building within consortia, (2) successful outcomes of consortia, and (3) sustainability. Successful outcomes included scholarship and, sometimes, program standardization. Sustainability was linked to structure/support and momentum. Respect was considered the foundation for collaborative relationships to flourish in these consortia. Conclusions. Pharmacy education consortia form through a process that involves relationship building to produce outcomes that promote sustainability, which benefits both pharmacy schools and individual faculty members. Consortium formation is a viable, productive, and often necessary institutional goal for pharmacy schools.

Objective. To implement a holistic assessment plan to evaluate the impact of a four-semester laboratory course series entitled Integrated Pharmacotherapy Skills on students' readiness to begin advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) following separation of the laboratory component from the Pharmacotherapy lecture component. Design. Faculty prospectively selected and employed a variety of course assessment methods including student self- and preceptor evaluation during APPEs, course evaluations, and a student confidence survey to evaluate student readiness for APPEs and ensure a quality learning experience for students. Assessment. APPE students' self-perceived confidence to perform skills increased after completion of the redesigned curriculum and after experiencing two APPE rotations. APPE preceptors did not report a change in student performance. Results from course evaluations suggest that separating the laboratory course from the lecture course created a positive learning experience for students. Conclusion. Students completing the new laboratory curriculum were equally prepared to begin APPE rotations as students who had completed the old curriculum. A similar multidimensional, holistic assessment plan could be used at other institutions to evaluate skills-based courses as part of continuous quality improvement.

Objective. To determine the frequency distribution of pharmacy students across Emotionally Intelligent Leadership Inventory (EILI) measures. Methods. The EILI was administered to 235 pharmacy students at two schools. The instrument was systematically compared to the 2013 CAPE Outcomes and analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis. Results. The EILI has primary connections with pharmacy competencies related to interprofessional communication and leadership. The three facets of the EILI were verified for internal consistency (Context, α=.78; Self, α=.74; Others, α=.79). Student scores were the highest for the consciousness of self facet, with a mean score of 31.4 out of 40. Conclusion. The EILI shows promise as an instrument for use in assessing pharmacy students' emotional intelligence and leadership skills.

Objective. To design instructional methods that would promote long-term retention of knowledge of antimicrobial pharmacology, particularly the spectrum of activity for antimicrobial agents, in pharmacy students. Design. An active-learning approach was used to teach selected sessions in a required antimicrobial pharmacology course. Students were expected to review key concepts from the course reader prior to the in-class sessions. During class, brief concept reviews were followed by active-learning exercises, including a novel schematic method for learning antimicrobial spectrum of activity ("flower diagrams"). Assessment. At the beginning of the next quarter (approximately 10 weeks after the in-class sessions), 360 students (three yearly cohorts) completed a low-stakes multiple-choice examination on the concepts in antimicrobial spectrum of activity. When data for students was pooled across years, the mean number of correct items was 75.3% for the items that tested content delivered with the active-learning method vs 70.4% for items that tested content delivered via traditional lecture (mean difference 4.9%). Instructor ratings on student evaluations of the active-learning approach were high (mean scores 4.5-4.8 on a 5-point scale) and student comments were positive about the active-learning approach and flower diagrams. Conclusion. An active-learning approach led to modestly higher scores in a test of long-term retention of pharmacology knowledge and was well-received by students.

Objective. To determine whether there is a correlation between pharmacy students' scores on the Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT) and their grade on a package insert assignment designed to assess critical thinking. Methods. The HSRT was administered to first-year pharmacy students during a critical-thinking course in the spring semester. In the same semester, a required package insert assignment was completed in a pharmacokinetics course. To determine whether there was a relationship between HSRT scores and grades on the assignment, a Spearman's rho correlation test was performed. Results. A very weak but significant positive correlation was found between students' grades on the assignment and their overall HSRT score (r=0.19, p <0.05), as well as deduction (a scale score of the HSRT; r=0.26, p <0.01). Conclusion. Based on a very weak but significant correlation to HSRT scores, this study demonstrated the potential of a package insert assignment to be used as one of the components to measure critical-thinking skills in pharmacy students.

Objective. A review was conducted to determine implementation strategies, utilities, score interpretation, and limitations of the Pharmacy Curriculum Outcome Assessment (PCOA) examination. Methods. Articles were identified through the PubMed and American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education , and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts databases using the following terms: "Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment," "pharmacy comprehensive examination," and "curricular assessment." Studies containing information regarding implementation, utility, and predictive values for US student pharmacists, curricula, and/or PGY1/PGY2 residents were included. Publications from the Academic Medicine Journal , the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (ACCP) were included for background information and comparison of predictive utilities of comprehensive examinations in medicine. Results. Ten PCOA and nine residency-related publications were identified. Based on published information, the PCOA may be best used as an additional tool to identify knowledge gaps for third-year student pharmacists. Conclusion. Administering the PCOA to students after they have completed their didactic coursework may yield scores that reflect student knowledge. Predictive utility regarding the North American Pharmacy Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) and potential applications is limited, and more research is required to determine ways to use the PCOA.

Objective. To identify and address areas for curricular improvement by evaluating student achievement of expected learning outcomes and competencies on annual milestone examinations. Design. Students were tested each professional year with a comprehensive milestone examination designed to evaluate student achievement of learning outcomes and professional competencies using a combination of multiple-choice questions, standardized patient assessments (SPAs), and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) questions. Assessment. Based on student performance on milestone examinations, curricular changes were instituted, including an increased emphasis on graded comprehensive cases, OSCE skills days, and use of patient simulation in lecture and laboratory courses. After making these changes, significant improvements were observed in second and third-year pharmacy students' grades for the therapeutic case and physician interaction/errors and omissions components of the milestone examinations. Conclusion. Results from milestone examinations can be used to identify specific areas in which curricular improvements are needed to foster student achievement of learning outcomes and professional competencies.

Objective. To assess the prevalence, methods, and motivations for didactic cheating among pharmacy students and to determine predictive factors for cheating in pharmacy colleges and schools. Methods. A 45-item cross-sectional survey was conducted at all four doctor of pharmacy programs in Northern California. For data analysis, t test, Fisher exact test, and logistic regression were used. Results. Overall, 11.8% of students admitted to cheating in pharmacy school. Primary motivations for cheating included fear of failure, procrastination, and stress. In multivariate analysis, the only predictor for cheating in pharmacy school was a history of cheating in undergraduate studies. Conclusion. Cheating occurs in pharmacy schools and is motivated by fear of failure, procrastination, and stress. A history of past cheating predicts pharmacy school cheating. The information presented may help programs better understand their student population and lead to a reassessment of ethical culture, testing procedures, and prevention programs.

Objective. To provide evidence that the progress examination program accurately assesses student failure to demonstrate competence. Methods. A progress examination program aligned with each grade level was locally developed and administered annually to 289 PharmD students in the spring of their first year - fourth year. Correlations and linear regressions were performed to compare the examination scores to performance on national licensing examinations and cumulative didactic grade point average (GPA). Odds ratio analysis was run to determine the ability of the passing scores of the progress examination to identify students at increased risk of failing to graduate on time, earn a GPA below 3.0, and fail the licensing examinations on their first attempt. Results. Progress examination scores were strongly correlated to GPA and national licensing examination scores and weakly correlated to jurisprudence examination scores. Regression analysis indicated a significant linear relationship between examination scores and both GPA and the licensing examinations. Students who performed poorly on the progress examinations were more likely fail the national licensing examination, more likely to fail to graduate on time, and more likely to earn a cumulative didactic GPA below 3.0. Conclusions. The second-year examination program strongly predicts students at risk for failure to graduate on time or achieve a GPA below 3.0, while all four examinations identify students at risk of failing the national licensing examination on their first attempt.

Objective. To evaluate student and teacher perceptions of the utility of the Reflective Ability Clinical Assessment (RACA) in an undergraduate pharmacy curriculum at an Australian university. Methods. A mixed-method study comprising the administration of a 7-item student survey on a 6-point Likert-type scale and a 45-minute focus group/phone interview with teachers. Results. Student (n=199) and teaching staff respondents (n=3) provided their perceptions of the implementation of the new educational tool. Student responses showed significant positive correlations between self-directed learning, counseling skills, relevance to future practice, and performance in an oral examination. Seven key themes emerged from the teacher interviews. Conclusion. The study revealed both students and teachers perceive the RACA as an effective educational tool that may enhance skill development for future clinical practice.

Objective. To investigate the correlation of mean admission multiple mini-interview (MMI) scores with cumulative and overall GPA across didactic years 1-3 in the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum. Methods. The mean admission MMI score and cumulative and overall GPA for first year (P1), second year (P2), and third year (P3) students in the PharmD curriculum was used to conduct a multiple regression analysis and to calculate a Pearson correlation coefficient. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, v20. Results. A negative correlation between mean admission MMI and overall GPA was observed for P1 students and P2 students. A significant positive correlation was observed between mean admission MMI and overall GPA for P3 students. Conclusion. A weak association between mean admission MMI score and GPA was observed, and the direction of the association between MMI and GPA was mixed across cohorts of students in the PharmD curriculum. Further research is needed that includes measurement of noncognitive outcomes and continued validation of the MMI for use in pharmacy school admissions.

Objective. To evaluate the impact that decreasing the time from 12 to three months between prerequisite pharmacodynamics courses and their corresponding pharmacotherapy courses had on overall student performance in the pharmacotherapy courses measured by course examination scores. Methods. Two cohorts of second-professional year (P2) and third professional year (P3) classes, respectively, following different curriculum plans, simultaneously took two pharmacotherapy courses (infectious disease and neoplastic disease). Admission data (age, gender, prior bachelor's degree status, grade point average (GPA), Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) score, and interview score) were collected to establish baseline characteristics between the two cohorts. Examination scores in the corresponding prerequisite pharmacodynamics and pharmacotherapy courses were also collected. The variable was the difference in time each cohort experienced between the prerequisite pharmacodynamics courses and the subsequent pharmacotherapy courses. Results. No difference was found in baseline admission characteristics between the two cohorts, except for increased average age, which favored the P2 cohort. In the infectious disease pharmacotherapy course, the P3 cohort performed better than the P2 cohort as measured by average examination scores. In the neoplastic disease pharmacotherapy course, the P3 cohort also achieved significant higher average examination scores than the P2 cohort. The P3 cohort achieved higher overall scores than the P2 cohort in both courses despite a longer interval between the applicable pharmacodynamic and pharmacotherapy courses (12 months vs 3 months, respectively). Conclusion. Shortening the time interval from 12 months to three months between prerequisite and requisite courses did not result in improved, or even equivalent, academic performance relative to the P2 cohort that had only a 3-month interval between courses. Placing like content closer together, as the only intervention, is not enough to ensure improved student performance measured by examination scores in corresponding requisite courses.

Objective. To evaluate first-year pharmacy students' ability to identify medication errors involving the top 100 prescription medications. Design. In the first quarter of a 3-quarter pharmacy self-care course, a didactic lecture on the most common prescribing and dispensing prescription errors was presented to first-year pharmacy students (P1) in preparation for a prescription review simulation done individually and as a group. In the following quarter, they were given a formal prescription review workshop before a second simulation involving individual and group review of a different set of prescriptions. Students were evaluated based on the number of correctly checked prescriptions and a self-assessment of their confidence in reviewing prescriptions. Assessment. All 63 P1 students completed the prescription review simulations. The individual scores did not significantly change, but group scores improved from 79 (16.2%) in the fall quarter to 98.6 (4.7%) in the winter quarter. Students perceived improvement of their prescription checking skills, specifically in their ability to fill a prescription on their own, identify prescribing and dispensing errors, and perform pharmaceutical calculations. Conclusion. A prescription review module consisting of a didactic lecture, workshop and simulation-based methods to teach prescription analysis was successful at improving first year pharmacy students' knowledge, confidence, and application of these skills.

Objective. To analyze student perceptions of self-efficacy in meeting medicinal chemistry course related educational outcomes and skills following a medicinal chemistry skills laboratory. Methods. Four activities were implemented in a pharmacy skills laboratory (PSL) for second-year pharmacy students. Students (n=121) worked individually on exercises for three of the four activities. Pre/post-laboratory surveys on self-efficacy were administered. The McNemar test was performed to evaluate students' self-efficacy above 70% related to course outcomes before and after the exercises in each activity. An independent t test was conducted to compare the mean of students' responses on meeting course outcomes based on the 70% anchor for the perspective confidence on meeting course outcomes. Results. The post-PSL scores on all self-efficacy questions improved. The majority of students reported skill development in all exercises. Students and clinical faculty qualitative responses indicated they felt exercises were effective. Conclusion. A PSL can serve as a valuable opportunity to address course related educational outcomes and specific skill development and can help students assess their self-efficacy in meeting them.

Objective. To describe an approach for assessing the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education's (ACPE) doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) Standard 4.4, which focuses on students' professional development. Methods. This investigation used mixed methods with triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data to assess professional development. Qualitative data came from an electronic developmental portfolio of professionalism and ethics, completed by PharmD students during their didactic studies. Quantitative confirmation came from the Defining Issues Test (DIT)-an assessment of pharmacists' professional development. Results. Qualitatively, students' development reflections described growth through this course series. Quantitatively, the 2015 PharmD class's DIT N2-scores illustrated positive development overall; the lower 50% had a large initial improvement compared to the upper 50%. Subsequently, the 2016 PharmD class confirmed these average initial improvements of students and also showed further substantial development among students thereafter. Conclusion. Applying an assessment for learning approach, triangulation of qualitative and quantitative assessments confirmed that PharmD students developed professionally during this course series.

Objective. To evaluate a flipped drug literature evaluation course for first-year pharmacy students. Design. A drug literature evaluation course was flipped during the 2014 winter semester. Homework from 2013 was transformed into activities and lectures were transformed into multiple short YouTube videos. Assessment. Average examination scores increased from 75.6% to 86.1%. Eighty-two of 94 students completed the postcourse survey in 2014. Compared to traditional lecture, 59.8% of students indicated they preferred the flipped course. Additionally, students felt the course was important, the in-class activities were helpful, and some of the YouTube videos could be improved. We found length of the video to be significantly correlated with the percentage of videos viewed. Conclusion. The flipped model should be considered in drug literature evaluation courses that seek to increase the amount of active learning in the classroom.

Objective. To describe the design of a core course directed at improving confidence and competence of students to perform medication therapy management (MTM) services. Design. Using the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) certificate training program framework, a core course was developed to teach MTM concepts to third-year student pharmacists. Using deep learning and authentic assignments, course instructors attempted to improve student confidence and readiness to provide MTM services. Assessment. Student ability to meet course objectives was evaluated by examinations and the APhA MTM program self-assessment. Students had an overall success rate of 93% on all three assessments. Student perceptions of confidence, competence, and importance of performing MTM services were measured using a survey instrument with 56 Likert-type items. Students completing both surveys reported significantly increased confidence and competence. Conclusion. Integrating MTM-specific education into the core curriculum increased student pharmacists' perceived competence and confidence to perform MTM services.

Objective. To determine which preadmission variables or combination of variables are able to predict on-time graduation in a doctor of pharmacy program. Methods. Transcripts and student files were reviewed for 460 students who entered the college between 2007 and 2009. Results. The preadmission variables with significant correlations to on-time graduation included having a prior degree, student type, the number of unsatisfactory grades (nonscience and math-science courses, and the combination), prepharmacy cumulative grade point average (GPA), and math-science GPA. Of these variables, the significant predictors of on-time graduation were prior degree, the presence of no unsatisfactory grades in nonscience courses, and prepharmacy cumulative GPA. Conclusion. Having a prior degree, lack of unsatisfactory grades in nonscience courses, and prepharmacy GPA were identified as significant predictors of on-time graduation.

Objective. The Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT) is a validated instrument to assess critical-thinking skills. The objective of this study was to determine if HSRT results improved in second-year student pharmacists after exposure to an explicit curriculum designed to develop critical-thinking skills. Methods. In December 2012, the HSRT was administered to students who were in their first year of pharmacy school. Starting in August 2013, students attended a 16-week laboratory curriculum using simulation, formative feedback, and clinical reasoning to teach critical-thinking skills. Following completion of this course, the HSRT was readministered to the same cohort of students. Results. All students enrolled in the course (83) took the HSRT, and following exclusion criteria, 90% of the scores were included in the statistical analysis. Exclusion criteria included students who did not finish more than 60% of the questions or who took less than 15 minutes to complete the test. Significant changes in the HSRT occurred in overall scores and in the subdomains of deduction, evaluation, and inference after students completed the critical-thinking curriculum. Conclusions. Significant improvement in HSRT scores occurred following student immersion in an explicit critical-thinking curriculum. The HSRT was useful in detecting these changes, showing that critical-thinking skills can be learned and then assessed over a relatively short period using a standardized, validated assessment tool like the HSRT.

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires US residency programs to assess ophthalmology residents for competency in 6 core areas. Ophthalmic surgical skills are currently part of the ACGME "Patient Care" competency, although some have advocated for a seventh competency, "Surgical Skills." The Ophthalmology Surgical Competency Assessment Rubric for Strabismus Surgery in Resident Training (, Oscar: Strabismus) tool was designed to aid in the assessment of surgical skills using procedure specific behavioral anchors. The present study evaluated inter-rater agreement of the, Oscar: Strabismus tool in the assessment of resident performance., Oscar: Strabismus evaluations of resident surgical strabismus cases were performed by a multinational group of faculty strabismus surgeons. Cronbach α statistical analysis of the completed evaluations revealed high inter-rater agreement, indicating the, Oscar: Strabismus is a reliable tool to facilitate assessment of resident strabismus surgical skills., (Copyright © 2016 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To determine if there is a correlation between TOEFL and other admissions criteria that assess communications skills (ie, PCAT variables: verbal, reading, essay, and composite), interview, and observational scores and to evaluate TOEFL and these admissions criteria as predictors of academic performance., Methods: Statistical analyses included two sample t tests, multiple regression and Pearson's correlations for parametric variables, and Mann-Whitney U for nonparametric variables, which were conducted on the retrospective data of 162 students, 57 of whom were foreign-born., Results: The multiple regression model of the other admissions criteria on TOEFL was significant. There was no significant correlation between TOEFL scores and academic performance. However, significant correlations were found between the other admissions criteria and academic performance., Conclusion: Since TOEFL is not a significant predictor of either communication skills or academic success of foreign-born PharmD students in the program, it may be eliminated as an admissions criterion.

Objective: To examine the relationship between admissions, objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), and advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) scores., Methods: Admissions, OSCE, and APPE scores were collected for students who graduated from the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program in spring of 2012 and spring of 2013 (n=289). Pearson correlation was used to examine relationships between variables, and independent t test was used to compare mean scores between groups., Results: All relationships among admissions data (undergraduate grade point average, composite PCAT scores, and interview scores) and OSCE and APPE scores were weak, with the strongest association found between the final OSCE and ambulatory care APPEs. Students with low scores on the final OSCE performed lower than others on the acute care, ambulatory care, and community APPEs., Conclusion: This study highlights the complexities of assessing student development of noncognitive professional skills over the course of a curriculum.

Objective: To design and assess a horizontally integrated biological sciences course sequence and to determine its effectiveness in imparting the foundational science knowledge necessary to successfully progress through the pharmacy school curriculum and produce competent pharmacy school graduates., Design: A 2-semester course sequence integrated principles from several basic science disciplines: biochemistry, molecular biology, cellular biology, anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology. Each is a 5-credit course taught 5 days per week, with 50-minute class periods., Assessment: Achievement of outcomes was determined with course examinations, student lecture, and an annual skills mastery assessment. The North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) results were used as an indicator of competency to practice pharmacy., Conclusion: Students achieved course objectives and program level outcomes. The biological sciences integrated course sequence was successful in providing students with foundational basic science knowledge required to progress through the pharmacy program and to pass the NAPLEX. The percentage of the school's students who passed the NAPLEX was not statistically different from the national percentage.