Implementation of an ACPE-Accredited PharmD Curriculum at a Saudi College of Pharmacy.

To establish an academic curricular collaboration between the newly established college of pharmacy at King Saud Bin Abdulaziz Saudi University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) and a US college of pharmacy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, and assess measures of success. Criteria for selecting a college for collaboration were established. A systematic approach was followed in negotiating legal, logistical, and financial issues with the selected collaborating institution.

An international capstone experience for pharmacy students.

This report describes the experiences of the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy over 20 years with an international capstone educational experience for students. Although the university provides reciprocal opportunities to international students, this report focuses on the experiences of the college's pharmacy students who have participated in the program. This capstone course is offered as an elective course in the advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) component of the college's experiential program.

Does combining antiretroviral agents in a single dosage form enhance quality of life of HIV/AIDS patients? A cost-utility study.

Background: Combining various antiretroviral agents into one single dosage form has been a strategy to reduce pill burden and enhance medication adherence among human immunodeficiency virus /AIDS (HIV/AIDS) patients.

Objectives: This is a cost-utility study from a health care system's perspective comparing coformulated fixed dose (FXD) strategy versus multiple free dose combination (FRC) in antiretroviral therapy.

Method: The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) was used to identify HIV/AIDS patients with ≥2 active antiretroviral medications.

African American patients' attitudes toward proactive health behaviors after exposure to direct-to-consumer advertising.

Background: Previous research on direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) has not focused exclusively on the African American population.

Purposes: The purpose of this study was to explore African Americans' attitudes toward proactive health behaviors following exposure to DTCA of atorvastatin calcium (Lipitor, Pfizer Inc).

Materials And Methods: One-hundred fifty African American patients participated in the study.

Patterns of reporting health-related quality of life across racial and ethnic groups.

The National Institute of Health and the US FDA have regulations on the inclusion of minorities in research, and guidelines on how to conduct and report subgroup analyses among each racial and ethnic group. Although health-related quality of life (HRQL) has enjoyed increased popularity as an important end point in clinical research, the literature lacks a comprehensive review on whether or not racial and ethnic groups report HRQL differently, particularly among patients with specific disease states. HRQL is different from most other end points in clinical research in that it is reported by patients and thus is affected by patients' racial and ethnic background in a special way.

Status of PharmD/PhD programs in colleges of pharmacy: the University of Tennessee dual PharmD/PhD program.

Objectives: To describe the University of Tennessee PharmD/PhD program and assess the prevalence and characteristics of PharmD/PhD programs in the United States.

Methods: Survey instruments were mailed in May 2004 to UT dual-degree program participants and deans of US colleges and schools of pharmacy.

Results: University of Tennessee PharmD/PhD students completed more than 30 hours of graduate credit before obtaining their PharmD and 72.

A comprehensive approach to faculty development.

The purpose of this report was to describe the development, implementation, and outcomes from 3 complementary programs to facilitate the development of faculty members. The Faculty Development Committee (FDC) at the University of Tennessee developed 3 new complementary programs: the Individual Faculty Development Program to encourage faculty members to assess and identify their own specific developmental needs; the Seed Research Grant Program to fund scholarly activities by faculty; and the Technology Support Program to foster financial support of technology upgrades crucial for meeting the research, education, and service needs of faculty members. Eighteen faculty members participated in the Individual Faculty Development Program during the first 2 academic years and all provided positive feedback about their experiences.