Falling NAPLEX pass rates are cause for concern.

Introduction: First-time pass rates of the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) have declined 7% from 2019 to 2022 with more than a third of schools experiencing a decline of ≥10%.

Commentary: The cause of the decline is likely multifactorial and extends beyond the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes to the NAPLEX blueprint in 2021, curricular revisions in response to the implementation of Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Standards 2016, and changes to prerequisite course requirements in response to declining enrollment must also be evaluated as potential causes.

A Four-day Pharmacy Course Schedule.

Objective: To discuss the results of implementing a 4-day student didactic course schedule.

Methods: The change from a 5-day to a 4-day course schedule was implemented in spring 2021. Students in the classes of 2023 and 2024 and faculty course coordinators were surveyed in fall 2021 regarding their experience with the new schedule format.

A Scoping Review of the Hidden Curriculum in Pharmacy Education.

The has been defined as teaching and learning that occur outside the formal curriculum and includes the knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors, values, and beliefs that students consciously or subconsciously acquire and accept. It has been identified as an inherent part of learning in health professions education and may affect students' formation of professional identity. This scoping review investigated the definition and evidence of the hidden curriculum for pharmacy education.

Retention of students' knowledge of immunizations following a one-day or a five-week course.

Introduction: The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery Certificate Program is commonly used by schools of pharmacy to train student pharmacists in immunizations. This study compared student pharmacists' knowledge retention of immunization content when the live seminar of the APhA Program was delivered as a one-day co-curricular activity or as a five-week required course. The impact of immunization experience on students' knowledge retention was a secondary objective.

A multicenter study of gender bias in student evaluations of teaching in pharmacy programs.

Introduction: Student evaluations of teaching (SET) are widely used to assess effectiveness of teaching. Studies conducted to assess the presence of gender bias in SET have produced mixed results. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the presence and degree of gender bias in SET of didactic courses in United States pharmacy programs.

Patterns of school and college of pharmacy engagement in addressing the opioid crisis.

Introduction: The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) has emphasized the need to prepare pharmacy students for practicing amidst the opioid crisis. This research aimed to identify patterns and predictors of pharmacy program participation in skills-based education, research, and service activities designed to address this crisis.

Methods: Opioid-related activities were identified from the AACP opioid-related activities database and classified by two independent reviewers.

A classroom-based patient case activity as a potential formative indicator of pre-advanced pharmacy practice experience readiness.

Background And Purpose: Pharmacy programs must assess student readiness for advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). This study evaluated: (1) if a relationship exists between student performance on a classroom-based patient case activity (Rx Review) and (2) performance on direct patient care and perceptions of the transferability of Rx Reviews to the APPE setting.

Educational Activity And Setting: Rx Reviews are timed, independent, prospective reviews of a patient's medical record intended to simulate pre-rounding activities common in acute and ambulatory care settings.

Lessons learned: Assessing team creation by personality inventories in pharmacy students.

Background: Proper team formation is critical for team performance and dynamics in the setting of team-based learning (TBL). Faculty should stratify students to ensure an even allocation of learner resources; however, the ideal method of team creation for TBL in pharmacy education has yet to be determined. A study aimed to assess team formation stratified by personality strengths on student performance for graded team activities, peer evaluations, and student perceptions of team dynamics compared to randomization of teams the previous semester with the same cohort.

A key performance indicators redefinition initiative at a school of pharmacy using a modified Delphi consensus technique.

Objective: The Outcomes and Assessment Committee at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy was tasked with refining the school's key performance indicators (KPIs) to improve programmatic assessment by focusing on the most important measures.

Methods: Initially, 56 KPIs were tracked, nine of which were university mandated, divided into 10 modules: admissions, community outreach, continuing education, diversity, faculty experience and success, fundraising, graduate program, research and scholarship, staff experience and success, and student experience and success. Using a three-round Delphi consensus technique, KPIs were reviewed by faculty and staff.

Utilizing widely available podcasts to create a reflection activity for pharmacy students.

Background And Purpose: Creative strategies can be employed to encourage development of affective domain skills. The purpose of this article is to describe and assess the creation of a written self-reflection assignment utilizing podcasts. Educational activity and setting: Second year pharmacy students (N = 122) in a skills laboratory course completed two written reflections that asked them to: (1) examine and reflect on personal beliefs, biases, motivations and emotions that were challenged while listening to a podcast; and (2) identify knowledge, skills, and abilities of a pharmacist that may impact the situation presented in the podcast.

Using a Mixed Methods Approach to Explore Perceptions of Early Learners in Classroom-Based Interprofessional Education Experiences.

To explore attitudes and learning outcomes among early-level health professions students who completed foundational interprofessional education (IPE) courses. This study used a mixed methods approach to examine assessment and evaluation data from two student cohorts enrolled in two one-credit, semester-long interprofessional courses taught in fall and spring 2017. Attitudinal changes following the fall course were measured and compared in a retrospective pretest-posttest manner across student disciplines using the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised Instrument, version 2 (SPICE-R2).

A Laboratory Session to Prepare Pharmacy Students to Manage the Opioid Crisis Situation.

To educate third-year pharmacy students about the role of pharmacists in the opioid crisis and measure their knowledge, confidence, and attitudes towards opioids and opioid overdose. All third-year students (n=130) enrolled in a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree program participated in opioid overdose and naloxone education and training followed by a three-part laboratory session that included mock naloxone counseling, case-based discussion of the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), and equianalgesic opioid dose conversion scenarios. A pre- and post-assessment focused on the individual's clinical knowledge, confidence, and attitudes about opioid overdose management and naloxone use was administered before and after the laboratory session to evaluate the student's baseline understanding and experience compared to learning gains from the session.