Competency, Programming, and Emerging Innovation in Graduate Education within Schools of Pharmacy: The Report of the 2016-2017 Research and Graduate Affairs Committee.

Graduate education in the pharmaceutical sciences is a cornerstone of research within pharmacy schools. Pharmaceutical scientists are critical contributors to addressing the challenges of new drug discovery, delivery, and optimal care in order to ensure improved therapeutic outcomes in populations of patients. The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) charged the 2016-2017 Research and Graduate Affairs Committee (RGAC) to define the competencies necessary for graduate education in the pharmaceutical sciences (Charge 1), recommend collaborative curricular development across schools of pharmacy (Charge 2), recommend AACP programing for graduate education (Charge 3), and provide guidance on emerging areas for innovation in graduate education (Charge 4).

A psychometric evaluation of an advanced pharmacy practice experience clinical competency framework.

Objective: To assess the psychometric properties of the clinical competency framework known as the System of Universal Clinical Competency Evaluation in the Sunshine State (SUCCESS), including its internal consistency and content, construct, and criterion validity.

Methods: Sub-competency items within each hypothesized competency pair were subjected to principal components factor analysis to demonstrate convergent and discriminant validity. Varimax rotation was conducted for each competency pair (eg, competency 1 vs competency 2, competency 1 vs competency 3, competency 2 vs competency 3).

National Survey of Volunteer Pharmacy Preceptors: effects of region, practice setting, and population density on responses.

Objectives: To survey volunteer pharmacy preceptors regarding experiential education and determine whether differences in responses relate to such factors as geographic region, practice setting, and population density.

Methods: An online survey was sent to 4396 volunteer experiential preceptors. The survey consisted of 41 questions asking the preceptor to comment on the experiential education environment.

National survey of volunteer pharmacy preceptors.

Objectives: To survey pharmacy preceptors regarding experiential education and determine the implications of the findings on colleges and schools of pharmacy.

Methods: An online survey was sent to 4,396 experiential sites. The survey instrument consisted of 41 questions regarding the experiential education environment from the preceptor's perspective (eg, experiential load, time-quality issues, compensation, etc).

Educating students for practice: educational outcomes and community experience.

The education of pharmacists in the United States integrates classroom and experiential learning. Two organizations played a key role in determining the current education of pharmacy students. They are the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.

Preceptors' perspectives on benefits of precepting student pharmacists to students, preceptors, and the profession.

Objectives: To educate pharmacists on the shortage of quality preceptors and the benefits received from precepting; present insights from successful preceptors and offer guidance to current and prospective preceptors; and encourage pharmacists to become preceptors and mentor aspiring pharmacy professionals.

Setting: Advanced experiential settings for Nova Southeastern, Ohio Northern, and Creighton Universities. PRACTICE DESCRIPTIONS: Hospital, community, and outpatient clinic settings.