United States Pharmacy Research Articles

A narrative review of student research projects in United States pharmacy curricula

Background: This study explored existing literature on student research projects in United States pharmacy curricula. Methods: In August 2023, searches were conducted in two databases, PubMed and Embase, followed by pharmacy education journals and Google Scholar. Articles were reviewed by two researchers and included if they described or evaluated pharmacy student research projects between 2010 and 2023. Results: Ten articles representing data from six schools were included. Students from most schools had the option to work individually or in groups. The timing of projects in the curriculum varied, with most students working on them from years three through four, though other schools began their projects earlier in the curriculum. Many students presented or published their projects. Conclusion: The similarities and differences for student pharmacist research projects in the United States may affect pharmacy education as colleges of pharmacy review their curricula and determine whether they should also incorporate or revise a research project component in their programmes. Future evaluation may include a systematic review as more literature on student pharmacist research projects becomes available.

A cross-sectional survey of viral hepatitis education within pharmacy curricula in the United States.

The Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan emphasizes the importance of a collaborative provider workforce trained in hepatitis prevention and treatment to eliminate viral hepatitis in the United States by 2030. Although pharmacists play a key role in hepatitis management, literature lacks documentation of the amount ofviralhepatitis education provided to pharmacy students. Our study goal was to describe viral hepatitis education provided at United States pharmacy schools. In this cross-sectional survey study, investigators developed a 19-item Qualtrics questionnaire, sent questionnaire links to curricula content experts at 140 accredited pharmacy colleges/schools in May-June 2022, and allotted 28days for completion. Questions assessed the viral hepatitis instruction provided to students and hepatitis instructors' training/experience. We used descriptive statistics for analysis. Forty-eight pharmacy institutions across 29 states/territories responded; 44% had 50-99 students/class, and 58% used lecture and discussion to provide required hepatitis education. Students received more lecture (average = 3.4h, range 0.8-1.6h/hepatitis topic) than discussion (average = 1.7h, range 0.6-0.9h/hepatitis topic), with the most time spent on hepatitis C, followed by hepatitis B virus. Respondents reported 93% of their instructors had post-graduate training/certifications and 67% worked in clinical settings with hepatitis patients. Survey results demonstrate variability in hepatitis education across United States pharmacy curricula. Data offer stakeholders in hepatitis elimination efforts knowledge about the viral hepatitis education provided to Doctor of Pharmacy students. Future directions include consideration of implementation of minimum hepatitis education standards to further support work toward national hepatitis elimination.

Pharmacogenomics Education Strategies in the United States Pharmacy School Curricula

Pharmacogenomics Education Strategies in the United States Pharmacy School Curricula

Work-Family Conflict and Wellbeing in US Pharmacy Faculty with Children

ObjectiveObjectives of this study included characterization of the current landscape of work-family conflict (WFC), family-work conflict (FWC), wellbeing, and childcare-related factors in United States (US) pharmacy faculty members with children, as well as relationship determination between faculty characteristics and WFC, FWC, and wellbeing indices. MethodsA survey was developed and administered to US pharmacy faculty members with children in February 2022. Questions included demographic and childcare-related factors and the validated Netemeyer WFC and FWC scales, and World Health Organization (WHO-5) Wellbeing Index. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance and t tests, and multiple linear regression analysis. ResultsThe survey was completed by 368 faculty members with children. Respondents were primarily married females who identify as White or European American, with>90% having children less than 18 years of age. Respondents scored an average of 24.1 ± 7.2 points on the WFC scale, 19.5 ± 7.5 points on the FWC scale, and 56.8 ± 17.5 on the WHO-5 Wellbeing Index. Having dependent children resulted in statistically significantly higher WFC and FWC and lower wellbeing scores. Linear regression models for WFC, FWC, and wellbeing explained 20%, 8%, and 9% of the variability in scores, respectively. ConclusionThis study identified the presence of WFC, FWC, and decreased wellbeing in pharmacy faculty members with children. Future research is needed to further qualify contributors to the indices and place findings into a larger context.

A Survey of Obesity Education and Training in United States Pharmacy Schools

ObjectiveTo assess how obesity is addressed in Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) schools and colleges, identify the extent to which core obesity competencies are covered in the curricula, and identify opportunities for expanding obesity management training. MethodsAn online survey was conducted with PharmD program leaders in the United States. Respondents answered questions regarding obesity education in their pharmacy school curricula. Data were analyzed in aggregate, using descriptive statistics. ResultsWe collected responses from 75 of 150 (50%) PharmD programs. One-third (32%) of respondents thought their graduating students were very prepared to discuss obesity pharmacotherapy (anti-obesity medication) options with patients. A total of 45% reported obesity pharmacological treatment was covered to a great extent. Few respondents (19%) were very familiar with anti-obesity medications; 21% thought their students were similarly familiar. No programs covered weight stigma and discrimination to a great extent. Most respondents (88%) believed obesity education was fairly/very important to include in PharmD curricula, and 96% thought it was similarly appropriate to include. But 72% indicated that expanding obesity education was not a priority/low priority. Lack of room in the curricula was cited as the greatest barrier, with 60% of PharmD programs reporting this to be a large barrier. ConclusionPharmacists, as medication experts, are key members of the care team. However, obesity management/pharmacotherapy is not emphasized in most pharmacy schools. Therefore, pharmacists are not well-prepared to provide counseling on medications for obesity. Leveraging guidance on core obesity competencies and available resources could help expand obesity education in pharmacy schools.

Making progress: A national study on the development and use of progression assessments in United States pharmacy curricula

BackgroundThe objective was to determine the utilization, frequency, characteristics, and standard-setting methods of progression assessments in pharmacy education. MethodsA survey was sent to 139 United States schools/colleges of pharmacy having an identifiable assessment lead and students enrolled in the doctor of pharmacy program. The survey examined programs' use, frequency, and characteristics of progression assessments within their curriculum. Respondents also reported any changes made due to the COVID-19 pandemic and which, if any, would be maintained in future years. Analysis consisted of descriptive statistics and thematic coding. This research was deemed exempt by the university's institutional review board. ResultsSeventy-eight programs responded to the survey (response rate = 56%). Sixty-seven percent of programs administered at least one progression assessment in 2019–2020. There was some variability in assessment practice, including professional year(s) administered, course(s) involved, and content. Approximately 75% of programs used assessments to ensure student competency in the programs' learning outcomes and to identify individual student learning deficiencies. Diversity was seen in validity and reliability practices, and most programs used pre-determined cut scores without formal standard setting. Because of the pandemic, 75% of programs changed the assessment delivery mode and 20 programs planned to maintain at least one pandemic-related change in future iterations. ConclusionsMost pharmacy programs utilize some type of progression assessment within their curriculum. While many schools administer progression assessments, there is little agreement on their purpose, development, and use. The pandemic changed the mode of delivery, which numerous programs will continue with in the future.

Enhanced numeracy skills following team-based learning in United States pharmacy students: a longitudinal cohort study

The literature suggests that the ability to numerate cannot be fully understood without accounting for the social context in which mathematical activity is represented. Team-based learning (TBL) is an andragogical approach with theoretical links to sociocultural and community-of-practice learning. This study aimed to quantitatively explore the impact of TBL instruction on numeracy development in 2 cohorts of pharmacy students and identify the impact of TBL instruction on numeracy development from a social perspective for healthcare education. Two cohorts of students were administered the Health Science Reasoning Test-Numeracy (HSRT-N) before beginning pharmacy school. Two years after using TBL as the primary method of instruction, both comprehensive and domain data from the HSRT-N were analyzed. In total, 163 pharmacy student scores met the inclusion criteria. The students’ numeracy skills measured by HSRT-N improved after 2 years of TBL instruction. Numeracy was the most significantly improved HSRT-N domain in pharmacy students following two years of TBL instruction. Although a closer examination of numeracy development in TBL is warranted, initial data suggest that TBL instruction may be an adequate proxy for advancing numeracy in a cohort of pharmacy students. TBL may encourage a social practice of mathematics to improve pharmacy students’ ability to numerate critically.

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

IntroductionStudent 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. MethodsA three-year, retrospective, multi-institutional analysis of anonymous SET data were analyzed from required didactic courses. Analysis included gender, SET questions, mean scale score, and number of students responding to each question. A hierarchical linear model was used to compare the gender difference with the normalized SET scores as the outcome. ResultsA total of 2114 SET scores were included from seven pharmacy schools across eight campuses. Analysis of the results revealed that the combined data were skewed secondary to one institution whose results fell significantly outside the mean. When this school was excluded, the difference between SET scores did not differ by gender, b = 0.021, t(1,702) = 0.69, P = .49, with similar SET scores for female faculty (mean = 4.41, SD = 0.35, range = 2.54–5) and male faculty (mean = 4.44, SD = 0.32, range = 2.67–5). ConclusionsAfter secondary analysis, the aggregated data showed no significant difference between ratings of male and female instructors. However, there were differences within individual programs. This illustrates the importance of applying assessment principles to SET to determine the presence of bias so that continuous quality improvement strategies may be applied.

Student pharmacists' perceptions of their professional identity

IntroductionProfessional identity describes the internal feeling of belonging to a community, such that someone “thinks, feels, and acts” like a member of a profession. Clear professional identity formation can improve the transition from school to work. However, there is limited knowledge about student pharmacists' perceptions of their professional identity. This research aimed to identify and compare student pharmacists' perceptions of their professional identity and to compare those perceptions across class cohorts. MethodsData were collected using an online questionnaire that incorporated professional identity labels drawn from previous research. The questionnaire was administered over four weeks to all student pharmacists at one United States pharmacy school. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests. ResultsOne hundred sixteen responses were received (24% response rate) from the four graduating class years (2020−2023). Respondents were predominantly female (73%), Caucasian (43%), and had obtained at least a bachelor's degree (58%). “Medicine Adviser” was the most frequently selected professional identity (38%). “Business Person” was the least frequently selected professional identity (0%). There was no relationship between professional identities and cohorts of students. ConclusionsStudent pharmacists in this study selected multiple professional identities, suggesting pharmacy students and the profession have yet to consolidate their own identity. There was no relationship between student pharmacists' professional identity selections and cohort, suggesting that professional identity formation did not change as a result of moving through the didactic curriculum. Additional training, curricular modification, and faculty support may be warranted to support student pharmacists with their professional identity development.

Evaluating the reliability and validity of a questionnaire used to measure experiences of teamwork among student pharmacists in a quality improvement course

IntroductionThe psychometric properties of instruments used to capture student pharmacists' perspectives of teamwork have not been well assessed. This study measured the reliability and validity of an instrument designed to assess teamwork experiences among student pharmacists in a quality improvement (QI) class at one United States pharmacy school. MethodsThe psychometric properties of a previously conducted 17-item questionnaire (response options: “strongly agree,” “agree,” “disagree,” or “strongly disagree”) about second-year student pharmacists' teamworking experiences were assessed. A Rasch rating scale model was used to construct measures of teamwork experience. Principal component analysis (PCA) assessed unidimensionality. Item- and person-fit statistics were assessed. Construct and content validity and reliability were estimated utilizing student and item separation indices (SI) and reliability coefficients (RC). ResultsSixty student pharmacists were included. PCA conveyed a unidimensional construct. Four items with infit and outfit mean-squared values outside the suggested range were removed. Item responses “disagree” and “strongly disagree” were merged to improve scale functionality. The average person measure was 1.74 ± 2.03 logits. Student and item RC were 0.81 (SI = 2.04) and 0.97 (SI = 2.17), respectively. The easiest item endorsed was team's ability to reach consensus, while the most difficult item was interest to do collaborative work again. Mismatch of student experience and item difficulty level on the continuum scale suggested additional items are needed to match student teamwork experience. ConclusionThe instrument demonstrated evidence of reliability and validity to measure student pharmacists' teamwork experience in a QI class, but additional instrument modifications are recommended.

Pharmacy-faculty work-life balance and career satisfaction: Comparison of national survey results from 2012 and 2018

BackgroundChanges in demographics and composition of pharmacy faculty, along with faculty perceived stress, work-life balance and career satisfaction have yet to be fully documented. ObjectiveTo compare recent results from a national survey of work-life balance and career satisfaction of United States (U.S.) pharmacy faculty with results obtained from a similar survey from 2012. MethodsA 46-item anonymous survey administered via Qualtrics (Provo, UT) was sent to members of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) in 2018. Information regarding demographics, stress, work-life balance, career satisfaction and intent to leave academia was collected. Although not part of the previous survey, participant information related to bullying and abuse in the pharmacy academic work was also gathered. While actual p-values are reported for all comparisons, a more conservative p-value of 0.01 was chosen a priori to indicate significance as multiple comparisons were made. ResultsA total of 1090 pharmacy faculty completed the survey, comparable to the number obtained in 2012 (n = 811). Overall response rates were similar for both years. The majority of pharmacy faculty in 2018 were female, white, married or with partner, worked in a pharmacy practice department and for a public institution. Notable differences between surveys included an increase in females, more associate professors and an increase in non-white faculty in 2018, relative to 2012. Stress, as measured by mean Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) scores was also significantly higher in 2018 (16.0 ± 6.6 vs. 13.5 ± 6.7, p < 0.01) relative to 2012. Faculty from 2018 were significantly less likely to report an intention to remain in academia (61.8% vs 86.3%, p < 0.01), relative to 2012. A sizable number of pharmacy faculty surveyed in 2018 also reported observing or experiencing hostility in the workplace, which included either bullying or verbal or physical abuse. ConclusionsThe makeup of pharmacy educators has evolved quickly over the last several years to comprise more female and associate professors who work within a pharmacy practice department. Also noteworthy is the significant increase in self-reported stress over the six-year timeframe. The direct implications of these findings are unknown but suggest that pharmacy academia is maturing in rank and changing to reflect the current pharmacy workforce (i.e., more females and additional clinical practice roles). Increases in responsibility likely accompany these maturing roles and may, along with other factors, contribute to the observed changes in the reported stress levels among faculty. Further research is called for regarding the reported hostility in pharmacy academic workplace and dovetails with concurrent work being done on citizenship and organizational citizenship behavior among pharmacy faculty. Findings of the study may aid pharmacy school administrators and stakeholders with plans to recruit, develop and retain faculty.

Effect of death and dying elective on student empathy and attitudes toward mortality

IntroductionPharmacy graduates should be equipped for one inevitable aspect of health care, mortality, yet only 10% of United States pharmacy curricula courses cover end-of-life (EoL) with limited evidence of effectiveness. This study's objective was to evaluate the impact of an EoL elective on student pharmacists' empathy and attitudes toward mortality and caring for terminally ill persons. MethodsFirst- through third-year student pharmacists enrolled in an EoL elective. Students completed pre- and post-course surveys on self-perceptions of empathy and mortality. Surveys included the following: Kiersma-Chen Empathy Scale (KCES), which assesses empathy of pharmacy and nursing students; revised Collett-Lester Fear of Death and Dying Scale (CL-FODS), which measures fear related to death; and Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying Scale Form B (FATCOD-B), which measures health care professionals' attitudes toward EoL care. Anonymous identifiers were used to link pre- and post-course surveys and were collected with an online survey software. Data were analyzed using two-sided paired t-tests. ResultsTwenty-seven student pharmacists completed the elective. The change in overall mean scores for KCES, CL-FODS, and FATCOD-B correlated with increased empathy, reduced fear of death, and increased positive attitudes toward caring for terminal patients (KCES pre-course = 86.15 vs. post-course = 90.37; CL-FODS pre-course = 93.70 vs. post-course = 75.15; FATCOD-B pre-course = 115.89 vs. post-course = 124.04). ConclusionsAfter the EoL elective, student empathy and attitudes toward mortality and caring for terminally ill persons improved. Implementing EoL concepts in pharmacy curricula should be explored to better prepare graduates in patient care.

Focus of societal responsibility in the vision and mission statements of the United States pharmacy schools/ colleges

Objective: To assess the prevalence of societal responsibility languages and themes on education, research, and professional service in pharmacy programmes’ vision and mission statements. Methods: The authors collected the vision and mission statements of 142 pharmacy programmes by visiting each programme’s website. The statements were compiled and uploaded in NVivo 12. Deductive qualitative analysis and a topic extraction method with embedded principal component analysis (WordStat 8) were used to identify thematic dimensions of the statements. The number of programmes citing the respective themes were recorded. A Chi-square test was used to statistically analyse the prevalence of themes between the programme categories. Results: Education, research, professional practice, and societal service emerged as prominent themes. The prevalence of research, professional practice, and leadership themes was significantly higher in the vision statements of public programmes than private programmes. In the mission statements, the citation of a research theme was significantly higher in public programmes than private programmes. The citations of serving the diverse population and underserved population were very limited in the vision (6% and 5%) and mission statements (11% and 6%). Topic analysis conformed to the identified prominent themes and lack of societal responsibility theme in the mission statements. Conclusions: The prominent themes included education, research, and professional service to society at large. There is a distinctive lack of citations of societal responsibility towards underserved populations in the vision and mission statements.

Identifying areas of improvement for cultural competence in pharmacy curricula: A multi-school study using the self-assessment of perceived level of cultural competence (SAPLCC) questionnaire

IntroductionThe implementation of culturally competent healthcare services has been considered a key strategy for the provision of patient-centered care; however, a need remains to address the requirements of teaching cultural competence, including identifying gaps, designing and evaluating curricula, and assessing students' progress toward program objectives. The objective of this study was to explore the applicability of the Self-Assessment of Perceived Level of Cultural Competence (SAPLCC) questionnaire in the identification of improvement areas in cultural competence content in pharmacy curricula. MethodsThis study used previously-collected SAPLCC data from student pharmacists at eight United States pharmacy schools. Total and factor-specific SAPLCC scores were calculated based on the 14 factors published previously and grouped into six domains (knowledge, skills, attitudes, encounters, abilities, and awareness). Differences in overall scores by domain and factors across various student characteristics were examined using analysis of variance. ResultsThe overall mean total SAPLCC score was classified as moderate. Third-year students had significantly higher SAPLCC mean scores than first-year students, and African American students scored significantly higher than their counterparts. At the factor-level, students scored higher in the Attitudes and Awareness domains and scored lower in the Knowledge, Skills, and Encounters domains. ConclusionsThe application of the SAPLCC in schools participating in this preliminary study allowed for the identification of content areas that may benefit from revision. The SAPLCC may be a useful tool for mapping cultural competence curricular content by each specific domain and identifying areas of potential improvement regarding cultural competence training within pharmacy curricula.

Financial investment of United States pharmacy schools on international activities

IntroductionThe primary objective of this study was to determine the financial resources that United States (US) pharmacy schools spend and receive for international activities, as well as the future direction of expenditures and revenue. MethodsAn online survey was sent in April 2019 to the chief financial or administrative officer at each accredited pharmacy school (N = 141) to ask about average annual budget for international activities and areas of expenditure (student travel, partnership development, faculty salary, staff salary, training programs) and revenue (dean's office, university, student tuition and fees, alumni, grants and contracts, other) associated with their budget. Participants were asked whether they anticipated spending or receiving more, the same, or less on the aforementioned expenditure and revenue areas. ResultsSixty-three programs (45%) responded, with 61 (43%) complete responses used for data analysis. Thirty-eight schools (62%) had an annual budget for international activities with an average of $77,327, a median of $18,750, and a range from $2000 to $615,000. Public schools averaged $102,129 compared to $43,225 for private schools. The largest expenditure source was split evenly between student travel and faculty salaries while the largest revenue source was student tuition and fees. The most common response for future trends was to spend or receive the same amount of support. ConclusionsThere is wide variance regarding the amount each US pharmacy school spends on international activities, with most programs anticipating spending or receiving the same amount in the future.

Incidence of a negative hidden curriculum, cynicism, and burnout within pharmacy resident education: A nationwide survey

IntroductionThe term “hidden curriculum” (HC) is a set of ethical, moral, and value-based teachings communicated in a non-explicit manner. Recent literature has described increasing awareness of the prevalence of the HC and potential negative impact on medical learners; however, this information is lacking in pharmacy resident education. Consequently, we conducted a survey study of United States pharmacy residents to learn their perceptions concerning the HC in pharmacy residency training. MethodsA nationwide survey of pharmacy residents was conducted in June 2019. The survey assessed the following: presence of negative HC (score 0 to 80), cynicism (score 0 to 25), burnout via Maslach Burnout Inventory depersonalization (MBI-D) (range 0 to 30), and emotional exhaustion via Maslach Burnout Inventory emotional exhaustion (MBI-EE) (range 0 to 54). Higher scores represent increased occurrences of each domain. ResultsThe mean HC score was 20 (SD 14.7), mean cynicism score was 9 (SD 5.5), MBI-D was 5.5 (SD 4.5), and MBI-EE was 24.2 (SD 12.4). Of those completing an MBI score, 40.4% (82/203) reported burnout in one area, while 15.8% (32/203) reported burnout in both areas. Residents reporting burnout had higher mean HC and cynicism scores. ConclusionsAwareness to develop and grow cultures that minimize the presence of a negative HC is essential to improve postgraduate pharmacy training.

Experiential education accommodations for students with disabilities in United States pharmacy schools: An exploratory study

IntroductionWe sought to identify challenges and possible outcomes for pharmacy schools providing accommodations on experiential rotations for students with disabilities. MethodsA survey was developed and sent to the experiential education departments of pharmacy schools across the nation and anonymous responses were collected. Quantitative survey results were assessed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative results were assessed using thematic analysis. ResultsA total of 43 individuals who self-identified as current members of the experiential education department of their school responded to the survey. Student, preceptor, and institutional challenges and barriers were identified, and various approaches to providing accommodations for students with disabilities during experiential rotations were described. ConclusionsProviding accommodations for students on experiential rotations remains a challenge for pharmacy programs. However, guidance for pharmacy schools on proper support of students with disabilities on experiential rotations remains limited.

Cannabis education in United States Pharmacy Colleges and Schools

AbstractIntroductionGiven the rapid change in legal status and rise in cannabis use within the United States (U.S.), pharmacists will increasingly require competence in issues related to cannabis, especially for medical use. Pharmacy students and professionals in other health fields report low levels of cannabis knowledge, and medical cannabis users report that their knowledge is mostly from their own experiences and the internet. Several pharmacy organizations have advocated for pharmacists' education on therapeutic and legal issues related to medical cannabis.ObjectivesTo determine the extent to which cannabis and its medical use are covered in the educational curricula of U.S. schools and colleges of pharmacy, plans for future coverage of medical cannabis, and differences by the state‐level legal status of cannabis.MethodsPharmacy schools and colleges located within the U.S. were identified via the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education website. A 19‐item survey was developed by researchers with experience in curriculum development and pharmaceutical issues related to cannabis. One individual from each school provided detailed information on the inclusion of medical cannabis/marijuana topics in their Doctor of Pharmacy program.ResultsTwo‐thirds (67%) of programs responded to the survey. Most programs (85.4%) had content on medical cannabis available in their curriculum, 53.1% in their required curriculum, 65.6% in their elective curriculum, and 33.0% in both their required and elective curricula. A small proportion (16.7%) had a stand‐alone medical cannabis elective course. Stand‐alone electives had the most comprehensive coverage of cannabis topics. General required and elective courses had minor differences in comprehensiveness.ConclusionResults demonstrate a moderately rapid expansion in cannabis coverage in pharmacy curricula, although coverage of cannabis topics is rarely comprehensive. Additional efforts are needed to integrate cannabis into coursework and experiential learning experiences.

A model for implementing diagnostic instruction within Doctor of Pharmacy degree programs

AbstractIntroductionHealth care needs in the United States (US) are expanding along with projected primary care physician shortages by the year 2030. Pharmacists' training and broad accessibility make them well positioned to provide primary care for basic medical conditions. As the profession advocates for greater patient care roles, a critical consideration in pharmacist training is a broader introduction to diagnosis; thus, instructional models will need to be developed for US pharmacy curricula.ObjectiveDescribe logistics and evaluation of one model for teaching differential diagnosis in a Pharm.D. curriculum.MethodsA retrospective pre‐post survey measured students' opinions regarding the utility of diagnostic‐related instruction and perceptions regarding its impact on their practice‐based skills and abilities. Objective course performance was also evaluated to determine if students' perceptions reflected their actual abilities. Wilcoxon signed‐rank was used for quantitative data to compare overall total scores and individual survey items pre‐post. Qualitative data were analyzed by exploratory thematic analysis using constant comparative analysis and grounded theory methodology. Descriptive statistics were used to describe objective student performance.ResultsThe survey response rate was 63% (n = 172). On all survey items, students reported improvements in their perceived abilities related to differential diagnosis after completing the course (P &lt; .05). Student performance data indicated successful achievement of differential diagnosis knowledge, skills, and abilities for the vast majority of the class, which is congruent with their perceptions. Three themes were identified from qualitative data in terms of the applicability of diagnostic training for (a) patient assessment, (b) interprofessional communication, and (c) clinical decision‐making.ConclusionDiagnostic instruction should be considered in terms of advancing the profession. Considering benefits related to patient assessment and critical thinking skills, diagnostic instruction enables the use of a common language, fostering interprofessional communication, and understanding of scopes of practice and patient care contributions among pharmacists and diagnosticians.

Bibliometric data based on the Pharm.D. and Ph.D. degree in United States research-intensive colleges of pharmacy

The objective of this work was to compare bibliometrics based on doctoral degrees within United States colleges of pharmacy to understand productivity differences. Secondary objectives were to provide quantitative data based on degree that could be utilized by individual faculty, administration and other key stakeholders in academic pharmacy. Bibliometric indices were obtained from Scopus and Web of Science for faculty from research-intensive United States pharmacy schools. Scholarly metrics that included publication number, total citations, highest cited article and H-index were compared between degrees using multivariate regression adjusted for academic rank and years since first publication. A correction for multiple testing was applied. All collected scholarly metrics were higher for Ph.D.-only and Pharm.D./Ph.D. faculty when compared to Pharm.D.-only faculty. Ph.D.-only faculty significantly differed compared to Pharm.D./Ph.D. faculty for Web of Science average citations per document. Differences are apparent between the major doctoral degrees at research-intensive, federally funded colleges of pharmacy; however, these differences were primarily identified for Pharm.D.-only compared to the other doctoral degree types Future work should analyse the potential variables that explain the scholarly metrics differences between degrees and aim to analyse other areas of faculty impact beyond scholarly metrics.