Process-oriented guided inquiry learning strategy enhances students' higher level thinking skills in a pharmaceutical sciences course.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) teaching strategy improves student performance and engages higher-level thinking skills of first-year pharmacy students in an Introduction to Pharmaceutical Sciences course. DESIGN: Overall examination scores and scores on questions categorized as requiring either higher-level or lower-level thinking skills were compared in the same course taught over 3 years using traditional lecture methods vs the POGIL strategy. Student perceptions of the latter teaching strategy were also evaluated. ASSESSMENT: Overall mean examination scores increased significantly when POGIL was implemented. Performance on questions requiring higher-level thinking skills was significantly higher, whereas performance on questions requiring lower-level thinking skills was unchanged when the POGIL strategy was used. Student feedback on use of this teaching strategy was positive. CONCLUSION: The use of the POGIL strategy increased student overall performance on examinations, improved higher-level thinking skills, and provided an interactive class setting.

Recognition of teaching excellence.

The 2008-2009 Task Force for the Recognition of Teaching Excellence was charged by the AACP Council of Faculties Leadership to examine teaching excellence by collecting best practices from colleges and schools of pharmacy, evaluating the literature to identify evidence-based criteria for excellent teaching, and recommending appropriate means to acknowledge and reward teaching excellence. This report defines teaching excellence and discusses a variety of ways to assess it, including student, alumni, peer, and self-assessment. The task force identifies important considerations that colleges and schools must address when establishing teaching recognition programs including the purpose, criteria, number and mix of awards, frequency, type of award, and method of nominating and determining awardees. The report concludes with recommendations for the academy to consider when establishing and revising teaching award programs.

Academic pharmacy administrators' perceptions of core requirements for entry into professional pharmacy programs.

OBJECTIVES: To determine which basic and social science courses academic pharmacy administrators believe should be required for entry into the professional pharmacy program and what they believe should be the required length of preprofessional study. METHODS: An online survey was sent to deans of all colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States. Survey respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement as to whether the basic and social science courses listed in the survey instrument should be required for admission to the professional program. The survey instrument also included queries regarding the optimal length of preprofessional study, whether professional assessment testing should be part of admission requirements, and the respondents' demographic information. RESULTS: The majority of respondents strongly agreed that the fundamental coursework in the basic sciences (general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry) and English composition should be required for entrance into the professional program. Most respondents also agreed that public speaking, ethics, and advanced basic science and math courses (physiology, biochemistry, calculus, statistics) should be completed prior to entering the professional program. The preprofessional requirements that respondents suggested were not necessary included many of the social science courses. Respondents were evenly divided over the ideal length for preprofessional pharmacy education programs. CONCLUSIONS: Although requirements for preprofessional admission have been changing, there is no consistent agreement on the content or length of the preprofessional program.

Administrative barriers reduce emergency physician ordering of nasal and acromioclavicular joint radiographs.

The objective of this study was to determine whether administrative barriers to clinician ordering of nasal bone and acromioclavicular (AC) joint radiographs would result in a significant diminution in emergency department use of these films and in patient charges. This study involved a retrospective cohort or pre-post analysis of radiograph ordering by emergency care providers seeing adult patients with nasal area or shoulder injuries. Numbers of films ordered before and after enactment of a restrictive policy change were determined, as well as any charge reductions associated with diminished film use. For each radiograph type, there was a 1-year preintervention period, and 2 subsequent 12-month periods after the policy change. Nasal bone radiographs decreased from 166 in 1994 to 10 in 1995 and 4 in 1996 (P <.001, chi(2)). This resulted in potential annual charge savings of 33,176 dollars. AC joint radiographs decreased from 35 films in 1994 to 5 in 1995 and 8 in 1996 (P <.001, chi(2)), with potential annual charge savings of 6,578 dollars. Adoption of an interdepartmental policy that prohibits physicians from routinely ordering radiographs of limited clinical value can result in significant reduction of radiograph use. This drop in use can lead to considerable reductions in patient charges.