Innovative ideas, strategies, and resources to attract students to the pharmacy profession: Report of the 2023-2024 AACP Student Affairs Committee.

Over the past 2 decades, the Academy has witnessed an increase in new colleges and schools of pharmacy and, simultaneously, a decrease in student applications, resulting in a decline in enrollment across most institutions. Although the number of students pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree has been dropping, the Academy is responsible for bolstering recruitment to effectively prepare a robust pharmacy workforce to care for our ever-growing and complex patient populations. The 2023-2024 Student Affairs Committee (SAC) was convened to explore new ideas, develop innovative strategies, and gather supportive resources that can be utilized by colleges and schools of pharmacy to attract students to the pharmacy profession. The SAC was charged with developing a framework for a video mini-series that utilizes the art of storytelling to promote the pharmacy profession to prospective students. Secondarily, the SAC was charged with developing a plan to engage with students who apply but do not ultimately get accepted into nonpharmacy health professions programs and consider recommendations for targeting pharmacy technicians to pursue a PharmD degree. To accomplish this work, we created videos and proposed other innovative tools and flexible pathways to assist in recruiting students into the pharmacy profession. We also conducted a literature and website review, engaged in professional networking across the Academy, and proposed best practices to enhance student recruitment. In addition, we offered 8 recommendations to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and 7 suggestions to colleges and schools of pharmacy to attract students to the pharmacy profession.

The Power of Peer Mentoring to Support Women Pharmacy Faculty Personally and Professionally.

Regardless of a faculty member's career stage, effective mentoring is critical for successful professional development and a thriving academic career. Traditional mentor-mentee relationships can be effective but may present challenges for some faculty depending on their individual needs and institutional resources. The use of peer mentoring circles, where group members serve as both mentor and mentee, may provide additional resources and benefits to faculty at all career stages and appear especially beneficial for women faculty because of their focus on interconnectedness and collaboration. However, literature is scarce regarding effective mentoring strategies for women pharmacy faculty. As members of one women faculty-only peer mentoring circle, we describe our experiences using this mentoring strategy and offer recommendations for other faculty members considering this approach.

The Status and Adequacy of Preceptor Orientation and Development Programs in US Pharmacy Schools.

Objective. To identify current preceptor orientation and development programs at US colleges and schools of pharmacy and propose future initiatives for preceptor programs. Methods. An anonymous 28-item survey was administered in January 2017 to 128 experiential education personnel at accredited US schools and colleges of pharmacy. Data from completed survey instruments were tabulated and qualitative responses to open-ended questions were examined using thematic analysis. Results. Eighty-five experiential education administrators participated in the survey (response rate=67%). Most preceptor orientation programs met the majority of requirements as outlined within the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education's Standard 20.3, although only 42% of programs mandated preceptor orientation prior to student placement. Two-thirds of respondents offered annual, live preceptor development, and 75% of programs used commercially available online products. Nearly 40% of respondents collaborated with other schools or professional organizations to offer preceptor training. Only 29% of programs had specific requirements for pharmacists to maintain their active preceptor status. Seventy percent of respondents reported spending over $2500 and 39% over $5000 annually on preceptor development. Programs with the highest monetary investment (>$10,000/year) in preceptor development offered multiple venues (live and online) for preceptor training. Programs with significant personnel commitment (≥0.5 FTE devoted to preceptor development) frequently had dedicated site visitors. Conclusion. Preceptor orientation programs at US schools of pharmacy are generally similar, but development programs vary significantly across the Academy. Highly invested programs featured live and online training or site visitors who provided individualized feedback or training. Future studies should explore the cost-effectiveness of program options and their impact on preceptor learning and behaviors.

Grading trends and evaluation of student performance across advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE) in the Big Ten Academic Alliance (The GRAPPES study).

INTRODUCTION: With over a third of the doctor of pharmacy curriculum relying on experiential education (EE), it is critical that students are assessed and graded in accordance with their actual performance. The objective of this paper is to review advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) grading across the Big Ten Academic Alliance to describe how APPE grading occurs at these institutions and highlight differences in approach and outcomes. METHODS: Experiential directors/deans were asked to import de-identified data (e.g., APPE curriculum, midpoint and final evaluation score and grade, number of preceptors, number of students, number of years of pharmacy school, total hours of APPEs offered, number and duration of APPEs per year, grading scale information). A chi-square test including pairwise comparisons with a Bonferroni p-value adjustment for multiple comparisons was performed. RESULTS: Seven college/schools submitted data from over 3600 students between 2012-2015. The distribution of letter grades differed significantly across all colleges/schools in 2012-2013, 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 (p < 0.0001). Similarly, the distribution of letter grades by rotation type varied significantly for all colleges/schools (p < 0.0001). Students in acute care, ambulatory care, and other patient care rotation types were less likely to obtain an "A" and more likely to obtain a "B" compared to students in other rotation types. CONCLUSIONS: When letter grades are used for APPEs, the trend suggests over 95% of students receive an "A" or "B" grade. Final grades varied by rotation type with more "B" grades observed in patient care rotations than "A" grades over the three-year period.

Using Continuing Professional Development to Create Meaningful Co-Curricular Learning Opportunities for all Student Pharmacists.

Objective. To illustrate a method for integrating co-curricular activities, quantify co-curricular activities, and evaluate student perception of achievement of goals. Methods. Throughout a longitudinal course, students engaged in self-selected, co-curricular activities in three categories: professional service, leadership, and community engagement. Hours were documented online with minimum course requirements. Students reflected on experiences and assessed goal attainment. Assignments were reviewed by faculty and feedback was given to each student. Results. From 2010 to 2016, there were 29,341 co-curricular hours documented by 756 students. The most popular events were attending pharmacy organization meetings and participating in immunization clinics. More than half of the students agreed they were able to meet all of their professional goals (mix of career and course goals) while 70% indicated goals were challenging to meet. Conclusion. This method for integrating co-curricular activities using a continuing professional development model demonstrates a sustainable system for promoting professional development through experience and self-reflection.

Factors associated with students' perception of preceptor excellence.

OBJECTIVES: To identify factors associated with preceptor excellence as rated by student pharmacists and to assess the correlation of excellent ratings with years as pharmacist, specialty certification, and faculty appointment status. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of student pharmacist evaluations of preceptors from May 2009 to May 2012 was completed to determine factors associated with preceptor excellence. RESULTS: Preceptors who showed an interest in teaching, related to the student as an individual, encouraged discussion, were accessible, provided feedback, served as a role model, were organized, and/or spent increased time with students were more likely to be rated excellent. CONCLUSION: Serving as role models and showing an interest in teaching demonstrated the strongest association with being an excellent preceptor. Identifying factors students associate with preceptor excellence may result in enhanced preceptor recruitment, development, and training.

Dispelling vaccine myths: MMR and considerations for practicing pharmacists.

OBJECTIVES: To discuss information surrounding the erroneous association between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and to provide pharmacists with information to dispel vaccine myths. DATA SOURCES: Pharmaceutical and medical literature and public media (e.g., newspapers). SUMMARY: The diagnosis of ASDs is on the rise, and many speculations have been made as to the cause, including the MMR vaccine. A small case series article published in The Lancet in 1998 and later retracted has been the center of the controversy over whether the MMR vaccine causes ASDs. New definitive research demonstrates no link, and medical organizations state that evidence does not support a link between the MMR vaccine and ASDs. CONCLUSION: Pharmacists can play a role in providing up-do-date information to patients to dispel myths concerning vaccine safety. Accurate peer review remains an important step to ensure correct information is given to health care providers and the public.

A comprehensive approach to preceptor development.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of a comprehensive preceptor development program. DESIGN: A comprehensive preceptor development program was designed that included live and recorded online programming, a preceptor manual, a preceptor newsletter, live events (local and regional), and one-on-one practice site visits. ASSESSMENT: Over 5,000 evaluations (1,900 pre-implementation and 3,160 post-implementation) of preceptor performance were completed by students. Students rated preceptors higher in items related to providing helpful midpoint and final evaluations after program implementation. Over 1,000 Web-based preceptor development activities were completed by preceptors from 2007 to 2011. Preceptors felt activities enhanced their current knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values, and more than 90% felt the core development activities would improve their current practice. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive approach to preceptor development that offered a variety of development and training opportunities received positive evaluations from preceptors and resulted in improved student evaluations of preceptors. A comprehensive development program should be made available to preceptors to foster their continuing professional development.

On classifying race in Brazil: example from a study of the functional ability of older people (60+).

How should race be categorized? This article investigates the usefulness of having three categories to describe a black-white racial continuum, focusing on Brazil and the functional ability of elderly (60+) people there. Ironically, even as the U.S. census has started to acknowledge mixed race again, much social research in Brazil has begun not to. Using 1998 national household survey microdata (PNAD) for Brazil, we find it advantageous to use a three-category scheme that separates a mixed black-white (pardo) status from black or white when examining the functional ability of elders. We also find the tantalizing possibility of a crossover in which browns actually have more functional ability than white counterparts after controlling for many demographic, geographic, and socioeconomic factors.

Receipt of assistance and extended family residence among elderly men in Mexico.

This article focuses on help received by a nationally-representative sample of 2,376 Mexican men age 60+ in 1994. In the month before the interview, about one-half of the men received in-kind or domestic assistance, two-fifths received financial assistance, and about one-fourth received physical assistance. This was so even as almost half the men still worked, and over half (57%) had no discernable functional limitation. Using logistic regression, the study found support for the common assumption that living arrangements are an important predictor of assistance. Other factors are important too however. In fact, many elders received help from non-coresiding relatives. Beside financial remittances, help from non-coresiding relatives included in-kind, domestic, and physical assistance. Research on Mexico suggests that we need to revisit notions of a modified extended family in which non-coresidential ties can be important. Surveys need questions about frequency of contact and geographic distance between elderly people and their kin.

Research note: revisiting the classification of household composition among elderly people.

The note updates comments written a decade and a half ago on our need for a standard schemata for comparing the living arrangements of elderly people around the world. Perforce limiting our view to populations living in private households, the note considers different schema beginning with an examination of household size and head/nonhead data and proceeding to schemes using ever more detailed data on 'relation to household head' information and data on marital status. The best scheme will of course depend on the data available and on the study's theoretical ideas, but if the ideas have to do with the nature of the family then it would seem that one is best off using a combination of information on people's relation to the household head and information on marital status to indicate family household composition. The six-category scheme (alone, spouse only, with married child[ren], with other relatives, with non-kin) might best be collapsed into a bivariate or trivariate categorical dependent variable for purposes of multivariate regression.

Research note: revisiting the classification of household composition among elderly people.

The note updates comments written a decade and a half ago on our need for a standard schemata for comparing the living arrangements of elderly people around the world. Perforce limiting our view to populations living in private households, the note considers different schema beginning with an examination of household size and head/nonhead data and proceeding to schemes using ever more detailed data on "relation to household head" information and data on marital status. The best scheme will of course depend on the data available and on the study's theoretical ideas, but if the ideas have to do with the nature of the family then it would seem that one is best off using a combination of information on people's relation to the household head and information on marital status to indicate family household composition. The six-category scheme (alone, spouse only, with married child[ren], with unmarried child[ren], with other relatives, with non-kin) might best be collapsed into a bivariate or trivariate categorical dependent variable for purposes of multivariate regression.