Validation of the entrustable professional activities for new pharmacy graduates

The face validity of the core entrustable professional activities (EPAs) for new pharmacy graduates published by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) in 2017 was evaluated.

A 28-item questionnaire was sent to experienced pharmacy practitioners affiliated with 4 schools of pharmacy. In addition to demographic information about education, training, credentials, and practice setting, participants were asked whether each EPA statement was pertinent to pharmacy practice and an expected activity that all pharmacists should be able to perform. Questions regarding the secondary attributes of the EPA statements examined whether each activity is observable, is measurable, is transferable to multiple practice settings, and integrates multiple competencies.

The questionnaire was distributed to 137 eligible participants, and 71 usable survey responses were received. Participants consistently agreed (≥75% agreement) that the 15 EPA statements for new pharmacy graduates describe activities that are pertinent to pharmacy practice and that pharmacists are expected to perform. A consistent level of agreement was observed regardless of the preceptor's employment with a college or school, board certification status, or completion of postgraduate training, and no statistical differences in level of agreement were found based on these attributes. There was consistent agreement (≥60%) across geographic regions. No statistical differences in agreement were found between acute care practitioners and ambulatory care practitioners.

A survey suggested that the core EPAs developed and vetted by AACP have face validity and are believed by experienced pharmacy preceptor-practitioners to be pertinent to pharmacy practice and to describe activities that all pharmacists should be able to competently perform.