Perceptions of programs that orient non-practice faculty to the pharmacy profession: A pilot study.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Faculty Development
• Higher Education Administration

Background:

• Interdisciplinary faculty collaboration is vital in pharmacy education.
• The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) surveys pharmacy schools on programs for non-practice faculty orientation.
• Understanding perceptions of these programs is essential for improving faculty integration and effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the perceived importance and effectiveness of orientation programs for non-practice faculty in pharmacy.
• To identify key barriers hindering the successful implementation of these faculty orientation programs.
• To characterize faculty and administrator perspectives on existing orientation initiatives.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was distributed to collect data on program importance, effectiveness, and barriers.
• The survey targeted members of the AACP Connect Council of Deans and Council of Faculties listservs.
• Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze responses from 157 individuals across 90 Colleges/Schools of Pharmacy (C/SOPs).

Main Results:

• A significant majority (82%) deemed orientation programs extremely or very important.
• Conversely, only 17% found these programs extremely or very effective, indicating a perceived efficacy gap.
• Insufficient time was the most frequently cited barrier to program implementation, with variations noted among different faculty groups.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacy faculty recognize the importance of orienting non-practice colleagues to the profession.
• Current orientation programs are perceived as largely ineffective, despite their perceived value.
• Addressing barriers, particularly time constraints, is critical for enhancing the efficacy of faculty orientation programs.