Perceptions of Pharmacy Educators Regarding the NAPLEX Pass Rate Puzzle

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Licensure Examinations
• Pharmacist Workforce

Background:

• Declining first-time pass rates on the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) present a challenge to the pharmacy profession.
• Understanding faculty perceptions is crucial for identifying factors influencing licensure exam success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify pharmacy faculty perceptions of factors affecting NAPLEX first-time pass rates.
• To pinpoint areas for future research and intervention based on faculty insights.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous 43-item survey was administered to faculty from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.
• The survey utilized 5-point Likert scale items across six domains: pharmacy school factors, COVID-19 modifications, testing factors, standardized testing, applicant preparedness, and student factors.
• Data analysis included descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations) for perceptions and demographic information.

Main Results:

• 600 faculty respondents perceived the decline in NAPLEX first-time pass rates as a moderate to large problem (mean 3.64).
• Top perceived influencing factors included student quality (mean 3.99), critical thinking (mean 3.90), study habits (mean 3.74), and admission standards (mean 3.67).
• Respondents were predominantly female (66%) and white (78%), holding Doctor of Pharmacy degrees and practicing in the southern and midwestern US.

Conclusions:

• Faculty identified student-related factors as the primary drivers impacting NAPLEX first-time pass rates.
• There is a need to investigate pharmacy admissions criteria and develop strategies to support students with varying levels of preparedness.
• Addressing these student-centric issues is vital for improving licensure examination outcomes.