Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2025
10:07
Using Learning Outcome Measures to assess Doctoral Nursing Education
Published on: June 21, 2010
18.9K
Supporting PharmD graduates after unsuccessful licensing examination attempts
Paul Fina1, Daniel Kerner2, Edward Ofori3
1Chicago State University, College of Health Sciences & Pharmacy, 9501 S. King Drive, DH 3095, Chicago, IL 60628, United States.
Currents in Pharmacy Teaching & Learning
|March 19, 2025
Summary
Many PharmD graduates struggle with the North American Pharmacy Licensure Examination (NAPLEX), with pass rates declining. This commentary explores reasons and solutions for graduates facing licensure challenges.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacy Education
- Professional Licensure
Background:
- The North American Pharmacy Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) pass rates have declined significantly since 2017.
- The Class of 2023 achieved an all-time low first-time pass rate of 76.6%.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the key drivers behind the declining NAPLEX pass rates.
- To propose pragmatic measures to support PharmD graduates who have not yet passed the NAPLEX.
Main Methods:
- This is a commentary, not an empirical study.
- Analysis of NAPLEX pass rate trends and potential contributing factors.
- Discussion of implications for unlicensed graduates.
Main Results:
- A significant number of PharmD graduates are not passing the NAPLEX on their first attempt.
- 3,228 PharmD graduates remained unlicensed from 2022-2024 due to exam failures.
- Anticipated further decline in pass rates due to upcoming NAPLEX structural changes in 2025.
Conclusions:
- Declining NAPLEX pass rates create a substantial barrier for PharmD graduates entering the workforce.
- Unlicensed graduates face financial hardship due to inability to practice and earn pharmacist salaries.
- Proactive strategies are needed to improve graduate licensure success and address the root causes of exam failure.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Drug Administration and Therapy Phases: Overview
401
Drugs, the chemical agents used in diagnosing, treating, or preventing diseases, undergo a four-phase process of development: pharmaceutic, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and therapeutic.
The pharmaceutical phase focuses on leveraging the physicochemical properties of the drug to design and manufacture an effective product. Variants include orally administered tablets or capsules, topical creams or ointments, and parenteral-delivery solutions or emulsions.
The pharmacokinetic phase...
The pharmaceutical phase focuses on leveraging the physicochemical properties of the drug to design and manufacture an effective product. Variants include orally administered tablets or capsules, topical creams or ointments, and parenteral-delivery solutions or emulsions.
The pharmacokinetic phase...
401
01:21Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-I
1.6K
An interdisciplinary team includes many healthcare professionals working together and utilizing their skills, knowledge, and expertise to provide holistic and quality patient care.
Physicians
The physician's primary responsibility is to diagnose illness and direct the medical or surgical treatment of the condition. The authority to admit patients to a healthcare agency or institution and practice care within that setting is granted to physicians by the healthcare agency or institution...
Physicians
The physician's primary responsibility is to diagnose illness and direct the medical or surgical treatment of the condition. The authority to admit patients to a healthcare agency or institution and practice care within that setting is granted to physicians by the healthcare agency or institution...
1.6K
01:28Preclinical Development: Overview
4.1K
Preclinical development consists of a series of tests that ensure the safety and efficacy of a new therapeutic compound before it is tested in humans. There are four main phases to this process. First, safety pharmacology tests are conducted to ensure the drug does not produce any acutely harmful effects. These tests examine parameters such as bronchoconstriction, cardiac dysrhythmias, blood pressure changes, and ataxia. Next, preliminary toxicological testing is performed to determine the...
4.1K
01:18Drug Elimination: Overview
933
Drug elimination involves many complex processes and does not necessarily differentiate between distribution and elimination. It is divided into two primary components: excretion and biotransformation.
Excretion refers to removing a drug from the body, either in its unchanged form or as its metabolites. Nonvolatile and polar drugs are primarily excreted through the kidneys, with other pathways including bile, sweat, saliva, and milk. Volatile drugs such as anesthetic gases are excreted via the...
Excretion refers to removing a drug from the body, either in its unchanged form or as its metabolites. Nonvolatile and polar drugs are primarily excreted through the kidneys, with other pathways including bile, sweat, saliva, and milk. Volatile drugs such as anesthetic gases are excreted via the...
933
01:26Drug Discovery: Overview
7.3K
Drug discovery is a multifaceted process involving extensive screening, testing, and optimization of lead compounds to identify potential new drugs for therapeutic use. It combines several approaches, including screening large numbers of natural products, chemical modification of known active molecules, identification of new drug targets, and rational design based on biological mechanisms and drug-receptor structure. These approaches are carried out in both academic research laboratories and...
7.3K
01:10Drug Excretion: Miscellaneous Routes
30
Drug excretion involves various organs, including the liver, intestines, skin, and eyes. In the case of drugs or toxins, they can be actively secreted into bile by transporters in the hepatocyte's canalicular membrane. These substances enter the GI tract during digestion and may be reabsorbed into the body from the intestine. This process, known as enterohepatic recycling, can significantly prolong the presence and effects of a substance in the body. To interrupt this cycle, specific...
30