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Before the Waters Rise: Building the Levee for Competency-Based Pharmacy Education
Denise H Rhoney1, Daniel J Schumacher2, Aleda M H Chen3
1University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education
|November 22, 2025
Summary
Pharmacy education requires Competency-Based Pharmacy Education (CBPE) as essential infrastructure to address current pressures. National coordination and investment are crucial for implementing this vital system to ensure future professional relevance.
Area of Science:
- Health Professions Education
- Pharmacy Practice
- Educational Reform
Background:
- Pharmacy education faces significant challenges including overloaded curricula and a disconnect between training and practice.
- Other health professions are adopting coordinated, competency-based transformations, highlighting a risk of pharmacy education falling behind.
- Existing pharmacy education models are under pressure, signaling a need for systemic change.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose Competency-Based Pharmacy Education (CBPE) as a necessary structural framework for pharmacy education.
- To advocate for CBPE as a solution to the urgent vulnerabilities in current pharmacy training.
- To call for national alignment and leadership in implementing CBPE.
Main Methods:
- Drawing on stakeholder-informed studies and international precedents in medical and veterinary education.
- Adapting the 'escape fire' metaphor to frame the crisis in pharmacy education.
- Utilizing Van Melle's five-component framework for CBPE: outcome competencies, sequenced progression, tailored experiences, competency-focused instruction, and programmatic assessment.
Main Results:
- Competency-Based Pharmacy Education (CBPE) is presented as a deliberate, system-level structure essential for addressing pharmacy education's vulnerabilities.
- The five core components of CBPE offer a resilient framework to mitigate risks associated with current educational pressures.
- Early adoption of CBPE elements shows promise, but national coordination is identified as critical for comprehensive transformation.
Conclusions:
- Competency-Based Pharmacy Education (CBPE) is not merely a reform but essential infrastructure for the future of pharmacy education.
- Urgent, coordinated national action is required to implement CBPE and prevent further erosion of pharmacy education's value.
- The blueprint for CBPE exists, necessitating collective investment and leadership from pharmacy professional organizations.
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