Trends in compounding assessment across U.S. PharmD programs

Compounding education is a required component of pharmacy curricula. Across the Academy, there is wide variability in the structure and scope of both nonsterile and sterile compounding training, including assessment methods.

The objective of this study is to determine trends in the assessment of nonsterile and sterile compounding skills and to inform the development of standardized, evidence-based assessment strategies to support educational quality and alignment with professional standards.

Two cross-sectional surveys were developed and sent to members of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Laboratory Instructor's Special Interest Group. They collected information on nonsterile and sterile compounding instructional design, assessment frequency, assessment tools, feedback mechanisms, and faculty perceptions, respectively. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize quantitative data, and open-ended responses were thematically summarized.

Respondents from 31 institutions (22%) completed the nonsterile survey and 35 institutions (25%) completed the sterile survey. Nonsterile compounding assessments occurred primarily in the first professional year, whereas sterile compounding assessments were most common in the second year, with variability across programs. Rubrics and checklists were the most frequently used assessment tools, and over half of programs required competency demonstration prior to progression. Across both domains, respondents supported greater standardization of assessment and development of consensus-based core compounding competencies.

Assessment of compounding skills varies across U.S. pharmacy programs despite broad agreement on the importance of foundational competencies. Findings collectively highlight the need for continued scholarship and dialogue focused on determination of essential nonsterile compounding competencies and improvement of assessment tools and mechanisms. Advancing these efforts may enhance practice readiness among pharmacy graduates.