A national survey of practices in identifying and remediating student pharmacist unprofessionalism in introductory...

To characterize current practices in identifying and remediating professionalism issues encountered during introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) at colleges and schools of pharmacy across the United States.

A 27-item electronic survey was distributed to 140 Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) fully accredited schools and colleges of pharmacy in 2025. The survey collected program demographics and contained questions regarding professionalism assessment methods, unprofessional behaviors, and remediation strategies.

Sixty-one programs responded (43.6% response rate). Nearly all programs assessed professionalism during IPPEs (98.3%), most often through rubric-based preceptor evaluations (90.0%). The most common professionalism issues encountered included tardiness/absenteeism (98.3%), lack of accountability (71.7%), poor attitude (71.7%), and inappropriate communication (70.0%). A majority of the programs surveyed (60.0%) reported failing 1-3% of IPPE students each year for professionalism issues during the past 3 years. Common remediation strategies included student meetings (91.4%), repeating the rotation (80.0%), and formal performance improvement plans (62.9%). Only 36.7% of programs reported explicit inclusion of professionalism in institutional remediation policies. Programs most commonly rated their current remediation strategies as somewhat effective (45.7%), with improvements most often evaluated through preceptor feedback (82.9%) and observed behavioral change (91.4%).

Professionalism issues commonly occur in IPPEs, yet remediation strategies vary and often lack formal guidance in remediation policies. Strengthening remediation strategies, aligning expectations among preceptors, faculty, and students, and including professionalism in APPE readiness may improve accountability and enhance student professionalism in IPPEs.