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A qualitative analysis of pharmacy educator and recent graduates' perceptions regarding declining NAPLEX first-time
Hope Brandon1, Jennifer A Scarduzio2, Ayesha Riaz2
1University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, USA.
Objective:
Explore perceptions held by pharmacy educators and recent graduates related to declining North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) first-time pass rates to highlight similarities, differences, and areas of focus.
Methods:
This research used qualitative data gathered from semi-structured focus groups conducted between August 2024 to December 2024. Institutions were contacted via email through the Academic Fellowship Collective, and participants volunteered to be a part of either the faculty or recent graduate focus group cohorts. Transcripts were independently coded by two authors using consensus coding.
Results:
Six total focus groups were conducted across three institutions, all located in the Southeast United States. Fifteen total faculty and twelve recent graduates participated. The findings showed that both faculty and recent graduates mentioned COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), pharmacy school admissions, pharmacy student preparedness, student characteristics, curriculum, NAPLEX challenges, NAPLEX preparation, and instructor characteristics as contributing factors to the decline in NAPLEX first-time pass rates.
Conclusions:
This research characterized perceptions held by pharmacy faculty and recent graduates related to NAPLEX pass rates. Implications include training faculty in how to appropriately hold students accountable for their learning, reconsidering pharmacy school prerequisite courses, providing practical support for increasingly diverse students, intentional curricular design, and considering less technology in the classroom.
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