Objectives. To evaluate the effectiveness of a problem-based learning (PBL) model implemented in 1995 at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy. Design. The third-professional (P3) year curriculum was reoriented from a faculty-centered model of teaching to a student-centered model of learning. Didactic lectures and structured classroom time were diminished. Small student groups were organized and a faculty facilitator monitored each group's discussions and provided individual student assessments. At the end of each 8-week block, students were assessed on group participation, disease and drug content knowledge, and problem-solving abilities. Faculty and student input was solicited at the end of each year to aid programmatic improvement. In 2000, a formal 5-year review of the PBL program was conducted. Assessment. Recommendations for improvement included clarifying course objectives, adopting a peer-review process for examination materials, refining the group assessment instruments, and providing an opportunity for student remediation after a course was failed. A weekly case conference presided over by a faculty content expert was also recommended. Ongoing critical evaluation during the following 5-year period was provided by graduates of the program, faculty participants, and accreditation reviews. Conclusion. Over our 10-year experience with a PBL model of P3 education, we found that although the initial challenges of increased demands on personnel and teaching space were easily overcome, student acceptance of the program depended on their acknowledgment of the practical benefits of active learning and on the value afforded their input on curricular development.Keywords: active learning, problem-based learning, student-centered learning INTRODUCTIONThe profession of pharmacy evolves to meet the changing demands of the society it serves. With each metamorphosis new opportunities arise for expanding the scope of pharmacy practice. The responsibilities of pharmacists have grown from appropriately dispensing medications to providing services that optimize the benefits of pharmaceutical therapies. The knowledge base and skill sets of pharmacists must expand to address the patient and institutional needs for such medication therapy management. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) recognizes that pharmacy education must change to accommodate this heightened expectation of its practitioners. The ACPE's enhanced requirements for accreditation encouraged all schools and colleges of pharmacy to implement a lengthier and more rigorous curriculum that prepares pharmacists to fulfill these new responsibilities and that insures its graduates can adapt to future professional imperatives.The Standards for Curriculum published by ACPE state that ''The educational process should promote lifelong learning through the emphasis on active, selfdirected learning.'' The standards further state that curricula should include ''teaching strategies to ensure the adeptness of critical thinking and problem-solving...

A sensitive semi-micro column HPLC method with peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence (POCL) detection and column switching has been developed for simultaneous determination of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and related compounds, for example 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, methamphetamine, and amphetamine, in hair. After digestion of the hair with 1 mol L-1 sodium hydroxide the compounds were extracted with n-heptane and derivatized with 4-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole. A mixture of hydrogen peroxide and bis(2,4,5-trichloro-6-carbopentoxyphenyl)oxalate in acetonitrile was used as post-column CL reagent. Calibration plots showed linearity was good (r=0.999); detection limits were 0.02-0.16 ng mg-1 hair at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The precision of the method, as RSD (n=5), in intra-day and inter-day assays was better than 5.0 and 6.9%, respectively. The proposed method was sufficiently sensitive to detect low ng mg-1 levels of MDMA and related compounds in hair, and could be used for quantification of the compounds in hair samples from patients treated in a chemical dependency unit.

No abstract