Objectives. To develop a sustainable formal faculty mentoring program to support professional development of new faculty members at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Methods. Program components included a mentorship subcommittee, faculty mentoring guidelines, protégé/mentor pairs, an orientation, seminars/workshops, and meetings between mentor/protégés pairs. Preparticipation and postparticipation questionnaires about the faculty mentoring program were used to assess changes in perceived level of abilities of protégés and mentors in areas of teaching, service, and scholarship. Results. After 5 years, 93 protégés and 73 mentors have participated in the faculty mentoring program. Program evaluations were largely positive. Self-perceived abilities of protégés increased in all areas addressed, program self-study, faculty recruitment, grant application preparation, program development, and promotion process. Perceived abilities of mentors also showed some increases following the faculty mentoring program. Conclusion. Both protégés and mentors can benefit from mentoring relationships. Faculty mentoring programs are important for faculty development and retention and achievement of academic and institutional goals.

Objectives. To determine the extent of implementation of Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations for 5 core competencies within the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curricula in US colleges and schools of pharmacy. Methods. A survey instrument that used IOM language to define each of the recommended competencies (patient-centered care, interdisciplinary teaming, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and informatics) was sent to 115 US colleges and schools of pharmacy. Results. Evidence-based practice and patient-centered care were the most widely implemented of the 5 core competencies (in 87% and 84% of colleges and schools, respectively), while informatics, interdisciplinary teaming, and quality improvement were implemented to a lesser extent (at 36%, 34%, and 29% of colleges and schools, respectively). Conclusions. Significant progress has been made by colleges and schools of pharmacy for inclusion of IOM competencies relating to evidence-based practice and patient-centered care within curricula. However, the areas of informatics, interdisciplinary teaming, and quality improvement are lagging in inclusion.

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The management of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) infection has undergone dramatic change since its initial identification. Advances have occurred in drug development, viral pathology understanding, laboratory monitoring and genetic analysis. With the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), there has been a substantial decline in HIV-1-related morbidity and mortality. Today, HIV-1 infection is treated as a chronic disease that requires strict patient adherence to HAART. Pharmacists provide pharmaceutical care to patients with HIV disease in a variety of ways, and they can improve patient adherence rates. Current therapeutic strategies have not resulted in eradication of HIV-1 infection. Present and future therapeutic challenges include viral resistance, reservoirs of virus and drug toxicities. Globally, the spread of HIV-1 infection continues at an alarming rate, and economic and social barriers may limit access and success of HAART. New strategies and novel approaches in managing HIV-1 infection continue to be developed in an effort to cure and eradicate this disease.

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