Objectives. To develop a formalized, comprehensive, peer-driven teaching assessment program and a valid and reliable assessment tool. Methods. A volunteer taskforce was formed and a peer-assessment program was developed using a multistep, sequential approach and the Peer Observation and Evaluation Tool (POET). A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency and practicality of the process and to establish interrater reliability of the tool. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated. Results. ICCs for 8 separate lectures evaluated by 2-3 observers ranged from 0.66 to 0.97, indicating good interrater reliability of the tool. Conclusion. Our peer assessment program for large classroom teaching, which includes a valid and reliable evaluation tool, is comprehensive, feasible, and can be adopted by other schools of pharmacy.

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Objective. To assess a previously described peer observation and evaluation program 2 years after implementation.Methods. An pre-implementation survey assessed faculty needs and attitudes related to peer evaluation. Two years after implementation, the survey was repeated and additional questions asked regarding adherence to peer observation and evaluation policies and procedures, feedback received, and impact on teaching. Results. Faculty attitudes towards peer evaluation stayed the same or improved post-implementation. Adherence to the initial 3 steps of the process was high (100%, 100%, and 94%, respectively); however, step 4, which required a final discussion after student assessments were finished, was completed by only 47% of the respondents. All faculty members reported receiving a balance of positive and constructive feedback; 78% agreed that peer observation and evaluation gave them concrete suggestions for improving their teaching; and 89% felt that the benefits of peer observation and evaluation outweighed the effort of participating. Conclusions. Faculty members adhered to the policies and procedures of peer observation and evaluation and found peer feedback was beneficial.Keywords: peer assessment, peer evaluation, assessment INTRODUCTIONTeaching effectiveness is assessed in many ways in colleges and schools of pharmacy. Use of student evaluations of teaching is common, but limitations surrounding the breadth and depth of student evaluations and their ability to capture and comment on the total teaching experience exist. 1-4 Faculty peer evaluations offer another method to obtain constructive feedback about the quality of teaching and can be used in conjunction with student evaluations for the purposes of improving teaching methods, as well as for merit, promotion, and tenure decisions. 4 The 2007 Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Accreditation Standards and Guidelines state that faculty members who teach should be evaluated annually and that assessment procedures should include self-assessment and ". . .appropriate input from peers, supervisors, and students. The use of self-assessment and improvement tools, such as portfolios, by faculty and staff members is encouraged." 5 The success of any peer observation and evaluation program relies heavily on having a clear and evidence-based program, as well as support and leadership from administration, but the heart of any peer observation and evaluation program's success lies with faculty engagement in and reflection on the process. 6 Improving and assessing the teaching-learning process is an essential mission of the Department of Pharmacy Practice and the School of Pharmacy at Northeastern University. A formal peer observation and evaluation program for classroom teaching was developed and implemented by this department in January 2008, and the development of its process and the peer observation and evaluation tool (POET) have been previously published. 7 Two years after implementing the peer observation and evaluation process, the program wa...

Objectives. To implement and evaluate a school wide, Web-based clinical intervention system to document types and impact of pharmacy students' clinical activities during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). Methods. A clinical intervention form was developed by pharmacy practice faculty consensus and uploaded to a secure Web site. Prior to APPEs, all pharmacy students were trained on the purpose and use of the system as well as strategies to document interventions appropriately. Results. Over the 3-year period of data collection, 15,393 interventions were documented. Most common intervention types included dosage adjustments, education of patients and providers, and optimization of therapeutic regimens. The majority of the interventions were accepted by the medical team and resulted in positive clinical and economic outcomes. Conclusions. Our school-wide system allowed students and faculty members to document clinical activities. Reporting can serve a number of purposes, including incorporation into student portfolios and faculty merit and promotion dossiers, and demonstration of the positive impact on patient care.

Objective. To implement and assess the curricular integration of the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process (PPCP) in a course series for second-and third-year pharmacy students. Methods. The five-step PPCP was integrated within a four-semester pharmacotherapy course starting with the introductory course lectures. Beginning in the spring of 2015, the five steps of the PPCP were delivered to 129 P2 students, along with rollout of curricular integration within corresponding classroom and seminar activities and assessments. Integration focused on the development of course-specific lecture and seminar materials, a faculty guidance strategy and templates, and evaluation approaches for course assessments. Student comprehension and utilization of the PPCP were assessed via 61 unique assessments (12 examinations and 49 quizzes). Faculty incorporation and perception of the PPCP were evaluated via survey. Results. Overall, students demonstrated the most understanding on the lowest levels of the PPCP: 83.6% and 82.2% for the Collect and Implement components, respectively, compared to the higherlevel components of Planning (78.0%) and Follow-up (76.0%). Faculty understanding, integration, and utilization of the PPCP in course materials were assessed approximately 6 months after implementation. Twenty-two faculty (96% of course instructors) participated in the survey. Eighteen (82%) have modified instructional materials to incorporate PPCP and among these, 89% agreed/ strongly agreed that they possessed a clear understanding of the PPCP. Conclusion. Implementing a successful curricular change such as the integration of the PPCP across multiple courses requires a multi-faceted approach. The development of faculty templates and provision of support through various methods are necessary to ensure consistent and comprehensive integration across the curriculum. Additionally, evaluation of student performance and achievement of intended outcomes should be used to guide curricular assessments and continuous quality improvements throughout the process.