A Review of Remediation Programs in Pharmacy and Other Health Professions

Abstract

The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Accreditation Standards and Guidelines 2007 states that colleges and schools of pharmacy must have a remediation policy. Few comparative studies on remediation have been published by colleges and schools of pharmacy, making it challenging to implement effective and validated approaches. Effective remediation policies should include early detection of problems in academic performance, strategies to help students develop better approaches for academic success, and facilitation of self-directed learning. While the cost of remediation can be significant, revenues generated either cover or exceed the cost of delivering the remediation service. Additional research on remediation in pharmacy education across the United States and abroad is needed to make sound decisions in developing effective policies. This paper provides a review of current practices and recommendations for remediation in pharmacy and health care education.

Academic Progression and Retention Policies of Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy

“…This is consistent with the findings of Maize and colleagues. 2 The few programs that did include policies on remediation allowed a course for which a failing grade was received to be repeated only once. Unfortunately, no data were found on whether the grade level for "passing" was the same upon repeat of the course or if a higher standard was expected.…”

“…One article reviewed remediation programs in other health professions. 2 Graduate programs and other professional doctoral programs generally do not allow D grades. An important attribute of a "good pharmacist" to physicians, nurses, and patients is knowledge.…”

“…2 Our objective was to describe academic progression, remediation, and dismissal criteria that are used by colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States. This information should assist programs in their development and/or reevaluation of their academic progression and retention policies.…”

A Learning Specialist's Tips for Coordinating a Medical School Academic Support Program

“…The culture and climate of medical, and other graduate health science education programs, provide a combined situation of constricted faculty time due to research and/or clinical and teaching obligations and variable student needs due to insufficient academic preparation, learning process miss-alignment, or other personal factors (Maize, et al, 2010;Mcloughlin, (2009)). When the impetus for an academic support program arises naturally among the various stakeholders, the shared concern creates space for honest conversation and the potential for innovation.…”

Relationship of Prepharmacy Repeat Course History to Students’ Early Academic Difficulty in a Pharmacy Curriculum

“…In fact, research highlights the need for schools of pharmacy to devise early detection programs to minimize the need for remediation and improve student success. 34 Standards 2016 state that schools must implement systems for early detection of academic difficulty and provide individualized services, such as mentoring, to help students succeed in the professional pharmacy program (Standard 17.2). 4 By identifying admission data of students more likely to need these services, schools would not have to wait for a student to develop academic difficulties before intervening.…”