Impact of Pharmacy School Characteristics on NAPLEX First-time Pass Rates

Abstract

Objective. To assess the impact of pharmacy school characteristics on the pass rates of students taking the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) for the first time. Methods. A retrospective review of NAPLEX first-time pass rates, pharmacy school characteristics and percent of total graduating class who matched for a first postgraduate year (PGY1) residency was performed for 2014, 2015, and 2016. All US colleges of pharmacy accredited as of July 2017 were included. Independent samples t tests, paired samples t tests, correlational analysis, and multiple linear regression were conducted. Results. The first-time pass rates on the NAPLEX were significantly higher for the following: schools located within an academic health center; schools established before 2000, and public schools. The 2016 NAPLEX first-time pass rate was significantly higher for schools with a traditional four-year program structure versus an accelerated three-year structure. Also, a school's first-time pass rate on the NAPLEX was positively, significantly correlated with percentage of fourth-year students who matched for a PGY1 residency and being located within an academic health center. The NAPLEX first-time pass rate for the previous year and percent of the total graduating class that matched for a PGY1 residency were significant predictors in the final regression models for 2015 and 2016 NAPLEX first-time pass rates. Conclusion. While differences in certain program characteristics was coorelated with NAPLEX pass rate, many of these factors are not modifiable. Programs can proactively and critically evaluate their educational programs and the readiness of their students to sit for the NAPLEX.

Years of Rampant Expansion Have Imposed Darwinian Survival-of-the-Fittest Conditions on US Pharmacy Schools

“…15 Williams et al compared mean NAPLEX pass rates between various categories of schools from 2014 through 2016. 16 These studies distinguished four risk factors, based on the potential for perceived value by prospective applicants.…”

“…17 Williams et al reported higher NAPLEX pass rates for public schools than private (p<.001). 16 Figure 1 illustrates that public schools achieved a higher mean NAPLEX pass rate every year from 2008 through 2019, and the disparity between the two groups widened markedly after the exam was modified in 2016. 17 According to Ford's tuition: licensure index, the difference in value is statistically significant (p=.0001).…”

“…Williams et al found graduates of schools within academic medical centers to perform statistically better on NAPLEX (p<0.001). 16 Bauman et al articulated the attributes of schools associated with academic health centers, such as advanced research in scientific discovery, outstanding clinical resources, and abundant opportunities for interdisciplinary education. 18 DiPiro expressed concern that clinical faculty at schools that have only a nominal affiliation with a health center might not be as directly involved in the provision of patient care.…”

An Exploratory Analysis of PharmD Program Value Using the Tuition: Licensure Index

“…2 While the growth of new and existing PharmD programs has done much to address previously projected pharmacist manpower shortages, it is now recognized that market opportunity for both academic institutions and newly licensed practitioners has plateaued if not slightly declined nationwide, [3][4][5] average PharmD program tuition has steadily increased disproportionate to pharmacist salaries, 6,7 and pass rates for the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) have progressively declined since 2014. 8 Given this unique climate, many in the profession now advocate for a temporary moratorium on new program accreditation. 9 It therefore becomes essential that both prospective students and program leaders pay special attention to student tuition and successful pharmacist licensure, both of which are components of the program value index used in this analysis.…”

“…Though de novo, the TLI is not without some degree of controversy, much of which derives from the now-routine use of NAPLEX data as program outcomes. 8,[13][14][15][16] Popovich and colleagues 17 have raised important concerns in this regard, echoing remarks from officials at the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) that "licensure examinations were never intended to measure education or pinpoint specific weaknesses in teaching, curriculum, or the program in the college of pharmacy." 11 Nevertheless, by requiring publication of licensure pass rates on program websites, ACPE clearly recognizes the importance of these metrics on program valuation.…”