Alicia S. Bouldin

Recognition of Teaching Excellence

The 2008–2009 Task Force for the Recognition of Teaching Excellence was charged by the AACP Council of Faculties Leadership to examine teaching excellence by collecting best practices from colleges and schools of pharmacy, evaluating the literature to identify evidence-based criteria for excellent teaching, and recommending appropriate means to acknowledge and reward teaching excellence. This report defines teaching excellence and discusses a variety of ways to assess it, including student, alumni, peer, and self-assessment. The task force identifies important considerations that colleges and schools must address when establishing teaching recognition programs including the purpose, criteria, number and mix of awards, frequency, type of award, and method of nominating and determining awardees. The report concludes with recommendations for the academy to consider when establishing and revising teaching award programs.

Health literacy in the pharmacy setting: defining pharmacotherapy literacy

Objective All currently available definitions of health literacy may be considered quite general. Given the complex nature of the patient-pharmacy encounter and the varying tasks required to properly and successfully consume or administer medication or to adhere to a pharmaceutical care regimen, these available definitions may describe inadequately a patient’s health literacy for the purpose of pharmacotherapy and pharmacist intervention. Therefore, the objective of this research was to conceptualize the Pharmacotherapy Literacy construct. Methods Licensed pharmacists (n=2,368) were mailed a questionnaire providing them with the Healthy People 2010 definition of health literacy and asked, “Given this definition, how would you define Pharmacotherapy Literacy?” A total of 420 usable surveys were returned of which 176 (42%) included responses to the open-ended question concerning pharmacotherapy literacy. Responses were reviewed independently and collectively by the authors. Common themes were identified, compared and discussed until consensus was reached. An initial definition was formulated and distributed to six doctoral-trained academicians and practicing pharmacists who were asked to offer their opinions of the definition as well as suggestions for its improvement. The definition was modified and subjected to further review from 15 additional doctoral-trained academicians and practicing pharmacists who provided feedback concerning its improvement. Results Based on the recommendations received from the academicians and pharmacists, the following, final definition was formulated by the authors: Pharmacotherapy Literacy - An individual’s capacity to obtain, evaluate, calculate, and comprehend basic information about pharmacotherapy and pharmacy related services necessary to make appropriate medication-related decisions, regardless of the mode of content delivery (e.g. written, oral, visual images and symbols). Conclusions As the ever-changing pharmacy environment continues to advance and become more complex in nature, a definition of health literacy specific to the pharmacy setting - thereby providing a name and a focus - may improve medication consumption, medication safety, and the patient-pharmacist relationship.

Report of the 2011-2012 Academic Affairs Standing Committee: the evolving role of scholarly teaching in teaching excellence for current and future faculty.

hAmerican Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Background and Charges According to the Bylaws of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the Academic Affairs Committee shall consider “…the intellectual, social, and personal aspects of pharmaceutical education. It is expected to identify practices, procedures, and guidelines that will aid faculties in developing students to their maximum potential. It will also be concerned with curriculum analysis, development, and evaluation beginning with the preprofessional level and extending through professional and graduate education. The Committee shall seek to identify issues and problems affecting the administrative and financial aspects of member institutions. The Academic Affairs Committee shall extend its attention beyond intra-institutional matters of colleges of pharmacy to include interdisciplinary concerns with the communities of higher education and especially with those elements concerned with health education.” Consistent with identifying practices, procedures and guidelines that will aid faculties in developing students to their maximum potential, President Brian L. Crabtree charged the Committee to: 1) examine and define scholarly teaching and contrast scholarly teaching with the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), and 2) Evaluate and recommend methods for evidence-based assessment of scholarly teaching that schools and colleges can use when assessing faculty’s efforts in this element of the academic mission, and 3) recommend specific strategies to equip graduate students, post-docs, and post graduate residents for careers as scholarly teachers. This Committee Report provides an overview of the process undertaken by the 2011-2012 Academic Affairs Standing Committee and describes the results of the Committee’s examination of the evolving role of scholarly teaching in the culture and assessment of teaching excellence for current and future faculty.

Herbal Supplement Information and the Consumer

The purpose of this study was to investigate the consumers search for information in the context of self-care decisions involving herbal supplements, and the preferences for types of information in that context. The nationwide self-administered survey included a series of mock label profiles for use in conjoint analysis, as well as attitudinal items regarding information sources and the perceived gaps in available information regarding herbal supplements. The most frequently mentioned source of information was “friends and relatives” (45%). While few respondents (10% to 20%) actually had utilized conventional health practitioners as a source of information, nearly 70% said that they might use them. The attribute considered in the conjoint analysis that was most often rated as most important was professional recommendation. A majority (73%) of respondents identified “gaps” in the information that is available to them regarding herbal supplements. Implications of the results identify potential areas for policy consideration and future research.

Instrument to measure psychological contract violation in pharmacy students.

Objectives. To adapt and evaluate an instrument that measures perceived psychological contract violations in pharmacy students by schools and colleges of pharmacy. Design. A psychological contract violations measure was developed from existing literature and the 1997 ACPE Guidelines and pilot-tested with second-year pharmacy students at 2 schools of pharmacy. A revised measure then was administered to second-year pharmacy students at 6 schools of pharmacy. Using a 5-point Likert-type scale, participants were asked to indicate the level of obligations they received compared to what was promised by the school of pharmacy. Results. Exploratory factor analysis on the psychological contract violations measure was conducted using principal components analysis resulting in 7 factors, which led to a revised measure with 26 items. Using a sample of 339 students, the proposed 7-factor measurement model was tested using confirmatory factor analysis. In general, the results supported the hypothesized model. The final 23-item scale demonstrated both reliability and validity. Some students perceived certain aspects of the psychological contract that exists with their school of pharmacy were being violated. Conclusion. The psychological contract violations measure may serve as a valuable tool in helping to identify areas where their students believe that schools/colleges of pharmacy have not fulfilled promised obligations.

Reflection Is Not Reflexive

Reflection. We have heard its value proclaimed, and have likely experienced its value in our own practice and in the development of the learners whose journey we shepherd in our schools and colleges of pharmacy. In fact, it is so frequently mentioned in the literature of professions education, that