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Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy (AUHSOP) implemented a comprehensive, holistic process of continuous quality improvement (CQI) for its program using the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education's (ACPE) Accreditation Standards as the foundation. The process served as a way to increase the impact of the accreditation standards through continuous monitoring and programmatic improvements. Internally generated standards were also included in the CQI process. Design of the program included defining the program, establishing quality criteria, developing a table of measures that provided evaluation metrics, and assessing the program annually. Each year, faculty members, staff, students and other constituents assess the program for strengths, areas for improvement and insights. A CQI report is created and is made available to constituents, including ACPE through the Assessment and Management System (AAMS). Areas for improvement and new goals are then incorporated into the school's strategic plan and committee assignments for the year. Some of the suggestions included making the program appraisal more meaningful and on a continuous, ongoing basis compared to doing an appraisal for accreditation purposes at 8-year intervals. The process has increased constituent awareness of all aspects of the program and prompted numerous improvements since its adoption. A culture of assessment resulted from the process.

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Objectives. To launch and evaluate a comparative effectiveness research education and dissemination program as part of an introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE). Methods. First- through third-year PharmD students received training on comparative effectiveness research and disseminated printed educational materials to patients in the community who they were monitoring longitudinally (n=314). Students completed an assessment and initial visit documentation form at the first visit, and a follow-up assessment and documentation form at a subsequent visit. Results. Twenty-three diabetes patients, 29 acid-reflux patients, 30 osteoarthritis patients, and 50 hypertension patients received materials. Aside from the patient asking questions, which was the most common outcome (n=44), the program resulted in 38 additional actions, which included stopping, starting, or changing treatments or health behaviors, or having additional follow-up or diagnostic testing. Small but positive improvements in patient understanding, confidence, and self-efficacy were observed. Conclusions. Dissemination of comparative effectiveness research materials in an IPPE program demonstrated a positive trend in markers of informed decision-making.

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It is time for colleges and schools of pharmacy to examine and confront the rising costs of pharmacy education and the increasing student loan debt borne by graduates. These phenomena likely result from a variety of complex factors. The academy should begin addressing these issues before pharmacy education becomes cost-prohibitive for future generations. This paper discusses some of the more salient drivers of cost and student debt load and offers suggestions that may help alleviate some of the financial pressures.

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OBJECTIVE: To describe the current landscape within the profession of pharmacy regarding student tuition, indebtedness, salaries, and job potential. METHODS: Pharmacy tuition and student debt data were obtained through the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Institutional Research website. Tuition was defined as average first-year tuition and fees for accredited schools. Debt was defined as the total average amount borrowed. Median salaries and numbers of jobs were obtained from the United States Department of Labor. RESULTS: In-state tuition at public schools rose an average of $1,211 ± 31 (r2 = 0.996), whereas out-of-state tuition at public schools rose significantly faster at $1,838 ± 80 per year (r2 = 0.988). The average tuition cost for pharmacy school has increased 54% in the last 8 years. The average pharmacist salary has risen from $75,000 to over $112,000 since 2002. The increase in salary has been nearly linear (r2 = 0.988) rising $4,409 ± $170 dollars per year. However, average salary in 2011 was $3,064 below the predicted value based upon a linear regression of salaries over 10 years. The number of pharmacist jobs in the United States has risen from 215,000 jobs in 2003 to 275,000 in 2010. However, there were 3,000 fewer positions in 2012 than in 2011. In 2011, average indebtedness for pharmacy students ($114,422) was greater than average first-year salary ($112,160). CONCLUSION: Rising tuition and student indebtedness is a multifaceted problem requiring attention from a number of parties including students, faculty members, universities, and accreditation and government entities.

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OBJECTIVE: To describe the development of a practice model with sustainable reimbursement for medication therapy management (MTM) services provided by pharmacists for beneficiaries of self-insured health care plans. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: The Auburn University Pharmaceutical Care Center (AUPCC) is a free-standing clinic located within the school of pharmacy that provides preventive care and MTM services for a population of 11,600 employees and dependents that subscribe to the university's self-insured health plan. The goal of patient care is to increase use of cost-effective pharmacotherapy and improve the outcomes of medication use among the population. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Development and implementation of a practice model and reimbursement method that can be implemented in the employer setting for large self-insured employers and the community pharmacy practice setting. RESULTS: Since opening, AUPCC has developed into a model pharmaceutical care service that can be implemented in the workplace for other self-insured employers. AUPCC is also a model that can easily translate to the community pharmacy setting. In 2010, the model was adapted by Alabama for state employees. CONCLUSION: Pharmacists can negotiate directly with decision makers within large companies that are self-insured to provide MTM services for the employee population. This is an area of sustainable growth within our profession.

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This article describes the background, development, and assessment of an Office of Teaching, Learning and Assessment at the Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University. This case study is intended to provide other colleges and schools with insights that may facilitate the relatively unproblematic development of similar programs.

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BACKGROUND: Obesity, a national epidemic, is one of the leading causes of preventable morbidity and mortality in the US. Pharmacists can play an integral role in weight management. Offering weight management services provides an opportunity to increase public awareness of pharmaceutical care and attract patients to pharmacy programs. OBJECTIVE: To describe the implementation and evaluate outcomes of a weight management pharmaceutical care service in a stand alone pharmaceutical care center on a college campus. METHODS: A retrospective review of data was conducted on 289 patient charts to evaluate the change in weight, body mass index (BMI), percent body fat, and weight-related health conditions in patients who participated in the Healthy Habits program. RESULTS: The net change (change in values observed from first to last appointment) in weight was a loss of 1021.8 kg. The maximum weight change (change seen from the first appointment to the lowest value obtained during the program) was a loss of 1530.5 kg. These values correspond to a net mean weight loss of 3.6 kg per patient (10% of baseline weight) and a maximum mean weight loss per patient of 5.5 kg (15% of baseline weight). Eighty-three patients were able to decrease their BMI category and 76 patients had a decrease in risk status from baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The Auburn University Pharmaceutical Care Center's Healthy Habits program has been successful in helping patients decrease total body weight, BMI, and risk of weight-related complications. In addition, the program has increased the opportunity to identify other pharmaceutical care needs of patients and help establish the role of pharmacists in the management of obesity.

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