The University of Nebraska College of Pharmacy awards only the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree to all of its graduates. The PharmD degree program, including course requirements and credit hour information, is described, and the procedures and budgetary adjustments used to implement the program are discussed. (JMD)

A study of work environments of graduates of the University of California School of Pharmacy indicates that minority pharmacists pursue different types of practice in different locations and receive different incomes than nonminority pharmacists, and that minority programs increase minority pharmacist representation in underserved areas. (JMD)

A literature review on doctor-shopping, anxiety, etc., and a report of a study that explores the relationship of free-floating anxiety to the pharmacy-shopping behavior of elderly, clinic outpatients are presented. Implications for the training of pharmacists are discussed. (JMD)

Described is an in-service training program for faculty of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science which was designed to help faculty members implement a new curriculum, focused on competency-based objectives. An overview of workshop activities and an assessment of the results are included. (JMD)

A program of continuing education is described in which lecture, skits, and audience participation are employed to teach practicing pharmacists how to improve their communication skills. Both live and videotape presentations were found to be effective teaching methods. Learning objectives and factors affecting communication are appended. (JMD)

A course entitled "Human Communication in Pharmacy Practice," offered at Oregon State University, is team-taught by faculty members from the School of Pharmacy and the Department of Speech Communication. A course description, requirements, and student evaluation are presented, and the syllabus and representative readings are appended. (JMD)

A study that sought to identify and describe the nature and content of questions asked by pharmacy patrons at the prescription counter is reported. The results indicate that the pharmacy is an important area in primary and self-health care, and that students should be trained in methods of responding and educating in one-to-one situations. (JMD)

The development, introduction, and evaluation of an instructional unit on suicide intervention by pharmacists are presented. Pre- and post-test results reveal significant increases in pharmacy students' knowledge and ability to recognize simulated suicidal behavior and appropriate intervention techniques. Descriptions of the videotaped simulations…

At Ohio State University, an undergraduate course extends the course sequence in biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics to application to problems in optimizing drug therapy. Course content, structure, instructional methods, and student term projects are described, and a course outline, typical projects, and some behavioral objectives are appended.…

The authors have found written simulations to be a useful tool for evaluation of the clinical performance of doctor of pharmacy students. An example of a simulation and the scoring technique are presented, and use of the simulations as an educational/counseling tool are discussed. (JMD)

A preliminary study that seeks to determine, quantitatively and qualitatively, the effectiveness of externship preceptors in training Purdue University students to practice pharmacy in community and hospital environments is described. Variables that can effect externships are appended. (JMD)

This article describes the development of a model that can select students likely to succeed in a professional pharmacy program, and also identify those likely to have trouble that could lead to academic withdrawal. Data are based on students at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. (JMD)

Leadership in new systems of health care and in the integration of the activities of the various health professionals must come from the health professional schools, particularly academic health-sciences centers. Ways in which these centers can be more effective in developing this leadership and cooperation, and related concerns are discussed.…

It is argued that the role of colleges in the effort to maximize pharmacy's contribution to society requires an emphasis on research in the pharmaceutical sciences, in the clinical use of drugs, and in the socioeconomic aspects of drug therapy. This will produce more qualified pharmacists and greater credibility for the profession. (JMD)

As pharmacy seeks to attain professional recognition along with other professions within the health care system, it must seek to integrate the dissemination of drug knowledge along with its distribution functions and its educational system needs to produce pharmacists who can meet the drug information needs of society. (JMD)