AIHP is urging the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) to retain instruction in the history of pharmacy among the required curriculum elements when it updates accreditation standards for Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs. AIHP’s views were sent in a letter responding to ACPE’s request for comments as it begins a comprehensive review of the PharmD accreditation standards.
ACPE in 2021 initiated a process to update and revise the accreditation standards for PharmD programs (formally called the “Accreditation Standards and Key Elements for the Professional Program in Pharmacy Leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy Degree”). ACPE expects to release the final version of the new standards in June 2024.
As the first step in the revision process, ACPE invited stakeholder to offer comments regarding the current PharmD standards. AIHP formed a task force to prepare a letter to ACPE that expressed the Institute’s views. The task force, comprised of Institute members who are active pharmacy educators, is chaired by AIHP Vice President Cynthia J. Boyle, Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.
In the letter submitted to ACPE, AIHP stated that “we strongly support continued inclusion of the history of pharmacy among required elements in the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum.” (Emphasis in original) The letter also advocated for “incorporat[ing] teaching elements of history into all areas of the curriculum, rather than limiting it to a standalone elective or a series of lectures.” The letter further states: “Faculty need flexibility to teach core history of pharmacy concepts to all students, while providing options for electives and special projects for students with specialized interests in history.”
The three-page letter concludes by stating: “It is essential to require the history of pharmacy in the Doctor of Pharmacy curricula to establish the foundation of the profession as we chart new directions in the future.”
The full text of AIHP’s letter is available here.
AIHP’s task force will monitor the ACPE revision process and is expected to submit additional comments as warranted.
Here is a listing of AIHP’s task force members:
Cynthia J. Boyle, BSP, PharmD, FAPhA, FNAP, FASCP (Chair), Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD
James M. Culhane, PhD, Professor and Assistant Dean for Student Academic Success Programs, Notre Dame of Maryland University School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD
Michael A. Hegener, PharmD, BCACP, Associate Professor, The James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Catherine Taglieri, BSP, PharmD, Associate Professor, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA
S. Scott Wisneski, PharmD, MBA, Associate Professor, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH
(Posted: February 7, 2022)
