Research needs for pharmacy administration and clinical pharmacy include study of the relationship of pharmacists and society, management methods for providing health care services, pharmacist training and socialization, competence evaluation, formative and summative research on drug use control, and organizational decision making. (MSE)

Results of a survey of the 81 colleges of pharmacy affiliated with the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy regarding requirements of physics in the pre-pharmacy curriculum are presented. The author concludes that colleges that do not currently require a course in physics in their pre-pharmacy curriculum should consider adding one. (Author)

The pharmacist as a provider of "pharmaceutical care" is examined both as a notion and as a new example for training practitioners. It is concluded that the example will require more from the pharmacist of the future and a reordering of perceptions about the nature of the pharmacy profession. (MSE)

Development and validation of a statement of professional competencies for practicing pharmacists in British Columbia (Canada) are described. The resulting 12 weighted general competency statements were designed to serve as a blueprint for constructing and validating instruments to assess practicing pharmacists' continuing competence. (Author/MSE)

A discussion of health services research looks at its nature, sources, funding, and use. The role of academic health centers as producers and users and as leaders in building future health care is examined. Their leadership in this area is seen as crucial, superseding other demands on academic health centers. (MSE)

A discussion of change in health care services looks at evolving economic patterns in health care, labor force changes, competition, the effects of economic growth, health care organization and delivery, and the implications for change in pharmacy. (MSE)

Research in ambulatory pharmacy is needed because of changes in its organizational financing and patient population. With health care payers seeking to move patients out of hospitals and into less costly care environments, pharmacy must help discover how to care for this growing patient population effectively and efficiently. (MSE)

It is proposed that the college of pharmacy's division of Continuing Professional Education accept responsibility for program innovation to advance pharmacy practice. Two areas of need are discussed: development of a model practice system to provide pharmaceutical care, and postgraduate development and recognition of pharmacists' abilities to…

A study assessed the effectiveness of a microcomputer-assisted instructional program using graphics, color, and text in simulations to enhance pharmacy students' knowledge of microbiology and antimicrobial agents. Results indicated high short- and long-term retention of information presented and higher levels of knowledge and comprehension among…

The development of a computerized national database of 66 institutions' pharmacy curricula is described. Data available include address and curriculum contact person, comments, courses offered, year, hours and credits, and course titles. The database interfaces with Pharmline, and online searching became possible when Pharmline merged with…

A study to quantify continuing education credit hours awarded for pharmacy home study is reported. Selected home study courses were administered to volunteers under supervision. Time needed for completion and examination, learner assessment of difficulty, and word count and number of questions per lesson were used to calculate credits. (Author/MSE)

A survey of the statistical topics offered to pharmacy students and of the frequency of use of statistical methods in eight pharmacy journals suggests that with increasingly sophisticated statistical methods and increased dependency on literature over experience, pharmacy schools should upgrade students' statistical literacy. (MSE)

The new president of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy outlines the agenda for the organization, focusing on enhancement of pharmaceutical education, committee responsibilities, and strategic planning within the organization. (MSE)

A discussion of pharmaceutical curriculum design to meet the competency needs of professional pharmacists looks at the nature of competency, anticipates some of the demands of such a curriculum, describes some methods of organizing curriculum elements, and provides a brief bibliography. (MSE)

The Prescription Management Program, a software program using Apple's HyperCard on a MacIntosh, was developed to simplify the creation, storage, modification, and general management of prescription-based problems. Pharmacy instructors may customize the program to serve their individual teaching needs. (Author/DB)