Since competency-based instruction is based on the testing process, this study suggests that careful attention to the construction of tests can produce a reliable, valid measure. The next steps to be taken include developing larger banks of test items, increasingly accurate tests, and instruction to meet specified objectives of the curriculum.…

National and state programs that identify and incorporate the role of pharmacists into major health care plans are discussed. Local planning efforts and the development of databases for health care planning are also examined. (SF)

The status of pharmaceutical education in Canada is reviewed with focus on admissions, manpower, and outlook for the future. (LBH)

The forward plan for health for 1978-1982 represents the Public Health Service's view of the health world for the next five-year period. Six main themes are outlined: knowledge development; prevention of illness; improving the health-care system; assuring the quality of health care; health-care financing; and tracking and evaluation. (LBH)

This paper summarizes part of the IOM study that determined the average annual education costs per student, for the first professional degree. Colleges of pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, osteopathy, veterinary medicine, podiatry, optometry, and nursing were included. The data are assessed with particular reference to the University of Kentucky.…

The instructional effectiveness of two different presentation methods (lecture and self-paced or modularized) was examined using two groups of pharmacy students. Little or no difference was found in this study of junior and senior students at Oregon State University. (LBH)

The results of this study indicate that some of the basic skills used in clerkship courses can be adequately taught using the autotutorial approach in the environment of an autotutorial center. Skills such as information retrieval from charts, patient assessment, recordkeeping, and parameter- following procedures can be obtained by students prior…

The training procedures used in teaching senior year pharmacy students the skills necessary to perform a medication history are described. The training involves videotaping medication histories with actual patients and evaluating the videotapes in small groups. (LBH)

The objectives of this study were to identify learning formats, and quantify the amount of continuing education by which pharmacists selected from the extensive array available as reported to the Michigan Board of Pharmacy upon audit. About 80 percent of respondents (N=52) used correspondence instruction to some degree. (Author/MLW)

Two approaches for teaching a student how to define a problem, acquire pertinent data, generate possible solutions, and optimize them for the patient are described: guided design, originating in engineering education; and problem-based learning, which has roots in medical education. (Author/MLW)

A study evaluated the use of a video cassette as an early recruitment tool, with respect to promoting viewer awareness and increasing rate of application to the undergraduate pharmacy program. Analysis of questionnaires showed that the videotape increased knowledge the profession. (Author/MLW)

Student attitudes, perceptions, and achievement motivation were assessed before and after participation in a nine-month series of professional experiences, including community and hospital practice experience with minority pharmacists, basic science laboratory exposure and career development counseling. Experiential exposure significantly improved…

Describes a hypertext learning system in the United Kingdom that is designed to assist community pharmacists in recommending over-the-counter remedies to patients. The combination of hypertext's linking features with the knowledge-based components of expert systems is discussed, and the application of this model to other domains is explored. (five…

The purpose of this study was to test and assess the reliability and validity of a modified stress scale in a sample of pharmacy graduate students. The modified stress scale was used as part of a larger, nationwide, study whose aim was to investigate the association of stress, perceived academic success and health-related quality of life among…

Holism in health care, and specifically in pharmacy, are discussed, along with the views of patients and professionals concerning expanded pharmacists' roles, and the effects of those roles. In describing holism in health care, attention is directed to holism and several concepts: wellness versus the absence of disease; prevention; mind, body, and…