NEOMED College of Pharmacy Graduates Exceed National Peers on Licensure Exams

Have matched or exceeded the national rates in each of the past 8 years

ROOTSTOWN, OHIO – Graduates of the 2018 College of Pharmacy class at Northeast Ohio Medical University have outpaced peers in their performance on the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX®), according to a recently released NAPLEX® School Summary Report.

This summer, 66 College of Pharmacy graduates took the NAPLEX® for the first time, resulting in a 98.48 percent first-time pass rate. The graduates surpassed the national rate of 91.64 percent – by nearly seven percentage points ― and outperformed peers in Ohio, who had a first-time pass rate of 94.98 percent.

The NAPLEX® measures a candidate’s knowledge of the practice of pharmacy. It is just one component of the licensure process and is used by the boards of pharmacy as part of their assessment of a candidate’s competence to practice as a pharmacist.

NEOMED’s graduates have matched or exceeded the national rates in each of the past eight years, which the College attributes to the caliber of students it attracts as well as its curriculum, pharmacy residency track, and extensive field training through Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs) and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs), which bridges the gap from the classroom to the real world.

“Our graduates continue to outperform our national and state peers and we couldn’t be prouder,” said Richard Kasmer, Pharm.D., J.D., vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College of Pharmacy.  “It’s the dedication of our students, faculty and staff that contributes to the positive outcomes and the practice- and team-ready preparedness of our graduates. I look forward to the great works they will accomplish.”

NEOMED’s College of Pharmacy graduates also performed well on the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination® (MPJE®).  With a first-time pass rate of 95.08 percent, NEOMED graduates exceeded the national rate of 85 percent and Ohio’s pass rate of 92.27 percent.

The MPJE®, which combines federal- and state-specific questions, serves as the pharmacy law examination in participating jurisdictions and tests a candidate’s mastery of pharmacy law.

About NEOMED

For more than 40 years, Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) has worked in collaboration with its educational, clinical and research partners to successfully train health professionals and medical researchers who serve and impact the region and beyond. The University trains students in a team-based, interprofessional environment and offers Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degrees, in addition to master’s and doctoral degrees and research opportunities in other medical areas.www.neomed.edu.