Comparing the Design, Structure, and Delivery Methods of Literature Evaluation Courses Among 3-Year Pharmacy Programs

Objectives: To evaluate how Literature Evaluation courses are being taught among 3-year pharmacy programs. Method: The emergence of new pharmacy schools and 3-year accelerated programs was aimed to meet nationwide pharmacist demand. These programs have played significant roles in meeting such demand, but have also created challenges in the sequence, design, and delivery of selected courses; such as Literature Evaluation. In order to evaluate the differences and similarities for this course, comprehensive literature searches were conducted in International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA), Pubmed, and Cochrane Library from inception to February 15, 2010. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) website was consulted to locate three year programs. School websites were researched to view curricula. Colleges without an online curriculum were contacted for a Literature Evaluation syllabus. Individual course coordinators were contacted via email for further information. The intent of this research was to compare design, content, activities, duration, and delivery methods for Literature Evaluation courses in 3-year pharmacy programs. An electronic assessment was developed to survey faculty teaching Literature Evaluation in these programs, solicit their input, share highlights of their respective courses, and suggest areas of improvements. A similar assessment will be sent to Drug Information specialists through the DI Listserv to get their perspectives on standalone versus combined Literature Evaluation courses. Results: Data analysis is currently in progress, and results will be presented at the conference. Implications: The results will highlight differences among the various programs and provide insights for improving the newly combined Drug Information/Literature Evaluation course at SUCOP