Contacts:
Chrissy Shott, NACDS (703) 837-4266
Erica Jefferson, APhA (202) 429-7537

Alexandria, Va. – July 19, 2007 – Responding to the growing emphasis on experiential education and reliance on preceptors in pharmacy school programs, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) have developed a free continuing education program entitled “The Community Pharmacist Preceptor Education Program.” The program is supported by a grant from Merck & Co., Inc.

New standards from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) require student pharmacists to participate in a range of introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiences, also known as “rotations.” Rotations should be designed to train student pharmacists to integrate and apply knowledge from the classroom and to develop critical thinking skills to produce pharmacy graduates capable of and committed to delivering excellent patient care.

To help achieve these new requirements, many practicing pharmacists are being called upon to play a greater role in the development of future pharmacists by acting as preceptors. The Community Pharmacist Preceptor Education Program will help prepare preceptors by providing practical strategies for enhancing the development and implementation of community pharmacy rotations. It explores the skills needed to be an effective preceptor, and describes how preceptors can develop activities that will be appropriate for student pharmacists at different levels of their education, to achieve the goals and objectives of their rotations.

Pharmacists who complete the program will be better able to:

Develop the skills needed to be an effective preceptor.
Explain the benefits of precepting for preceptors, student pharmacists, community pharmacies, and the profession of pharmacy.
Describe the components of introductory and advanced experiential education.
Establish a framework for student pharmacist learning during a community pharmacy rotation.
Prepare student pharmacists to enter practice and/or the next level of pharmacy training.
The program can be accessed by going to www.nacdsfoundation.org or www.pharmacist.com/education.