BANGOR, MAINE, Oct. 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Husson University announced today their School of Pharmacy graduates achieved a 92.31% pass rate among all first time test takers who sat for the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination® (NAPLEX®) from May through August (second trimester) as reported by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP).
The national average for this period was 91.64%. Graduates from the class of 2018, who took the test during this window, achieved a passage rate of 97 percent.According to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, the NAPLEX® measures a candidate’s knowledge of the practice of pharmacy and is a requirement for licensure as a practitioner.”1 “Husson University’s School of Pharmacy does an outstanding job of preparing students for careers as pharmacists in a supportive and collaborative environment,” said Rhonda Waskiewicz, EdD, OT, dean at the School of Pharmacy. “More than half of our students are from Maine and plan to stay in Maine after graduation. We are confident our graduates are ready to make a valuable contribution to the health and well-being of Mainers in clinics, hospitals, and retail pharmacy settings.”
Waskiewicz continued: “Today’s pharmacist is expected to be an active member of the healthcare care team by providing medication management options for clients and their families, which includes improving healthcare outcomes and decreasing costs. Pharmacists are skilled in making decisions about what to prescribe and educating clients about disease states, the medications used to manage disease, potential interactions with other medications, and how to deal with unintended consequences such as side effects.”
The NAPLEX second trimester is the period within which most students across all pharmacy programs choose to sit for the exam. Any students from the 2018 graduating class who did not take the boards during the second trimester will most likely take the exam during this upcoming third trimester period. This period ends at the close of the calendar year. These scores will be calculated into the overall first-time test taker passage rate for the year.
The United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics has determined that the median pay for pharmacists in 2018 was $124,170 per year. Median salaries are highest in Alaska, west coast states, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.2 The job outlook for this career field remains strong. The employment of pharmacists is projected to grow six percent from 2016 to 2026.3 However the greatest growth will be in the areas of hospital and clinical pharmacy.
The NAPLEX® national licensure exam is administered by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). Founded in 1904, NABP aims to ensure the public’s health and safety through its pharmacist license transfer and pharmacist competence assessment programs, as well as through its VIPPS, VAWD, and DMEPOS accreditation programs. NABP’s member boards of pharmacy are grouped into eight districts that include all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Australia, Bahamas, and all 10 Canadian provinces. The Association is governed by its executive committee, whose officers and members are elected during the association’s annual meeting.
For more than 100 years, Husson University has prepared future leaders to handle the challenges of tomorrow through innovative undergraduate and graduate degrees. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson University has come to represent superior value in higher education. Our Bangor campus and off-campus satellite education centers in Southern Maine, Wells, and Northern Maine provide advanced knowledge in business; health and education; pharmacy studies; science and humanities; as well as communication. In addition, Husson University has a robust adult learning program. According to a recent analysis by U.S. News & World Report, Husson University is the most affordable four-year private college in New England. For more information about educational opportunities that can lead to personal and professional success, visit Husson.edu.
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1 NABP – National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, “NAPLEX,” https://nabp.pharmacy/programs/naplex/
2 The United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Outlook Handbook – Healthcare/Pharmacists,” https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/pharmacists.htm
3 Ibid
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