Class of 2024 excels on NAPLEX

The numbers are in… and they look marvelous.

The MUSC pharmacy Class of 2024 finished well above the national average on the North American Pharmacists Licensure Examination^® (NAPLEX^®); results were distributed to colleges earlier this week by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP).

The MUSC College of Pharmacy Class of 2024 finished with a first-time pass rate of 86.9%, compared to a national average of 77.5%. Also noteworthy was the 100% pass rate for those who took the NAPLEX within two months of graduation.

“I was very pleased with the success of the Class of 2024 on the NAPLEX,” said Philip Hall, dean of MUSC College of Pharmacy. “Our faculty, staff and students worked diligently all year long to make sure our graduates walked into that testing room ready to excel, and they came through.”

The NAPLEX is designed to evaluate general practice knowledge and is taken by recent college of pharmacy graduates shortly after they receive their degree. The exam is one component of the licensure process and is used by the boards of pharmacy to assess a candidate’s competence to practice as a pharmacist.

The national average on the NAPLEX has trended downward in recent years and the MUSC College of Pharmacy put in some new resources and learning experiences for this past graduating class to try to buck that trend. The Class of 2024 proved exceptional in every sense of the word.

“We evaluate the excellence of the MUSC pharmacy program through various metrics, and a key indicator is how effectively we equip our students to become outstanding pharmacists,” said Shannon Drayton, assistant dean for assessment and accreditation. “While there are multiple facets to this achievement beyond test scores, the NAPLEX pass rate is a crucial measure. We are thrilled with the dedication and preparation demonstrated by the Class of 2024, leading to their remarkable success.”

The preparation included taking advantage of a suite of test-preparation resources for students so they can engage with NAPLEX earlier, three review courses for fourth-year students, a test bank with NAPLEX data bases so students can practice more, a structure for year-long preparation, a lab to help with calculations, and more NAPLEX-style test questions in the regular curriculum.

“It’s a great success story for our program,” Hall said. “We saw the trend, came up with a game plan to help our students, and implemented it. Great work by our faculty, staff, and, most of all, our students!”