The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) recently released its North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) pass rates for Doctors of Pharmacy who graduated in 2018. The NAPLEX measures a candidate’s knowledge of the practice of pharmacy. It is 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.
The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy’s first attempt NAPLEX pass rate was 97.30%. UT’s is the 19th highest pass rate of all accredited pharmacy schools in the United States. The national NAPLEX pass rate was 89.46%. Unlike many schools, the UT College of Pharmacy does not require its graduates to take a NAPLEX review course.
The Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE) combines federal- and state-specific questions to test the pharmacy jurisprudence knowledge of prospective pharmacists. It serves as the pharmacy law examination in participating jurisdictions and tests a candidate’s mastery of pharmacy law.
UT Austin’s first attempt pass rate for the MPJE was 99.06%. UT’s pass rate was the highest of any pharmacy school in Texas, and the third highest of any pharmacy school in the country. The national MPJE pass rate was 83.76%.
Although the NAPLEX and MPJE pass rates are only one indicator of the quality of Pharm.D. programs, they are very important ones. UT’s 2018 Pharm.D. graduates make their alma mater proud and show the continuing high standards the UT College of Pharmacy maintains in educating future pharmacists.