advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) availability and needs for 4 colleges and schools of pharmacy in Georgia and Alabama and to examine barriers and offer potential solutions to increase APPE site and preceptor availability. Methods. Data on APPE needs and availability were gathered prospectively and evaluated relative to current and projected enrollment and planned programmatic changes. Results. Combined 2006-2007 non-community APPE needs and availabilities were 3,590 and 4,427, respectively, with a surplus availability of 837. Combined projected 2010-2011 non-community APPEs were estimated at 4,309. Assuming 2006-2007 non-community availability remained unchanged, the surplus availability declined to 118. Conclusions. The need for quality experiential education represents a significant barrier and rate-limiting step to the matriculation of the increased numbers of pharmacists. Barriers to expanding APPE availability include: introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) and APPE expansion, growth of new and existing pharmacy programs, financial instability of acute care facilities, and lack of preceptor development resources. Regional experiential education consortiums can provide a constructive approach to improve access to quality sites and preceptors through standardizing processes and leveraging resources.

Objectives. To determine student agreement with objectives in our college professionalism curricular competency statement and to identify student perceptions about professional behavior within the college of pharmacy. Methods. Two hundred forty students (60 per curricular year) were randomly selected to participate in a cross-sectional survey. A 5-point Likert scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree) was used to rate 42 survey items.Results. Survey response rates by professional year (1 to 4) were 43 (71.1%), 47 (78.3%), 47 (78.3%), and 40 (66.7%). Agreement rates for survey items related to the college professional competency objectives varied from 79% to 100%. Third-year students had lower agreement rates than first-year students for 5 of 8 statements related to professionalism within the College. Conclusion. Students agreed that objectives listed in the college professional curricular competency reflected behaviors consistent with pharmacy professionals. Students agreed that the College should and did teach professionalism, and that the words and actions of faculty members' and themselves conveyed professionalism. In comparison, students, particularly those in their third year, believed that their classmates' words and actions less often conveyed professionalism.

Objective. To implement and assess a Web-based patient care portfolio system for development of pharmaceutical care plans by students completing advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) throughout a statewide preceptor network. Design. Using a Web database, students in APPEs documented 6 patient cases within 5 disease state categories. Through discussion of the disease states and inclusion of patient information such as problems, desired outcomes, and interventions, a complete pharmaceutical care plan was developed for each patient. Assessment. Student interventions were compared by geographical regions to assess continuity of patient care activities by students. Additionally, students completed an evaluation of the portfolio course to provide feedback on the portfolio process. Students documented an average of 1.8 therapeutic interventions per patient case and documented interventions in all geographical regions. The majority of students indicated that the portfolio process improved their ability to develop a pharmaceutical care plan. Conclusion. The Web-based patient care portfolio process assisted with documentation of compliance with Accreditation Council of Pharmacy Education (ACPE) standards and College of Pharmacy Competency Statements. Students indicated the portfolio process was beneficial in developing skills needed for creating pharmaceutical care plans.

PDE-5 inhibitors consistently reduce LUTS associated with BPH. These medications may offer advantages over conventional therapies such as rapid onset of action, fewer adverse effects, and enhanced sexual function. Quality of life improvements have also been realized in men with BPH who receive PDE-5 inhibitors.