An initiative of the Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education (formerly the Center for the Advancement of Pharmaceutical Education) (CAPE), the CAPE Educational Outcomes are intended to be the target toward which the evolving pharmacy curriculum should be aimed. Their development was guided by an advisory panel composed of educators and practitioners nominated for participation by practitioner organizations. CAPE 2013 represents the fourth iteration of the Educational Outcomes, preceded by CAPE 1992, CAPE 1998 and CAPE 2004 respectively. The CAPE 2013 Educational Outcomes were released at the AACP July 2013 Annual meeting and have been revised to include 4 broad domains, 15 subdomains, and example learning objectives.

Medicinal chemistry instruction at Creighton University is designed to provide an in-depth scientifically grounded and clinically relevant learning experience for pharmacy students. Each topic covered in the 2-semester required course sequence is selected based on the general utility of the compounds in question and/or the therapeutic importance of the drugs in treating life-threatening diseases. All lessons provided to campus-and Web-based students by the author are in the form of a descriptive and conversational narrative and course requirements are in place to assure that students read the lesson prior to the class period in which it is discussed. Learning tools and aids are provided to help students more readily discern the most critical aspects of each lesson, to practice required critical thinking and structure analysis skills, and to self-assess competency in meeting specific learning objectives. This manuscript illustrates this approach by sharing a lesson on the chemistry and clinically relevant structure-activity relationships of proton pump inhibitors.

Microcystin-LR (MCLR) is a potent cyclic heptapeptide hepatotoxin produced by the blue-green algae, Microcystis aeruginosa. Toxic blooms of this cyanobacteria have been reported throughout the temperate world. In spite of the potential economic loss and health hazard posed by this toxin, few studies on the development of an antidote have been conducted. Thus, a number of biologically active compounds were tested in mice for effectiveness in preventing the toxicity of a lethal dose of MCLR (100 micrograms kg-1). Efficacy was evaluated based upon the percentage of surviving mice, time to death and serum lactate dehydrogenase activity 45 min after treatment with the toxin. The biologically active compounds were separated into groups based upon proposed mechanisms of action. Enzyme induction by phenobarbital but not by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) resulted in partial protection against toxicity. Calcium channel blockers, free-radical scavengers and water-soluble antioxidants produced little protection against toxicity. The membrane-active antioxidants vitamin E and silymarin, as well as glutathione and the monoethyl ester of glutathione, produced significant protection from lethality. Rifampin and cyclosporin-A, both immunosuppressive and membrane-active agents, which also block the bile acid uptake system of hepatocytes, produced complete protection from the toxicity of MCLR. Thus, lipophilic antioxidants provide partial protection against MCLR toxicity while cyclosporin-A and rifampin are highly effective and potentially useful antidotes. The toxicity of MCLR may depend upon stimulation of the immune system and may be mediated by membrane alterations.

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The 2-semester medicinal chemistry course sequence required in the second-professional year of the pharmacy program at Creighton University, entitled, The Chemical Basis of Drug Action I and II, has always emphasized the importance of a thorough analysis of drug structure as an integral part of rational therapeutic decision-making. The instructors have routinely attempted to reinforce the professional relevance of drug chemistry by employing learning tools such as the medicinal chemistry case study (both paper-based and computerized) and the structurally-based therapeutic evaluation (SBTE). [1][2][3][4][5] There has also been a conscious effort to honor the School's ability-based outcomes on (1) drug therapy evaluation, (2) pharmacotherapeutic decisionmaking, (3) taking personal responsibility for learning, and (4) critical thinking by demanding a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge of drug chemistry and structure-activity relationships (SAR) to patient care, and through the integration of course content with material previously learned and yet to be learned. [5][6][7] Course evaluation data gathered over the past several years has provided evidence that the active-learning strategies employed in the Chemical Basis courses enhance both learning and an appreciation of the practical relevance of our discipline's concepts. However, the instructors remained concerned about students' longterm retention and utilization of medicinal chemistry principles in practice without reinforcement in subsequent years of the curriculum. When invited to coordinate a session in the third-year (spring 2003) Early Pharmacy Practice Experience (EPPE) course, we readily accepted. At the time of our participation, the EPPE course sequence was woven throughout the full 6 semesters of didactic coursework. First-year students received an introduction to the most common practice environments (eg, hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy), while those in the second-professional year explored alternative career options and gained insight on physical assessment and issues related to patient-specific pharmaceutical care. The third-year EPPE courses were designed to be a preparation for major life events, clinical practice, and the impending transition to the clerkship year. A component of these 2 courses was dedicated to a review of previous coursework so that students could better integrate the major concepts with the experiences and professional insight they had gained from working in pharmacies and their formal study of clinically-focused coursework (therapeutics, pharmacokinetics). Objectives. To reinforce the relevance of chemistry to therapeutic decision-making. Design. A team-based game entitled, Who Wants To Be A Med Chem Millionaire? was devised for P3 students using clinical cases from Pharmacotherapeutics courses. Questions were developed to demonstrate the value of applying chemistry to meet patient care goals. Teams of 6 students played for healthrelated charities, and correct answers to questions earned Med Chem Moolah. Faculty me...