The North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX®)
measures a candidate's knowledge of pharmacy practice. The examination is
used by Boards of Pharmacy as part of the assessment of a candidate's
competency to practice pharmacy. The National Association of Boards of
Pharmacy (NABP) publishes a competency statement that provides a blueprint
of the topics covered in the examination. The blueprint offers important
information about the knowledge and skills that are expected for an
entry-level pharmacist. The NAPLEX® competency statement may be viewed
at
www.napb.net. The three areas of
competency include:
• Assess pharmacotherapy
to assure safe and effective therapeutic outcomes (56% of exam)
•
Assess safe and accurate preparation and dispensing of medications (33% of
exam)
• Assess, recommend, and provide health care information
that promotes public health (11% of exam)
The
NAPLEX®
Review Guide published by McGraw-Hill has been organized around the NABP
competencies and is designed to assist students in their preparation of the
exam, stimulate critical thinking, consolidate key information, advance
knowledge, and improve exam-taking ability.
The
textbook was developed and reviewed by pharmacists, faculty, students,
recent graduates, and education consultants with a priority focus on the
NABP competency statements.
I have taught a
NAPLEX® review course for Morris Cody and Associates since 2005 and have
instructed thousands of students representing over 70 schools of pharmacy. I
have been in a unique position to be able to talk with students and new
graduates from across the country and discuss with them what they need to be
successful when taking the exam and as a practicing pharmacist. The input
given by the students and the faculty, pharmacists, and educational
consultants was instrumental in the organization, development, and content
of this textbook. As there are many ways to assess knowledge, there are
equally as many ways to prepare for an exam. People are different and thrive
in different preparatory methods. The development of this textbook was
tailored to various learning and studying styles.
Each chapter within the textbook contains the following sections: Foundation
Overview, Prevention or Treatment, Case Application questions, and Takeaway
Points. The Foundation Overview consists of a general overview of the topic,
pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and diagnosis. The Prevention or
Treatment section provides a general overview and goals of prevention or
treatment, followed by a focus on specific agents including indication,
route of administration, rationale for use, and adverse reactions. Several
chapters have incorporated and developed tables and figures for enhancement
of the material in the chapter. The Case Application section is extremely
unique and will provide students and graduates ample opportunity to apply
their knowledge in each of the 70 chapters. Each chapter contains at least
20 case application questions (more than 1400 questions within the
textbook). The case application questions are based on the material within
the chapter with a focus on the NABP competency statements. Numerous
students discussed with me their need and desire to have a lot of questions,
especially questions that can serve as teaching points. Therefore, each case
application question is provided with a detailed answer section at the end
of the book. For each question, there is an explanation of why the correct
answer is correct and why the other choices are incorrect. This is a
valuable tool that you can tailor to your specific learning or studying
style. At the end of each chapter, the Case Application questions are
followed by the Takeaway Points section. The Takeaway Points summarize the
key concepts within the text to bring together all the information you have
studied and reviewed.
Finally, the textbook
offers two complete practice exams on the accompanying CD-ROM. The
185-question practice exams (370 total questions) test the student's ability
to measure pharmacotherapy and therapeutic outcomes, evaluate medications,
and implement and recommend information for optimal patient care. The goal
of the practice exams is to measure your knowledge and ability. The exams
should be taken as you would take the NAPLEX®. Your goal during the
practice exams should be to mimic the testing experience as closely as
possible and identify areas that you need to continue reviewing.
The
NAPLEX® Review Guide published by
McGraw-Hill was developed for students and graduates to assist in their
preparation of studying for the NAPLEX®. The textbook contains 70
chapters, more than 1400 case application questions with detailed
explanations, and two practice exams. The textbook will assist in your
preparation for the NAPLEX® and will also help you to improve your
problem-solving skills and exam-taking ability, consolidate key information,
and advance your knowledge base. In addition, the book can serve as a great
resource for keeping up with pharmacy in the future aft er you have passed
the NAPLEX®.
S. Scott Sutton
December
2010