A high-stakes assessment approach to applied pharmacokinetics instruction.
OBJECTIVE
To identify instructional and assessment problems leading to pharmacy students' failure to retain pharmacokinetics abilities into the experiential year and develop an instructional methodology and abilities-based assessment tool to address the problem.


METHODS
Pharmacokinetic instructional methods were assessed and an abilities-based assessment tool was developed and utilized as a requirement for curricular progression. Both the instructional methodology and the assessment tool were evaluated using abilities-based outcomes and faculty surveys.


RESULTS
Both instructional methods and assessment methods improved student pharmacokinetic skill performance in the direct patient-care environment.


CONCLUSIONS
Continual assessment, modification, and implementation of teaching methods and the adoption of a high-stakes abilities-based assessment impacted student learning in a problem-based, integrated course.
Thomas
Selby Greer
SG
Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, AL 36849-5501, USA. thomasg@auburn.edu
Hester
E Kelly
EK
Duncan-Hewitt
Wendy
W
Villaume
William A
WA