Pediatric pharmacy education for U.S. entry-level doctor of pharmacy programs

We surveyed U.S. pharmacy colleges requesting information about pediatric didactic content, reading assignments, clerkships, and amount of time dedicated to these experiences in entry-level PharmD programs. Six of 61 responding colleges were excluded from data analysis because they did not offer this degree. An average of 16.7 hours was devoted to pediatric content in required courses. This content varied extensively; only seven topics (otitis media, immunizations, meningitis, cystic fibrosis, pharmacokinetics, asthma, and fluid and electrolyte therapy) were included by greater than 70 percent of programs. Fifty of the 54 reporting programs (93 percent) offered at least an elective pediatric clerkship and all planned to. Eleven programs (20 percent) required pediatric clerkships. Forty-one percent of students enrolled in these 50 colleges would complete a pediatric clerkship. Pharmacy colleges should assure that their didactic and experiential curricula adequately prepare their graduates to provide appropriate pharmaceutical care to the neonatal-through-adolescent population.