COP receives passing rates on national exam

Graduates from the Class of 2011 at the Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC) Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy can boast a high ranking with a 94.12 percent first-time pass rate overall on the national licensure exam.

“I am proud of the degree of excellence evidenced in these college pass rates,” said James Robertson Jr., Ph.D., associate dean for student affairs at the TAMHSC-Rangel College of Pharmacy.

Upon graduation from the TAMHSC-Rangel College of Pharmacy, all graduates must take two exams: the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) and the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE). The NAPLEX assess a candidate’s knowledge of the practice and level of competency to practice as a pharmacist. The MPJE combines federal- and state-specific questions to serve as the pharmacy law examination in participating jurisdictions.

“These passing rates are a testament to the faculty and caliber of students the college has,” said Ron Garza, R.Ph., college preceptor (mentor) and Corpus Christi pharmacist for 26 years. “These students have proved to be everything we hoped for when we fought for this college to open; they are already out in the community improving the health care of South Texas.”

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) reports that this 94.12 percent pass rate is an improvement from last year’s rate of 93.06 percent. The first-time pass rate for the MPJE is 98.41 percent, also an increase from last year’s rate of 96.05 percent.

“With the caliber of our student body matched with the commitment and dedication of our faculty, preceptors and staff, we are bound to see such desirable outcomes,” said Indra Reddy, Ph.D., professor and founding dean of the TAMHSC-Rangel College of Pharmacy.