The cumulative score is an aggregate of two distinct testing periods for students ending in December 2016 and includes scores from first-time test takers as well as those who repeated the exam.
Important program indicators for the school also include a 97 percent on-time graduation rate and 90 percent job placement at the time of graduation.
On a second national examination that reviews pharmacy legal issues, the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE), Marshall graduate pharmacists had a first-time pass rate of 84 percent.
Both the NAPLEX and the MPJE are standard examinations to assess an individual’s knowledge to practice pharmacy.
“My hat is off to our inaugural class of students and our faculty whose perseverance and commitment to this budding program was remarkable,” said Kevin W. Yingling, R.Ph., M.D., dean of the school. “We are proud of our graduates’ performance and send congratulations to all.”
Yingling said that the first-time pass rate on the NAPLEX, 67 percent, was a bit lower than expected—the national average for 2016 is 85 percent —and faculty and administrators are working hard to identify the cause of the lower initial scores.
“We are dedicated to reviewing every aspect of our curriculum and working to identify potential gaps and meet our goals that include graduating practice-ready pharmacists,” Yingling said.
The Marshall University School of Pharmacy is an accredited program by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.