USC School of Pharmacy graduates in the PharmD class of 2018 had the highest passing rate in California — 97.7 percent — on the California Practice Standards and Jurisprudence Examination for Pharmacists (CPJE), a rate that far surpasses the overall statewide CPJE pass rate of 78.2 percent.
Additionally, graduates in the PharmD class of 2018 had a 96.49 percent first-time passing rate on the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX), according to the National Association of Board of Pharmacy. Nationally, the overall NAPLEX pass rate is 93.9 percent.
“These results are a testament to the high quality of our curriculum and the dedication of our esteemed faculty, as well as the hard work and rigorous preparation on the part of our high-caliber students,” says Vassilios Papadopoulos, dean of the USC School of Pharmacy.
According to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, which administers the test, the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination “measures a candidate’s knowledge of the practice of pharmacy.” It is one component of the licensure process. The 185-question computer-based exam “tests a prospective pharmacist’s ability to measure pharmacotherapy and therapeutic outcomes, prepare and dispense medications, and implement and evaluate information for optimal health care.”
To be licensed in California as a pharmacist, one must pass both the NAPLEX and the CPJE.