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WesternU College of Pharmacy has highest pass rates for two board exams

by Rodney Tanaka

October 27, 2021

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Western University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy (COP) Class of 2021 graduates ranked No. 1 in pass rates for both the California Pharmacist Jurisprudence Examination (CPJE) and North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) in a recent report from the California Board of Pharmacy.

The report shows data for all candidates who took the CPJE examination between April and September 2021. The report also shows NAPLEX scores associated with any candidate who took the CPJE during this time period and was reported to the board, regardless of when the NAPLEX may have been taken. Passing both exams is required to receive a pharmacist license.

“The College of Pharmacy traditionally has done well in both components, but this is the first time in recent memory that the College has topped both parts of the licensure exam,” said WesternU College of Pharmacy Dean Sunil Prabhu, BPharm, PhD. “This achievement is worthy of special mention and the credit goes to the hard work of our graduating class of 2021 and to the selfless efforts of our faculty and staff in making this possible.”

WesternU COP had a CPJE pass rate of 77% (59.1% state average) and a NAPLEX pass rate of 94.8% (88.3% state average), securing the top passing percentages for each exam for all 13 California pharmacy schools. The COP Class of 2021, notwithstanding these remarkable test results, also completed clinical rotations and graduated amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A silver lining from the dark cloud of the pandemic was the grit and resilience that was in full display from this class, our faculty and staff,” Prabhu said. “Despite great challenges such as temporary closure of clinical training sites last year, we were able to graduate this class on time. I am so proud of our experiential staff that ensured sites were available for our students and to our graduates who endured this upheaval with grace and determination, and the will to succeed. We are indeed WesternU Proud.”

WesternU College of Pharmacy Class of 2021 photographed on the Pomona, Calif. campus in 2017. (Mirza Hasanefendic, WesternU)

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