• William Allan Prescott, Elizabeth M Dahl, and David J Hutchinson.
• School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York.
• Am J Pharm Educ. 2014 Apr 17; 78 (3): 51.

ObjectiveTo determine the extent to which pediatrics is taught at US doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) programs and to characterize what is being taught and how.MethodsA 40-question online survey instrument was sent to accredited and candidate-status US PharmD programs.ResultsOf 86 participating programs (67.2% response rate), 81 (94.2%) indicated that pediatric topics were included in their required classroom curricula (mean, 21.9 contact hours). A pediatric elective course was offered by 61.0% of programs (mean, 25.9 contact hours). Advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) in pediatrics were offered by 97.4% of programs, with an average of 27 students per program completing this practice experience annually.ConclusionsAlmost all responding programs incorporated pediatrics in their required curricula. Pediatric elective courses provided an adequate mean number of contact hours, but 39.0% of programs did not offer an elective course. One-fifth of students completed a pediatric APPE prior to graduation. Continued expansion of pediatric-focused classroom and experiential curricula across US PharmD programs is recommended.

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