Curricular reform in pharmacy education through the lens of the flexner report of 1910

Abstract

Abraham Flexner’s 1910 report on medical education in the United States (US) and Canada propelled medical training forward into a contemporary renaissance. The report heralded many seismic changes that still resonate within medical and health professions education throughout the US. Today several factors are accelerating curricular reform within pharmacy education, including but not limited to accreditation standards, technologic advances, and student diversity. Despite the fact that Flexner’s report is now over a century old, many of his observations and recommendations regarding education are as pertinent and timely today as they were in 1910. This commentary will discuss and reflect upon curricular reform in pharmacy education as it contrasts with some of the observations, findings, and recommendations of Flexner’s 1910 report.