CEDARVILLE — The 2018 graduates of Cedarville University’s Doctor of Pharmacy have achieved a 96.77 percent pass rate on the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX), exceeding the national average.

Cedarville’s 2018 pharmacy class consisted of 34 students — three graduated with distinction (a GPA of 3.9 or higher) and six with high distinction (a GPA of 3.95 or higher).

Passing the NAPLEX is a prerequisite for becoming a licensed pharmacist.

The goal of NAPLEX is to measure a pharmacy candidate’s knowledge and skill as accurately as possible. The Cedarville University School of Pharmacy prepares its students for this national test by providing a rigorous, four-year doctoral curriculum followed by a review session before graduation.

“I am very pleased with the performance of our graduates,” said Dr. Marc Sweeney, founding dean of the school of pharmacy. “As a new pharmacy program, it’s encouraging to see those statistics. Prospective students can see that we prepare our graduates well. This is one piece in producing high-quality pharmacists.”