The American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education was first published in 1937 by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) under the editorship of Rufus A. Lyman. Lyman, a physician, was instrumental on a national level in strengthening the pharmacy profession. Lyman believed that the time had come for “a journal devoted exclusively to the problems of pharmaceutical education and its administration.” The newly established Journal served as a platform and unifying force for pharmacy faculty members, as well as documented the proceedings of AACP and became a voice for its membership.
In 1956, Melvin T. Gibson, at Washington State University, assumed editorship of the Journal.
In 1961, C. Boyd Granberg, Drake University, assumed editorship of the Journal.
In 1969, the Rufus A. Lyman Award, named after the founding editor, was established to recognize the best paper published each year in the Journal. The AACP president appoints a selection committee to evaluate the nominated papers and select the one that has made the greatest contribution to pharmacy education for that year. The award has been given out every year since.
In 1975, Marvin H. Malone, University of the Pacific, assumed editorship of the Journal.
In 1980, George H. Cocolas, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, assumed editorship of the Journal. In 1986, during Cocolas’ tenure, the Journal celebrated its 50th anniversary. Cocolas was a quiet man but a leader in the Academy and well respected by his peers. His successor, Joseph T. DiPiro, would later observe that it was during Cocolas’ 22-year tenure as editor that the Journal became “the internationally recognized voice of pharmacy education.”
After 22 years of service to the Journal, the longest of any AJPE editor to date, Cocolas’ resigned. In fall 2002, the last printed issue of the Journal was mailed to subscribers and the Journal entered a new phase.
In 2003, Joseph T. DiPiro, then at the University of Georgia, assumed editorship of the Journal and was tasked with moving the Journal into the 21st century. The time-consuming, paper-based system of managing the peer-review process was replaced with an electronic database and email. A website was launched, and the first online, open-access issue of the Journal was published in January 2003. Along with the move to publishing online, the number of issues was expanded from four to six per year.
The move to an open-access, online publishing quickly led to a significant increase in manuscript submissions. In 2004, the first associate editors, Gayle A. Brazeau and Jack E. Fincham, were appointed to help manage the growing Journal. The editorial board was also expanded to 20 members. In 2005, Editorial Manager, an online system for streamlining manuscript submission and peer review was introduced to AJPE authors and reviewers. In 2006, the Journal was accepted to PubMed, the online version of Index Medicus. In 2008, the Journal appointed its first international associate editor, Claire Anderson, at the University of Nottingham, England.
In 2009, publication expanded to eight issues per year. In 2010, to keep up with the growing demand, the Journal increased its frequency to 10 issues per year. In 2011, a new website was launched and the Journal celebrated its 75th anniversary. In 2015, Joseph T. DiPiro resigned after serving as AJPE editor for 12 years.
In 2015, Gayle A. Brazeau, then dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of New England, was named Journal editor. Dr. Brazeau, who had served as associate editor for the Journal for more than 10 years, became the first woman in the history of the Journal to hold this position. Under Dr. Brazeau’s leadership, the Journal has continued to grow.