5 Tips: Is it worth pursuing a post-bachelor PharmD?

The scope of practice for Canadian pharmacists has developed in parallel to changes in pharmacy education over the last several years. In 2010, the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada and the Association of Deans of Pharmacy of Canada passed a joint resolution committing to replace the baccalaureate pharmacy degree with a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degree as the first professional degree in pharmacy. This was meant to ensure that graduates entering practice can competently perform the enhanced patient care skills that will be expected of pharmacists.(1) All pharmacy schools in Canada were tasked to ensure that they had these programs in place by 2020. With the conversion to entry-to-practice PharmD degrees over the last decade, a number of nontraditional bridging programs have been introduced to offer bachelor-trained pharmacists the opportunity to obtain the PharmD degree. This article offers five tips to those pharmacists who are considering furthering their education by seeking to obtain a doctor of pharmacy degree. 1) Identify goals for completing the degree There are many personal and professional reasons why pharmacists may want to complete a post-bachelor’s PharmD degree. Potential motivators may include the transition from a bachelor’s degree to PharmD as the sole entry to practice degree, the need to keep current and update their knowledge and skills, and the desire to enhance their clinical practice and improve their quality of work.(2-4) Post-bachelor’s PharmD programs aim to provide additional training in patient care skills including, but not limited to, patient assessment, interpreting laboratory values and making decisions about complex drug therapy. These areas were identified as key learning needs by pharmacists in a 2019 study.(5) In the same study, community pharmacists and those with bachelor degrees were more likely to indicate a need for additional training in various patient care skills.(5) The PharmD degree may lead to increased career choices and opportunities for innovative practices in Canadian pharmacies.(6) Pharmacists are encouraged to self-assess their current knowledge, skills and motivations to determine if an additional formal degree in pharmacy will meet their professional and career goals. 2) Research the available PharmD programs A number of PharmD programs are available to practising pharmacists in Canada. All offer a combination of didactic coursework delivered in an online or blended format, as well as a varying number of weeks of experiential learning. The potential benefits of completing the PharmD degree in a nontraditional way can include the ability to remain working in the same geographic area, as well as the flexibility of how coursework can be completed, which can allow integration of work, school and personal responsibilities.(6) Working professionals should consider a number of factors when deciding which program will best suit their needs. This includes flexibility of the program in terms of course offerings, schedule, asynchronous or synchronous delivery, the amount of experiential learning required, the time limit to complete the degree, and cost. Some individuals may wish to complete the degree at a slower pace, while others will want to take an accelerated approach. With respect to experiential learning, programs will vary in the number of weeks required to obtain the degree, whether it can be completed at your workplace, or if the opportunity is offered to obtain credit for practice experience via a prior learning assessment process. While there are still a few post-bachelor’s PharmD programs in the United States available to Canadian pharmacists, some of these require the experiential education to be completed in the USA, which may not be feasible for everyone. Pharmacists may find it helpful to contact programs directly to obtain more information to assist in their research. 3) Consider the time and financial investment Pharmacists may want to consider the time required to complete the program requirements and weigh the pros and cons of furthering their education while balancing their other personal and professional commitments. Post-bachelor’s PharmD programs in Canada are typically cost-recovery programs, meaning they are not supplemented by provincial funding like other undergraduate programs. As such, tuition tends to be more expensive than traditional undergraduate programs. Estimated costs for Canadian programs range from approximately $25,000 to $45,000 CAD.(7-10) Depending on the program, there may be costs associated with travel and accommodations if time is required to be spent on campus to complete coursework. Travel and accommodation expenses may also be incurred to complete experiential learning. Pharmacists may need to take time off of work in order to complete experiential learning; the loss of income during this time should be factored into the costs associated with obtaining the degree. Pharmacists may reflect on the potential return on investment beyond financial considerations. Non-monetary benefits include those already mentioned, such as increased career opportunities and job satisfaction.(11) Nonetheless, financial planning should be a key component to help aid in the decision to return to education. 4) Talk to pharmacists completing the degree Pharmacists contemplating a PharmD are encouraged to speak to others who have completed such programs to learn about their personal experiences. Connecting with current students or recent graduates will offer the opportunity to gain insight on what the potential experience could be like, including strategies for success and how to deal with potential challenges that may arise. Speaking to individuals with similar personal and/or professional circumstances may provide more relevant and meaningful information to help you decide about completing a PharmD degree. 5) Talk to your manager or employer Pharmacists contemplating obtaining a PharmD degree may want to speak to their supervisor or employer, who may be able to provide financial support and/or support in terms of time away from work to complete program requirements. Employer support for higher education has been shown to improve retention rates in online graduate programs.(12) Some PharmD programs incorporate workplace learning activities, which may be of benefit to the learner and the practice site; therefore, including your supervisor in these discussions may also contribute to support for the learner. Students supported by their employers are more likely to persist with the program, graduate with less debt and bring new knowledge, skills and qualifications to their place of employment.(12) Summary As the role of the pharmacist continues to evolve, pursuing further education in the form of a doctor of pharmacy degree may be an appropriate step for some pharmacists to take to help meet patient and societal needs. The decision to complete a post-bachelor’s PharmD requires thoughtful planning. While pharmacists may have different personal goals for obtaining this additional credential, patients will likely end up being one of the beneficiaries of the degree. Rene Breault (rbreault@ualberta.ca) is an associate clinical professor and director of the PharmD for Practicing Pharmacists Program at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, in Edmonton. References 1. Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC) and Association of Deans of Pharmacy of Canada (ADPC). Position statement and joint resolution on the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) for the first professional degree at universities in Canada; February 2010. https://www.afpc.info/sites/default/files/AFPC_ADPC_PharmD_Position_Statement_Resolution_Sept_2010.pdf (accessed March 31, 2021). 2. Garst WC, Ried LD. Motivational orientations: evaluation of the education participation scale in a nontraditional doctor of pharmacy program. Am J Pharm Educ 1999;63:300-4. 3. Joyner PU, Pittman AW, Campbell WH, et al. A needs assessment for an external doctor of pharmacy degree program. Am J Pharm Educ 1997;61:292-6. 4. Poirier T. PharmD option for mid-career practitioners. Am J Pharm Educ 1994;58:124S. 5. Schindel TJ, Yuksel N, Breault RR, et al. Pharmacists’ learning needs in the era of expanding scopes of practice: evolving practices and changing needs. Res Soc Admin Pharm 2019;15(4):448-58. 6. MacKinnon N, Sketris I, Lake J. Nontraditional doctor of pharmacy programs: where can Canadian pharmacists go? Can Pharm J 2000;133(1):38. 7. Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta. PharmD for practicing pharmacists. https://www.ualberta.ca/pharmacy/programs/pharmd-for-practicing-pharmacists/frequently-asked-questions.html (accessed April 6, 2021). 8. School of Pharmacy, Memorial University. Doctor of Pharmacy for working professionals. https://www.mun.ca/pharmacy/programs/bridging/FeesandCharges.php (accessed April 6, 2021). 9. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia. Flex PharmD. https://pharmsci.ubc.ca/programs/flex-pharmd-degree/application-timeline (accessed April 6, 2021). 10. Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto. PharmD for pharmacists FAQ. https://pharmacy.utoronto.ca/programs/pharmd-pharmacists/pharmd-pharmacists-faq (accessed April 6, 2021). 11. Cox ER, Reeder CE, Cohn E. Estimation of the internal rate of return to the two year post-BS PharmD degree. Am J Pharm Ed 1994;58:1-8. 12. Lenio JA. Employer support as a predictor of online master’s student retention. J College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice 2021; March 11, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1177/15210251211001561 (accessed March 31, 2021). 5 Tips for incorporating virtual care in the pharmacy

5 Tips: Is it worth pursuing a post-bachelor PharmD?

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