Walgreens launches program to help pharmacy techs pursue PharmD

Walgreens, the largest independent community pharmacy provider in the U.S., has teamed up with talent development company Guild to launch PharmStart, a first-of-its-kind, fully funded online education program designed to help eligible pharmacy technicians meet the prerequisite requirements for pharmacy school—and eliminate barriers to pursuing a PharmD. The program will begin with an initial cohort of more than 300 team members across six states. Walgreens is currently accepting applications for its eligible pharmacy technicians and those in other eligible front-line positions who are interested in pursuing a career as a pharmacist.Read: ISMP provides tips to help simplify medication regimensRick Gates, chief pharmacy officer at Walgreens, who began his career as a front-of-store team member, understands the barriers to a PharmD pursuit, noting that becoming a pharmacist “was a lifelong dream, but the cost of tuition always loomed in the back of my mind. Today, we’re continuing to chip away at those financial burdens, ensuring team members can pursue their passion for pharmacy without the burden of debt being a barrier to success.”PharmStart was created in response to a survey of pharmacy technicians that highlighted that the financial burden of tuition for prerequisite course fees and time constraints are significant obstacles to pursuing a PharmD degree. Through the partnership with Guild, all tuition costs are handled directly through the platform and eligible team members will have access to personalized support that includes application and enrollment assistance, as well as career coaching.Read: Gearing up for national tech conferenceGates told the Pharmacy Times that during his eight years working as a pharmacist in Walgreens pharmacies, “the best pharmacists I worked side by side with, a lot of them were actually technicians in our stores...We’ve got to tap into our own talent.”

Walgreens launches program to help pharmacy techs pursue PharmD

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