Generation Rx: A study of the changeover to the entry-level PharmD degree in pharmacy education

Formal education for pharmacists and apothecaries in America began in the early 19th century. Since that time, professional education for drug dispensing, compounding and related services for the public good have evolved to address the marked increase in government regulation, drug discovery, and the action/interaction of the ever-multiplying number of medications. The 1950s brought a sea-change to pharmacy education in the United States when the school-by-school entry-level pharmacy degree changeover first occurred at University of Southern California School of Pharmacy. By the 1990s, most accredited schools of pharmacy in the nation were moving to redact the prior five-year baccalaureate pharmacy degree from their offerings in subscription of a new generation of pharmacy curricula. This significant academic event mandated that the doctor of pharmacy degree---previously an advanced professional degree offering---become the new entry-level degree required of all graduating pharmacy students seeking state licensure and all colleges seeking accreditation. An examination of the existing scholarly literature along with case studies of two selected institutions---University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy and Philadelphia College of Pharmacy---informs the study. Through over thirty five interviews with participants and critics of the changeover, the study reveals that the thoughtful process was needed but insufficient.