University of Alberta Replacing BSc in Pharmacy with Doctor of Pharmacy

A new doctoral program is coming to the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in the fall of 2018 replacing the current four-year B.Sc. program. 

After Fall 2018, pharmacy students will learn under the PharmD program, while students who are enrolled prior to that will participate in a bridging program allowing them to graduate with a PharmD as well.

Students graduating in 2017 and earlier will be able to apply to the PharmD for Practicing Pharmacists program as a second professional degree, which takes a minimum of one year to complete.

The PharmD program will offer more experiential learning than the BSc. In their final year, students will spend a minimum of 40 weeks in practical settings, including 32 weeks in community practices, hospitals, or primary care networks. The current BSc program offers 22 weeks of experiential learning.

“All of Canada is moving towards the Doctor of Pharmacy degree,” Christine Hughes, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy said. “This is an exciting change for pharmacy education to help students better prepare for their future practice.”

Source:  The Gateway