Pharmacists: Training and Certification

Pharmacy education in the 20th century evolved significantly in the United States. In the early 1900s, pharmacy education consisted of a three-year education and apprenticeship that transitioned to a four-year bachelor’s degree program. By the 1960s, it was clear the four-year education did not sufficiently prepare [Page 1087]students to practice pharmacy. The program evolved to the five-year bachelor’s degree. In the early 1980s, in addition to the traditional bachelor’s degree, a doctorate in pharmacy degree became available. In the early 2000s, the doctorate degree (Pharm.D.) became the entry-level degree to graduate from a pharmacy school. The pronounced changes in the education were a result of the pharmacist’s ever-changing role in patient care. Pharmacy education today is six years and includes didactic, laboratory, and experiential learning. ...