Pharmacists w/o PharmD's?

[Yay4Pharm]

Hi everyone!
I was talking to some people the other day, and they said that they know some practicing, licensed pharmacists who only have a Master's degree, not a PharmD... does anyone know anything about this, and if this is still something that is going on? If it is, then what are the advantages of having a PharmD?! Thanks!

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[LVPharm]

Bottom line is, schools don't offer the Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy like they used to a few years ago. Those are the pharmacists you've met...some may have gotten a Masters, or even a postbaccalaureate Pharm.D. after the BS...they don't need to get a Pharm.D. to practice pharmacy. Now, schools of pharmacy only offer the Pharm.D. as the entry-level degree into the profession...so you have NO CHOICE. You get into pharmacy school, and you eventually earn a Pharm.D. The difference between the old BS Pharm programs and the newer Pharm.D. programs? Increased emphasis on clinical pharmacotherapy, and an extra year (clinical rotations).

 

[ilovepharmacy]

I know a lot of foreign grads (e.g. my dad, uncle, cousin, etc.) only earned B.S. in Pharmacy or M.S. in Pharmacy, because the Pharm.D. doesn't exist in some countries. When they immigrate here, they have to complete some number of intern hours I think and then take the boards. I never thought to ask my dad about the differences though (clinical components I'm guessing), because he is just as competent as any other pharmacist I know.. As long as you're going to school here, though, you're going to have to pursue a Pharm.D.! Good lucks!

 

[LVPharm]

Yup, I've seen some foreign grads who have a Masters in Pharmacy, which isn't all too common here. These days, as well as in the past when the bachelors degree was the entry-level degree into the pharmacy profession, foreign grads have to have their education certified by the foreign pharmacy graduate examination committee (NABP), take the FPGEE exam, as well as work extra intern hours (as a graduate intern). It's not that easy to find a job as a graduate intern, I knew a pharmacist from the Philippines who had to work for months as a pharmacy tech before she could find a pharmacy willing to hire her on as a graduate intern.