Editorial: BS + Internship or PharmD (Both 6 years of training to become a licensed pharmacist)

I often get asked, especially by PharmD students, about the "old program" in pharmacy (the one I went through). As one of the "older graduates" in pharmacy, I thought it might be interesting to briefly summarize the "old" B.S. in Pharmacy that I received back in the 1960s and the process that it took to become a Registered Pharmacist and to practice pharmacy. The comments I have heard over the years is that the old BS degree and getting registered must have been a lot easier and involved less time and study than the current degree program.

Actually, the B.S. in Pharmacy I received involved 160 semester hours of coursework (16 hours per semester for 10 semesters). These involved two years of Prepharmacy along with English, Physics, Biology, Zoology, Botany, History, Government, Algebra, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Trigonometry, Psychology, Literature, Accounting, Speech, Biochemistry, etc. Then, after entering the professional degree program, coursework consisted of Pharmacy Literature, Organic Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Microbiology, Pharmacy Technology, Physical Pharmacy, Official Assays, Human Physiology, Logic and the Scientifc Method, Biodrug Principles, Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy (Natural Products Chemistry), Prescription Principles, Agricultural (Veterinary) Pharmacy, Hospital Pharmacy, Emergency Pharmacy, Pharmacy Administration, etc. Laboratories were a part of every single semester in the curriculum and involved many different courses. Each of these 160 hours consisted of 15 weeks of classwork/labwork and then the last week was for Final Exams. Classes typically were held in the mornings with laboratories most of the afternoons and sometimes in the evenings.

THEN, we had to also complete 2,000 hours of internship, working in a pharmacy before we could take the pharmacy board exam. The 2,000 hours was the equivalent of 1 year of work (40 hours per week for 50 weeks = 2,000 hours). These hours, in our state, could be done during the summers and vacations but not simultaneously while in the semester doing coursework.

In summary, with 5 years of intense coursework and 1 year (2,000 hours) of internship, the total "old" program consisted of 6 years of training. So, the length of pharmacy training in the B.S. in Pharmacy program with internship outside of the college is the same as that of the PharmD program with the internship hours now obtained inside the college curriculum. Formerly the internship was operated by the individual state boards of pharmacy; today, it is operated by both the state boards and the individual colleges of pharmacy. Regarding the curriculum; today, many of the science courses have been replaced with clinically-oriented courses and many of the laboratory sessions have been reduced.

In summary, the actual length of the preparation time is the same�there is just some difference in content. Also, pharmacists in the "old 6 year" program received a B.S. degree, whereas now in the "new 6 year" program, the PharmD degree is received.


Loyd V. Allen, Jr., PhD, RPh
Editor-in-Chief

FDA Convenes Pharmacy Compounding Meeting
The FDA contacted a number of representative pharmacy organizations in February of this year and requested a meeting. The meeting of pharmacy compounding stakeholders was held on March 8, 2010 for the purpose of discussing quality pharmacy compounding. There were approximately a dozen FDA staff present and invited attendees included representatives from APhA, the IACP, ASHP, NCPA, USP, NASPA, and the International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding.

After introductions, the FDA opened the meeting with the observation that with the increasing number of compounded prescriptions and the increase in importing compounding chemicals as a result of globalization, they have a concern of increased patient exposure to potential risk. The FDA is seeking opportunities to work with the compounding pharmacy community to protect the quality of compounded preparations. Related to this was the importance of ensuring that chemical suppliers are registered with the FDA and have been recently inspected (FDA registration of a foreign chemical supplier does not ensure they have been inspected; in fact, most of them have not). It is important for pharmacists to also utilize the Certificates of Analysis of each lot of ingredients purchased from any supplier and only purchase from reliable suppliers.

Another topic concerned FDA's communications to compounding pharmacists. A positive example was the issuance of the Tamiflu Compounding Guidance for pharmacies to provide Tamiflu Suspension during the flu outbreak and shortage of the commercial product this past year.

Also, the FDA is considering an advisory committee to assist the agency in looking at ways to obtain more safety information (ADR reporting; MEDWATCH) regarding compounded medications, helping to provide to the USP priority lists of potential compounding monographs, and other issues that might arise.

Action items from the one-hour long meeting included: developing an email list to facilitate FDA communications; developing a list of FDA regulated and recently inspected chemical suppliers; and developing a joint message/set of questions/answers that would help consumers know what to ask when searching for a compounding pharmacy.

UPDATE: The Census, Round 3:
Well, this week I received a first-class mail card that began: "A few days ago, you should have received a request to participate in the 2010 Census�" Three mailings so far�but at what cost to the American taxpayers????

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The University of Florida College of Pharmacy in collaboration with Corporate Medisca is honored to present, host, and take on a major sponsorship role in the establishment of the Student Pharmacist Compounding Competition (SPCC). This is the first of its kind nation-wide event founded to provide an educational experience for the student pharmacist and to increase their exposure to the pharmacy compounding industry overall.

Its mission is to bring excellence and expertise to the compounding pharmacy community by embracing the student pharmacist and asking them to step forward, participate in this initiative, and in doing so bring forth a sense of pride and prestige to themselves and their college. The SPCC is also charged with the task of enriching the pharmacy student with a rewarding and positive experience in pharmacy compounding; to have pharmacy students ascribe to a higher standard of continuous quality improvement; and to strengthen the integrity of compounding by conveying a message of excellence.

Local and national competitions will be held in the autumn, and then the spring of 2011, respectively. Organizational subcommittees are currently being formed. The competition itself, the selection of honored judges and the national event plans along with keynote speakers are in development now.

For more information regarding this event and to ensure your college is enrolled in this event, send a correspondence e-mail to spcc@cop.ufl.edu

Editor's Note: IJPC is pleased to support this compounding competition.

Plan Now to Attend IACP Compounders on Capitol Hill

Make your voice heard! Join us in Washington, DC June 19 - 22, 2010 at the Annual Meeting & Compounders on Capitol Hill. It's especially important to attend this year!!!! This is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT in light of the recently passed Healthcare Reform bill.