There are 79 colleges and schools of pharmacy with programs accredited at some level by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE)

• 24 Private Institutions; 3 are Independent, Free-Standing Pharmacy Schools
• 55 Publicly Supported Institutions

Degree Programs

• There are two entry level programs; B.S. and Pharm.D.
• 1995 Graduates 79.3% = B.S. -- 20.7% = Pharm.D.
• Projected Year 2000 57.4% = B.S. -- 42.6% = Pharm.D.

The first two years of any program require students to complete courses in general education and the basic sciences: Chemistry, Biology, Microbiology, Organic Chemistry, and sometimes Physics.

• The professional portion of the educational process is in the last 3-4 years of the pharmacy program.
• Professional Curriculum

Anatomy/Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology/Toxicology, Medicinal Chemistry, Health Systems Research, Drug Information, and other related courses and electives.
• Experimental Training-- 1 Calendar Yr. (Pharm.D.); 3 Months (B.S.)

• The colleges of pharmacy received 32,714 applications in the fall of 1995.
• The application to enrollee ratio nationwide was 4.1 to 1.
• Female Applications = 60.8% --- Male Applications = 39.2%
• Applicants with three or more yrs. of college = 64%
• Applicants with a college degree = 29%

• Average GPA of Entry Class = 3.81
• Approx. 2/3 Require PCAT Examination
• Approx. 2/3 Require Interview

In addition to academic prowess, many schools interview candidates to assess their commitment to professionalism, ability to communicate, and leadership potential.

With more emphasis and career advancement focusing on the attainment of the Pharm.D. degree, 33 colleges and schools of pharmacy currently offer non-traditional pathways for B.S. practitioners to obtain a Pharm.D.
 
• The non-traditional pathway provides the same education outcomes as the traditional Pharm.D. program.
• Most non-traditional pathways allow a practitioner to remain in their current practice while completing course requirements.

Some non-traditional pathways even allow the practitioner to complete some of their experiential training at their own worksite.
 

Links

• American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)
• AACP Vital Statistics
• American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE)
• Bureau of Labor Statistics:  Occupational Outlook for Pharmacists
• Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT)
• Pharmacy Publications
• U.S. Colleges of Pharmacy

• Pre-Pharmacy at Eastern Illinois University
• Medical Professions Studies
• Department of Biological Sciences
• Department of Chemistry
• College of Sciences
• Eastern Illinois University