UNE to expand career options with new undergrad degree in pharmacy science

Courtesy / University of New England The University of New England has campuses in Biddeford, shown here from above, Portland and Tangier, Morocco.

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By Renee Cordes

The University of New England on Wednesday announced that students pursuing a professional degree in pharmacy will be able to earn an undergraduate degree in the discipline as well.

After two years of study toward a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, UNE students will now pick up a bachelor's degree in pharmacy science. The doctorate typically requires four years of academic work, and is required for those aiming to become pharmacists.

A spokesman for the school, which has campuses in Biddeford and Portland, told Mainebiz that UNE will confer the bachelor's degree automatically upon successful completion of the second year.

"It is essential that contemporary pharmacy education provide students with the preparation they will need for a range of career options,” said Robert McCarthy, dean of UNE's School of Pharmacy, where he is also a professor, in a news release.

McCarthy is also associate dean of the Westbrook College of Health Professions, which is UNE's health profession's college for nursing, pharmacy and other programs.

“We believe that by awarding a B.S. degree following two years of professional study," he added, "students will be able to pursue dual degree options that will provide them with the educational background necessary for opportunities in pharmacy and beyond.”

McCarthy told Mainebiz that the new degree is not a stand-alone degree, nor one that UNE will recruit students for. He also said that the first group of about 40 students, the current second-year pharmacy class, will receive their B.S. degrees in May.

Students must still complete all requirements of a pharmacy doctorate in order to be eligible for licensure exams, the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination and the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination.

However, the bachelor's degree opens up opportunities for students to pursue careers related to pharmacy by coupling their studies with those across disciplines.

For example, students who earn the B.S. in pharmacy science are eligible to apply to the School of Pharmacy’s dual degree program to earn a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and an MBA in partnership with the University of Maine Graduate School of Business.

There are currently 178 students enrolled in the Doctor or Pharmacy program.

Karen Pardue, dean of the Westbrook College of Health Professionals, said UNE's interprofessional education will train graduates to treat patients in today's complicated health care system.

“Optimal patient care outcomes are achieved when care is delivered by collaborative, high functioning teams,” she said. “UNE is a recognized leader in training health professions students in [interprofessional education] and collaborative practice, and our pharmacy graduates are well-prepared to capably serve the public through their patient-centered, team-based orientation to care.”