Is the pharmD coming

[cadbury-king]

the PJ has an article on how most of the world is now standardising the pharmD as a qualification....Apparently the UK has plans to convert the Mpharm to a pharmD.....makes sense espectially with these new clinical services coming about as a result of the landsley white paper.....


What do you guys think...........it be cool into tell my friends im a docter of something....for now we have to wait in envy while our american and european counterparts gain street cred....


See this link for article: Requires PJ membership
http://www.pjonline.com/news/is_it_t...amme_in_the_uk

[WalkeRx]

Could someone explain how working towards a doctorate makes a difference in pharmacy? I was talking to a locum the other day who became a doctor of pharmacy in france, we were talking about industry and research and he said a doctorate is practically a requirement to work in such fields. Where else and how does it come into play?

[Pharmanaut]

Could someone explain how working towards a doctorate makes a difference in pharmacy? I was talking to a locum the other day who became a doctor of pharmacy in france, we were talking about industry and research and he said a doctorate is practically a requirement to work in such fields. Where else and how does it come into play?

Most research based industry work requires a PhD which is different from a PharmD; a PharmD is a taught degree with a bit of research.
Personally, if I was embarking on a career in pharmacy and the PharmD was 5 years plus a pre-reg, I would bother filling in the UCCA (or whatever it was now) for pharmacy???? Not with the supermarketisation of the profession.
Look at Jim Plagakis website and you will see what the US has; we are rapidly behind them.

[sadullahsamadi]

It sounds great as uk pharmacist will be left high from a pharmacist to a Doctor. Did you hear any further news about that it has been more than a year if it was really going to be introduced it should of been by now. Looking forward hearing from you!

[Tony Schofield]

So it's all about status and "street cred"? When did street cred ever influence the practice of pharmacy?

Count me out

[Gordon Mackenzie]

Some time back I read an article that the economy in Germany was actually being held back by students having to stay too long at university and in training. Any more training that pharmacists have to do should be available to all pharmacists through modules or on-line or part time university courses so that the pharmacist can continue to work and earn and be able to support his/her family (and incidentally the universities). Yesterday I attended a meeting in Glasgow on the future development of pharmacy services in Scotland and one of the speakers who works with the Scottish government in this area mentioned that he was not certain if the educational system was pushing the agenda for the health service or if the health service was pushing the agenda for the educational system. What the universities should do is look at what the doctors are providing and if they look at the most lucrative fields in medicine they will probably see where the most shortages and therefore the greatest needs are and then organise the training of pharmacists to get us into these fields.

[JonnyB_at_RMP]

Have to agree, street cred doesn't rule in my book.

I must confess, many years ago, being a little jealous of foreign colleagues with PharmDs being able to call themselves 'Dr'....but in reality it's much better to work hard & earn the respect of the patients & customers who use your service for who you are, not what you're called...and ultimately much more satisfying than being called Dr I think. I also think there's that age old problem of confusing the public with titles plus most of my most loyal patients come to me because I'm NOT the doctor!!!

Joking aside, PharmDs have existed in this country for a while too, but to the best of my knowledge have been restricted to quite experienced/senior clinical hospital pharmacists??? Anyway, the concept of a PharmD i.e. an enhanced professional doctorate, may not be a bad one but this needs to be put in context - there are already many excellent postgraduate & prescriber training opportunities for UK pharmacists. In terms of what we actually do and the way we practice in the UK, we're actually better off in some ways than our US colleagues....who often do a first degree (3yrs) before their PharmD programme too - that's a lot of years at University!

[Tony Schofield]

..it be cool into tell my friends im a docter of something..

When monkeys speak how many think this is the sort of gibberish they will come out with? Let's not talk about spelling................

[hibernia]

it be cool into tell my friends im a docter of something....

'Doctor' isn't a restricted title (if you know what that means), so you can already tell your friends that you are a doctor of anything, except medicine. Chances are they will be suitably impressed.

[Pharmanaut]

Don't you MPharm Pharmacists like to be called "Master"?
(Only joking of course)