Maturing of Pharmaceutical Education

Abstract

In this paper the author recommends that American pharmaceutical education should move rapidly in the direction of a single terminal professional doctor of pharmacy degree for all of its graduates. An attempt is made to review for the reader: (1) some of the historical events of the twentieth century that influenced the direction of education in pharmaceutical, medical and related health professions,1,2,3,4 (2) the Pharmaceutical Survey of 19485,6 which was the last major introspective study prior to the present work underway by the Millis Commission, (3) the report of the Citizens Commission On Graduate Medical Education7 which appeared in 1966, (4) several tracts of the past few decades2,3,8,9,10 which have focused on the changing scene in American pharmaceutical education, (5) the development7,10 in medical education which have provided important precedents for pharmacy and (6) several recent papers11,12 which have espoused the professional doctor of pharmacy degree. The author particularly calls upon direct quotes and recommendations from the Findings And Recommendations of the Pharmaceutical Survey of 1948. Also, he draws upon and paraphrases remarks of The Report of the Citizens Commission and Graduate Medical Education, chaired by John S. Millis, and which appeared in 1966.