Pharmacy and Physician Assistant Dual Degree: An Analysis of Its Value and Implications on the Profession

Abstract

The pharmacy and physician assistant dual degree is one of the newest programs offered and has been predicted to have a high likelihood of growth in the future. With only an additional year of education, the PharmD-PA dual degree holder will have prescriptive authority upon graduation to expand their clinical roles. Additionally, by combining both medical and pharmacotherapeutics education, these mid-level practitioners could potentially improve healthcare shortages and allow for improvements in patient care. While there are established PharmD-PA dual degree programs, there is low enrollment coupled by rigorous curriculums and financial burdens that students must endure. Despite its limitations, this novel dual degree program offers pharmacy students another method to provide clinical care apart from the post-graduate opportunities. Schools of Pharmacy should look into the development of PharmD-PA dual degree programs as a unique marketing opportunity for admissions and as a non-traditional method of career advancement.