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(459) ALFP Debate: Tiered Training and Licensure as a Model for the Future of Pharmacy Education

Objective : Describe the pros and cons of implementing a tiered training and licensure model for pharmacy education.

Methods: The Academic Leadership Fellows Program (ALFP) contributes to the development of leaders in the academy. ALFP Fellows participate in a debate on current topics in academic pharmacy. To analyze a tiered training model for pharmacy education, the pros and cons were researched and analyzed starting with the literature published during the transition to the all-PharmD degree, polls, and informal interviews of colleagues and key opinion leaders in pharmacy education and practice.

Results: The identified pros of a tiered training model include 1) provision of distinct pathways for student pharmacists without the risk of over- or under-training; 2) decrease of the workforce gap between certified pharmacy technicians and clinical pharmacists; and 3) bolstering of the applicant pipeline by offering more training choices for students. The identified cons of a tiered training educational model include 1) dilution of professional advocacy efforts, resulting in confusion among other healthcare providers; 2) practice stagnation by rejecting technological advances and the expanded roles for pharmacy technicians that may render pharmacist dispensing roles obsolete; and 3) economic instability due to salary compression and the financial/logistical challenges of implementing two sets of professional curricula and accreditation standards for colleges/schools of pharmacy.

Conclusions: Varying perspectives on the role of tiered pharmacy education and licensure exist, and the all PharmD training model has recently been called into question. During a time of weakening employment conditions, professional dissatisfaction, and diminished student candidate pools, these factors necessitate a frank discussion of the pros and cons of tiered training.