(395) Characteristics of Online Doctor of Pharmacy Programs in the United States

Objective
Online Doctor of Pharmacy programs have gained more popularity over the recent few years. The purpose of this study was to describe the main characteristics of these programs as perceived by program directors.

Methods
This was a cross-sectional qualitative study. A search of programs that offered an online distance pathway was conducted in 2023 through a review of US colleges and schools of pharmacy websites. Program directors were then invited by e-mail to participate in semi-structured interviews conducted via conference calls to capture program characteristics. Data were collected on goals, start year, admissions, tuition, student demographics, didactic curricula, delivery methods, immersions, assessments, experiential education, and attrition rates as well as additional resources needed for the online program.

Results
Eight online programs were identified, and their program directors agreed to participate in the study and completed the interview (100% response rate). Increasing enrollment and meeting the demand of prospective students were the primary goals of establishing an online distance pathway. Most programs have started between 2019 and 2022. Admission requirements, tuition, didactic curricula, and experiential education were mostly similar to traditional programs. However, students were generally older at enrollment. Delivery methods were mostly asynchronous, with some synchronous and immersion experiences throughout the curriculum. While many programs were too new to have attrition rates, those who had data reported higher attrition rates than traditional programs, mostly attributed to different student demographics. Most programs required additional resources (e.g., faculty) to start and sustain the online program.

Conclusion
Despite challenges associated with distance/ online education, the number of online programs is rising. Additional studies are needed to track their attrition rates and compare their effectiveness to traditional programs.