(also written Pharm.D., but PharmD is more common)

PharmD is the abbreviation for the Doctor of Pharmacy degree, an advanced post-baccalaureate professional degree in Pharmacy. (Pharmaceutical Science) The term professional degree is to distinguish it from other graduate programs such as the M.Sc. Pharm and the Ph.D. in Pharmacy, which are primarily academic. Like the MD degree for physicians, the PharmD degree involves both an academic component and further clinical training.

In Canada, the PharmD program is very new - so far (2001) only one school, UBC, has a PharmD program. Most licensed pharmacists have a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy, and sometimes also a M.Sc. or a Ph.D. in Pharmacy. Candidates for the PharmD program have generally obtained their B.Sc. and spent some time employed as a licensed pharmacist or in a residency program. When taken after a B.Sc., the typical PharmD program lasts two years - part spent in coursework, part spent in clinical training in a variety of settings.

In the United States, the PharmD is much more prevalent. The pharmacy schools are all currently in the process of shifting from offering a B.Sc. degree to offering only the PharmD degree. Schools are expected to graduate their last class of B.Sc. students in 2003. In the US under this new situation, PharmD program will be integrated with the traditional B.Sc. program.

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