MCW Pharmacy School Design & Development

Addressing health workforce needs by developing a School of Pharmacy at the Medical College of Wisconsin

Full Project Name:An Innovative Model for Educating the Pharmacists of the Future: Pharmacy school design & developmentPrincipal Investigator:George MacKinnon III, PhD, RPh, School of PharmacyCo-Investigator:Cheryl A. Maurana, PhD, Kern Institute for Transformation of Medical EducationAward Amount:$3,024,132

Award Date

June2015

Project Duration:32 months

Project Description Narrative:

In Wisconsin, there is a continuing maldistribution of pharmacists in both rural and urban medically-underserved communities. With an aging population and changing health care system that is emphasizing team-based preventive care, pharmacists must adapt and deliver primary care to meet the rising need.

Through this funding award, MCW aims to establish a School of Pharmacy curriculum that will prepare pharmacists to provide quality care in a team setting, reshaping pharmacist training in Wisconsin to focus on the pharmacist of the future. MCW will explore a three-year curriculum that is rigorous yet time efficient, allowing pharmacists to enter residency or the workforce more quickly. The program will emphasize interprofessional education to prepare pharmacists that deliver cost-efficient primary care within a team-based model of care.

Project Updates:

• Recruited key faculty to teach in the MCW School of Pharmacy

• Established two academic departments (Biopharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Sciences)

• Successfully completed the first phase of accreditation processes through Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education

• Launched the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum

• Developed course schedule and delivery methods

• Developed student and educational services

• Ensured quality introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) and applied pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs)

• Established best practices for admission processes, student services, and educational support. The Student Affairs Office conducted 30 visits to regional colleges and universities since November 2016

• Leveraged AHW's investment with the addition of $205,000 in extramural funding