University of Alberta to offer doctorate of pharmacy degree

From the Edmonton Journal:
The University of Alberta will establish a new doctorate of pharmacy degree, the first of its kind in Western Canada, in part to prepare practitioners for a growing slate of responsibilities in the health-care system.

"Recent legislative changes in Alberta mean that pharmacists can now have the right to prescribe, and as part of a team they can help to manage a patient's drug therapy," said Sharon Mitchell, the U of A's assistant dean of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences.

The university currently offers a five-year bachelor's degree program in pharmacy.

The new doctorate, which must still be approved by the province, will be six years long and feature a more intensive curriculum in subjects such as patient assessment and evidence-based medicine, Mitchell said. ...more