LECOM School of Pharmacy Receives State Approval
The commitment to building a strong foundation for quality health care in Erie continues with news that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has recognized the need for a new pharmacy school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM). Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Silvia M. Ferretti, D.O. announced that LECOM has received provisional approval from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education to establish the LECOM School of Pharmacy. Acting Secretary of Education Charles B. Zogby notified the Erie medical school that the college can proceed with the planned September 2002 opening of the pharmacy school and grant the Doctor of Pharmacy Degree (Pharm.D.).
LECOM will open Pennsylvania's sixth pharmacy school, the only one in Northwestern Pennsylvania and the second in the tri-state area (a pharmacy school is located in Buffalo, NY). It will become the nation's 83rd school of pharmacy.
LECOM is now planning for a visit by an American Council of Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) evaluation team later this summer. The ACPE uses a step-wise accreditation process that follows the school's progress until graduation of the School of Pharmacy's first class in 2006.
Final planning for the pharmacy school began last year after several years of consideration by the LECOM Board of Trustees for an additional professional health degree program. LECOM submitted its application to the Commonwealth in July 2000. The state thoroughly reviewed the pharmacy school plans and sent an evaluation team to LECOM before granting provisional approval. In its report, the team recognized that the need exists for more pharmacists and that LECOM can meet that need. The report explains, "The need is relevant and (LECOM School of Pharmacy) will help to address the current and foreseeable shortage of pharmacy practitioners in the Commonwealth, the region and nation. The impact of such a shortage on the well-being and health interests of the community is significant."
National studies have shown the growing demand for more pharmacists. In December 2000, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human services reported in "The Pharmacists Workforce: A Study of Supply and Demand for Pharmacists" that " there has been an unprecedented demand for pharmacists and for pharmaceutical care services, which has not been met by the currently available supply. In the next three years, the number of prescriptions dispensed by retail pharmacies is expected to grow by 35% to 4 billion, while the number of pharmacists will grow by only 6%. LECOM's plans for the pharmacy school are aimed at keeping pace with the dynamic pharmaceutical industry.
While approvals have been pending, LECOM has conducted a national search to find a Dean for the pharmacy school. Don Tuttle, Pharm.D., of Erie, is serving as acting Dean during the approval process. Over the first three years of operation, the school will hire 35 faculty members with Ph.D. or Pharm.D. degrees and the new school will require employment of an additional 30 people for support staff.
Dr. Tuttle and LECOM President John M. Ferretti, D.O. are excited that LECOM will be able to provide the education needed to train new pharmacists. National regulations now require pharmacists to earn a Pharm.D. degree. While typical pharmacy school programs take six years, two undergraduate years and four professional years, LECOM will offer an accelerated program that allows pharmacy students to earn that degree in three years following two years of pre-professional pharmacy education at an accredited undergraduate school. Instead of nine months of classes for four years, LECOM pharmacy students will attend school 12 months a year for three years.
LECOM will accept 78 students in its first class with enrollment for each class will grow until pharmacy school class size reaches 120. Total pharmacy school enrollment will reach 360 in four years. LECOM's osteopathic medical degree program will have 1000 students enrolled by that time.
Tuition is planned to be $18,000 for Pennsylvania residents and $19,000 for out of state residents. LECOM officials expect the pharmacy school will attract students from Erie area universities and colleges and in turn help those schools recruit students. Interested students may contact LECOM Student Affairs Office at (814) 866-6641, by e-mail at [email protected] or visit the LECOM web site http://www.lecom.edu.
Construction of LECOM's new educational building anticipated the need for pharmacy school classes, which will utilize the fourth floor for classes and laboratories. The $16 million addition will be ready for LECOM medical students later this summer and completed for full occupancy by the end of this year.
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