Bradford W. Schwarz, MS, PA-C
Director, Physician Assistant Studies
College of Health Sciences
Mandy Jones, PharmD, PA-C, BCPS
Department of Pharmacy Practice & Science
College of Pharmacy
An Equal Opportunity University
• Discuss the rationale of a dual PharmD, MSPAS educational
model
• Detail logistical considerations and essential elements of a dual
PharmD, MSPAS degree program
• Discuss how the dual degree program prepares the future
provider to deliver enhanced primary care medicine in a variety
of settings
• Discuss the contribution of a dually trained
pharmacist/physician assistant to an interprofessional team of
providers
An Equal Opportunity University
An Equal Opportunity University
• Originally called the College of Allied Health Professions, one
of the first 13 colleges formed following passage of The Allied
Health Professions Personnel Training Act of 1966.
• The College of Health Sciences is also among the first colleges
within the University of Kentucky system to offer distance
learning degree programs:
1992 – PT distant education program in Hazard, KY
1996 – PA distant education program in Morehead, KY
2012 - MLS distant education program in Hazard, KY
• Mission - To help the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
and beyond to gain and retain the highest level of health through
creative leadership and productivity in education, research, and
service.
An Equal Opportunity University
• Founded in 1973
• Total number of graduates: 1278
• Distance education campus
established in Morehead, KY in
1996
• Average enrollment annually: 56
• Ranked within Top 10 Colleges of
Pharmacy for > 30 years
• Currently 5th in the US
• Highest passing rate on national
licensing exam compared to all
other COPs in the US
• Pharmacy Practice Residency
Program ranked #1 in US
• Research program ranked 4th in the
US in pharmacy research
productivity
• 4-yr professional curriculum leading
to the Doctor of Pharmacy
(PharmD) degree
• Average current enrollment: 135
• Graduate program in pharmaceutical
sciences leading to the PhD
• Postdoctoral scholars program
• Pharmacy residency programs in
collaboration with UK Chandler
Medical Center, Kroger, and American
Pharmacy Services Corp.
• Institute for Pharmacy Outcomes and
Policy (iPOP)
• Center for the Advancement of
Pharmacy Practice (CAPP)
• Center for Pharmaceutical Research
and Innovation (CPRI)
An Equal Opportunity University
• 1870 – College is founded in Louisville, KY – with
over 5,700 graduates to date
• 1936 – Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy
• 1947 – College becomes member of UK
• 1962 – Established first Drug Information Center
in US
• 1968 – World’s first Dept. of Clinical Pharmacy
within a medical center setting is created
• 1968 – One of the first schools in US to create
PharmD program
• 1968 – Pharmacy residency program begins in
Clinical Pharmacy Practice
• 1970 – College awards its first PharmD degrees
An Equal Opportunity University
• Both degrees obtained in less total time than if degrees earned
independently
• Highly desirable for students seeking:
– Career in ambulatory care pharmacy, primary care, or subspecialty medicine
– An expansion of roles, functions, and/or knowledge for clinical practice
– Further differentiated skill set and marketability
– Career in academic medicine and/or pharmacy
• AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
– Ideally suited for those seeking clinical practice in rural communities and/or areas
with limited resources/healthcare access
An Equal Opportunity University
• PharmD, MSPAS program established – March 2010
– http://pharmacy.mc.uky.edu/programs/prepharm/mspas.php
• College of Pharmacy- other joint degree programs:
– PharmD,MPA – 1997
– PhamD,MBA – 1999
– PharmD,MPH – 2009
• PAS Program Director during development phase was dual PharmD,
PA-C
An Equal Opportunity University
• Unique niche among PA and Pharmacy programs
• Positive return on recruitment for top pre-pharmacy
and pre-PA students
• Potential programmatic revenue stream
• Increased collaboration between programs →
improving collegiality, shared goals, and
interprofessional education initiatives
• Philosophically we believe this graduate will
contribute to improved patient outcomes and quality
care
An Equal Opportunity University
PharmD/MSPAS Program At a
Glance Academic Unit College of Health Sciences (CHS)
Admissions
*Apply during PY2 year
GRE
*Enrollment capped each year by CHS (n=3-5)
Prerequisite Courses
*Prereqs currently under
review by CHS
PSY 100; PSY 223 (developmental); SOC 101 or ANT
101; 1000 hours direct patient care experience; 50
hours PA shadowing
Curriculum Extra year of classroom work and additional
experiential rotations, with graduation in 5+ years
Faculty Advisor •Admissions and degree
program details
Dr. Gerry Gairola, College of Health Sciences
Professor Bradford Schwarz, PAS Division Director
Pharmacy Liaison •Connection to pharmacy
careers
Dr. Kelly Smith
Program Website
http://www.mc.uky.edu/PA/index.html
• Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies
– Graduate degree sponsored by the UK Graduate School
• Faculty members are tenure track within the College of Health
Sciences
• UK PA program emphasizes rural and primary care medicine
• Two campuses that run concurrently:
– Lexington (n=40)
– Morehead (n=16)
An Equal Opportunity University
• MSPAS program independently operated by the College of
Health Sciences through the Graduate School
• Specifics:
– Pre-requisites, both academic and practical
– Admissions tests (GRE)
– Admissions process (CASPA)
– Didactic and Clinical Clerkship requirements
– Lock-step curriculum with graduation timeline
– Limited annual capacity for pharmacy students
An Equal Opportunity University
• Shortened time to complete both degrees
– PharmD – degree awarded after 5 full
professional years (May)
– MSPAS –degree awarded in subsequent
semester (August)
• Dual degree courses satisfy the 8 elective hours
required for the PharmD degree program
An Equal Opportunity University
• Direct patient care experience > 1000 hours
– Up to 500 hours are accepted from Pharmacy patient care experiences
– Volunteer or paid experiences; all hours must be documented on CASPA
application
• PA-C Shadowing > 50 hours
– Volunteer or paid
• Timeline to obtain both types of experience:
– >200 hours by June 1 of application year
– >400 hours by August 1
– >1050 hours by December 1
An Equal Opportunity University
• April 15 – Internal dual degree application due to College of
Pharmacy Office of Academic Affairs
• June 15 – MSPAS application due:
– CASPA + Graduate School/College of Health Sciences
supplemental application
• Summer
– Enroll in PPS 948 (Intro Pharmacy Practice Experience)
– PA Program Admission Interview
– Decision made by August
An Equal Opportunity University
• Fall Semester:
– PPS 950: Pharmaceutical Policy and Public Health (4 credit
hours)
– PPS 951: Cardiopulmonary and Renal Pharmacology (5 credit
hours)
– PPS 953: Current Topics Seminar (1 credit hour)
– PPS 957: Pharmacotherapy II (5 credit hours)
– PPS 959: Patient Care Laboratory V (2 credit hours)
– PPS 813: Geriatric Pharmacy (3 credit hours)
An Equal Opportunity University
• Spring Semester: – PPS 960: Pharmaceutical Policy and Public Health (5 credit hours)
– PPS 966: Pharmacotherapy III (5 credit hours)
– PPS 967: Pharmacotherapy IV (5 credit hours)
– PPS 969: Patient Care Lab VI (2 credit hours)
– PPS 651: Introduction to the PA Profession (2 credit hours)
• Summer Term: – PPS 991: Advanced Community Pharmacy Clerkship (6 credit hours)
– PPS 992: Advanced Inpatient Pharmacy Clerkship (6 credit hours)
An Equal Opportunity University
• Fall Semester:
– PAS 645: Masters Project I (1 credit hour)
– PAS 646: Masters Project II (2 credit hours)
– PAS 654: Clinical Lecture Series I (4 credit hours)
– PAS 650: Clinical Methods (H&P) (3 credit hours)
– PAS 657: Clinical Lab Procedures (3 credit hours)
– At this point, classified as a graduate student
An Equal Opportunity University
• Spring Semester:
– PAS 655: Psychosocial Factors in Medicine (3 credit hours)
– PAS 658: Clinical Lecture Series II (4 credit hours)
– PAS 656: Patient Management and Evaluation (3 credit
hours)
– ANA 611: Anatomy (5 credit hours)*
An Equal Opportunity University
• Fall/Spring Semesters (Clinical Clerkships): PAS 660/PPS 993 Family Medicine/Ambulatory Pharmacy Practice – 8 weeks
• Combined rotation
PAS 669/PPS 994 Internal Medicine/Acute Care Inpatient Pharmacy Practice – 8 weeks
• Combined rotation
PAS 671/PPS 995 Psychiatry
• Combined rotation
PAS 661 Pediatrics
PAS 662 Obstetrics/Gynecology
PAS 663 Surgery
PAS 664 Geriatrics
PAS 670 Emergency Medicine
PAS 680: Seminar in PA Studies II
An Equal Opportunity University
• Chronic Disease Management & Polypharmacy
– 4 billion prescriptions annually (#1 reason – chronic diseases)
• Medication Therapy Management
• Elderly Care (polypharmacy, Annual Wellness Visits)
• Transitions of Care
• Extensive pharmacogenomics/pharmacokinetics training
• Inpatient services
– Adult and Pediatric Medicine
– Surgical Services
An Equal Opportunity University
• Academia
– College of Pharmacy primary appointment
– Some guest lecturing in the PA program
– IPE activities for PA and pharmacy students
• Clinical practice as pharmacist and PA in UK Department of
Family and Community Medicine
– Physician referral-based Pharmacotherapy Clinic
– Primary Care Provider as PA
– Ambulatory Care pharmacy preceptor for students and residents
• Included nurse practitioner, PA, and medical students as
shadowing experience
An Equal Opportunity University
• Part-time Pharmacist in Community Pharmacy
– Traditional pharmacy roles associated with dispensing
– Immunizations and medication counseling
– Triage for self-care consultations
• PA training broadened differential diagnosis capability and
when to appropriately medically refer
– Self-care vs. new medical condition vs. worsening of
chronic condition vs. symptoms due to drug therapy
problem
An Equal Opportunity University
1. The future of medicine dictates that medical providers must have additional skills to
meet the demands of the healthcare
environment.
2. A well differentiated provider will have
greater marketability and sustainability.
3. PharmD/PA – the quintessential 2 in 1
clinician
• 1. Institute of Medicine. Educating for the Health Team. October 3, 1972. Available at:
http://www.ipe.umn.edu/prod/groups/ahc/@pub/@ahc/@cipe/documents/asset/ahc_asset_350123.p
df. Accessed June 2, 1013.
• 2. Barr H, Ross,F. Maintstreaming Interprofessional Education in the United Kingdom: A position
paper. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 2006, Vol. 20, No. 2 , Pages 96-104.
• 3. Institute of Medicine. Health Professions Education: A Bridge to Quality. April 18, 2003.
Available at: http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2003/Health-Professions-Education-A-Bridge-to-
Quality.aspx. Accessed June 2, 2013.
• 4. Frank J, Chen L, Bhutta Z, et al. Health professionals for a new century: transforming education
to strengthen health systems in an interdependent world. The Lancet, 2010; 376:1923-1958.
• 5. Interprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel. Core competencies for
interprofessional collaborative practice: Report of an expert panel. May 2011. Washington, D.C.
Interprofessional Education Collaborative. Available at: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/education-
resources/ipecreport.pdf. Accessed June 2, 2013.
