UNC system planning more pharmacy schools

12:13 a.m. Nov. 5 - Due to reporting errors, story incorrectly stated that Campbell and Wingate universities have doctorate degrees in pharmacy. Both offer “doctor of pharmacy” degrees. This story also misquoted David Etchison, who said that tuition could pay for the satellite campus, not that it should cover costs. This story also stated that the pharmacy schools are set for rural areas, but UNC-Greensboro’s school is planned for Greensboro.  The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the errors.

Universities in the state are looking to expand their pharmacy schools to rural areas to address the shortage of pharmacists.

North Carolina was one of two states reported to have the country’s most acute shortage of pharmacists in 2008, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics.

Now administrators at UNC-Chapel Hill are planning a satellite pharmacy school at UNC-Asheville, and UNC-Greensboro is waiting for approval to begin planning a pharmacy school of its own.

Both plans are in the earliest stages — UNC-system officials are in the process of determining the financial feasibility of the projects.

 “It can’t even be called a proposed plan yet,” said David Etchison, director of communications at UNC-CH Eshelman School of Pharmacy. “It’s just an idea.”

There are only two schools in the state other than UNC-CH that offer a doctorate degree in pharmacy — Campbell and Wingate Universities.

“Some of the more rural areas of the state do not have enough pharmacists. This would build a pipeline of those who want to stay in those areas, go to school in those areas, and serve those areas,” Etchison said.

Tuition should be sufficient to pay for the satellite campus, but they won’t know the details until November, Etchison said.

UNC-G hopes the establishment of a new pharmacy school will attract biotechnology companies to the area and bring in more industry revenue.

“The impact on the economy in the area would be exponentially bigger than the budget required from the state,” said David Perrin, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at UNC-G.

The school has submitted a request to begin planning the pharmacy school and it will be reviewed by the UNC-system General Administration and Board of Governors.

The estimated annual budget once the school is established would be $8 million. Tuition would cover $6.5 million. The state would pay the rest.

Etchison said the two proposed schools would be able to coexist.

“I think we’d be able to share,” he said of pharmacy students. “It’s really hard to say without analysis.”

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.