Next step is getting final approval from Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Texas Border Business
By Melissa Vasquez
The University of Texas System Board of Regents has approved planning authority for UTRGV to create a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree program, which would prepare students for state licensure and entry into the profession as licensed pharmacists.
The approval came during a regular meeting of the Board of Regents in Houston in May. The next step in the approval process is for UTRGV to submit the full degree program proposal to the UT System and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for final approval.
President Guy Bailey said he is hopeful the program could start as early as fall 2020.
“Two of UTRGV’s core priorities are to expand educational opportunities and health and medical education in the Valley, and this PharmD program has the potential to do that,” Bailey said. “We have a lot of local students who are interested in becoming pharmacists, and this program would allow them to pursue that goal without having to leave home.”
Although the degree program is still under development, UTRGV anticipates that the program, at full maturity, would enroll 40 students per year. The program will seek accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, a nationally recognized accrediting agency.
UTRGV currently has a cooperative pharmacy program with the UT Austin College of Pharmacy, which is housed in the College of Health Affairs. The cooperative program was established in 2001 under the umbrella of UTPA, UTRGV’s legacy institution. Since its inception, the program has produced 105 graduates, with more than 80 of them practicing in the Rio Grande Valley.
