LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — At a time when medical workers are needed the most, a college in Indiana is allowing students to graduate early to get more pharmacists into the field.
Purdue University's College of Pharmacy announced Thursday that it is granting early graduation to 144 students to "help cover a potential shortage of pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic," according to a news release.
The students will be allowed to work as graduate pharmacists while they complete their licensure exams. The dean of the College of Pharmacy, Eric Barker, asked the university and National Board of Pharmacy to relax the graduation requirements.
“I’ve already received inquiries from a health system about making our graduates available in case they face likely workforce issues as the pandemic intensifies here in Indiana,” Barker said. “Having additional trained clinical pharmacists, even graduate pharmacists, will become increasingly important.”
There are approximately 6,000 pharmacists in Indiana, according to Purdue University.
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