Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy will begin offering three new concentrations for the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program in fall 2025. The concentrations in digital health, geriatrics and pharmaceutical industry will allow Pharm.D. students to gain specialized training for career paths in growing areas of the pharmacy profession.

The concentrations will be available to incoming and current first-year students as part of the school's Next Generation Pharmacist curriculum, which offers students a balance of practice and community engagement alongside basic and applied pharmaceutical research, creating pharmacists who are poised to be on the forefront of health care innovation.

"Pharmacists are paving the way for a future that balances a focus on patient-centered care with an eye toward solutions that can help the broader population," said K.C. Ogbonna, Pharm.D., dean of the VCU School of Pharmacy. "We encourage our students to be pharmacists that innovate and create change to empower the patients and communities they serve, and these concentrations are just one example of how we will help them make an impact as they enter their careers."

The drive behind these new concentrations stems from both job demand in these areas – as expressed to VCU School of Pharmacy by alumni and experts in the field – and by student interest, said John Bucheit, Pharm.D., an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science and chair of the school's Pharm.D. curriculum committee.

"These new concentrations prioritize students' success, preparing them for pharmacy careers in areas of increasing opportunity for our profession," Bucheit said. "Through the training they receive in these concentrations, our students will meet the current and future needs of the workforce while they hone their skills in the areas of pharmacy that appeal to them most."

Integrating technology into health care

The digital health concentration will equip students to assess and deploy digital health solutions effectively, meeting the industry’s move toward a technology-centric health care approach. With a focus on areas such as telehealth, electronic health records, data analytics and cutting-edge technologies including artificial intelligence, rapid prototyping and microelectronics, this concentration provides pharmacy students with essential skills for a variety of roles, from medical to regulatory affairs, drug development and clinical pharmacy practice.

"Integrating a broad spectrum of digital technologies – from telehealth and AI to extended reality applications and Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) – into the curriculum prepares our students for the evolving technological needs of the health care and pharmaceutical sectors," said Dayanjan "Shanaka" Wijesinghe, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science, who championed the development of this concentration. "While our students have already developed AI-powered educational tools, won health care hackathons and launched digital health startups, this new concentration helps formalize and expand this training, ensuring interested participants are proficient in both conventional pharmacy roles and the full range of digital health care technologies."

Providing specialized care for older adults

The geriatrics concentration prepares students to work with older adults – a growing portion of the population – in a variety of care settings. This concentration’s specialized training aims to equip pharmacy students for effective practice in diverse pharmacy settings, such as community pharmacies, home health care, hospitals and long-term care facilities.

By 2030, 1 in 5 Virginians will be older than 65, and the current health care delivery system is underprepared to meet the needs of this growing population, said Elvin Price, Pharm.D., Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science.

"This concentration creates an avenue for students to deepen their understanding of what it means to provide age-friendly care," said Price, who also serves as director of the Geriatric Pharmacotherapy Program. "Students will gain expertise in the fundamental principles of choosing and optimizing drug therapy for older adults with complex health care needs."

Pursuing innovation in the pharmaceutical industry

The pharmaceutical industry concentration focuses on preparing students to enter a career in the pharmaceutical industry. With a focus on areas such as clinical trial design and operations, data analysis, lab research and scientific communication, this concentration is designed to offer students the required education and mentoring in all these areas so they are prepared to successfully attain fellowships and jobs in the pharmaceutical industry.

"Since the pandemic, pharmaceutical industry careers are one of the fastest-growing opportunities for pharmacists," said Keith C. Ellis, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry who championed the development of this concentration. "Students are increasingly looking to learn about the education, training and fellowships necessary to pursue careers in pharmaceutical industry. This concentration will give them the preparation and experience to be ready for their next step."

These three concentrations will be offered as optional additions to the Pharm.D. degree, with the traditional Pharm.D. degree still available. Pharm.D. students in the Class of 2028 and future classes who meet the eligibility criteria can enroll in one of these concentrations as early as 2025.

"The field of pharmacy is evolving, and our students are eager to not just keep pace with the demands of the workforce but become leaders in change," said Krista Donohoe, Pharm.D., a professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science who served as chair of the curriculum committee during the development of the Next Generation Pharmacist curriculum. "The alignment of these concentrations with our Next Generation Pharmacist curriculum will help our students grow and be ready to lead in the changing world of health care."

Pharm.D. applications for fall 2025 are due May 1. For more information about admissions, visit the Pharm.D. program overview webpage. Current first-year Pharm.D. students will receive more information about these new concentrations in spring 2025.