Pharmacy school plan approved

Monday, Aug. 23, 2004 | 9:52 a.m.

RENO -- The pharmacy school proposal approved by the Nevada university system's Board of Regents might save lives because an estimated 100,000 people die in this country every year as a result of incorrect drug prescriptions, a university official said.

Ian Buxton, who has headed the effort for starting a pharmacy school to be located both at UNLV and UNR, said another reason Nevada needs a school of pharmacy because it is the fastest growing state in the nation and it has an increasing number of elderly. The University and Community College System of Nevada regents on Friday approved a plan to request $4.7 million from the Legislature next year to begin the doctorate in pharmacy program. Interim Chancellor Jim Rogers says he originally opposed the school but now supports it.

Regent Marcia Bandera of Elko said she backs the cooperative effort between the two schools because it would be much less costly and more effective than having the two schools compete for the program.

If approved by the Legislature, the school would turn out its first graduating class of 60 in 2011, Buxton said. The school would have an enrollment of 240, he said.

Students would spend the first two years of the program in Reno, taking courses in pharmacy science, ethics law and health systems. The second two years of the program would be in professional practice in Las Vegas.

Buxton said once the school gets going it may be able to offer the courses online.

The proposed tuition would be $9,500 per year for Nevada residents and $18,000 per year for out-of-staters, said Buxton. In the western states, average in-state tuition at pharmacy schools is $8,500 per year while non-residents pay $28,000 per year.

Some regents suggested the in-state fee be lowered and the non-resident tuition be raised.

Buxton said there are now 4.8 applications for every opening in a pharmacy school in the United States.

Regent Jill Derby of Minden voted against the school. She said there was "clearly a need," but "it comes down to dollars." She said other programs could suffer, and that the proposed pharmacy school, with an eventual two-year budget of $5.5 million, serves a small number of students.

Regent Doug Seastrand of North Las Vegas said that because there was already a privately run school for pharmacy in Nevada, he wondered why the state needs to start one.

Buxton said the private school was a "vocational school ... We want the best school of pharmacy in the nation."

He said most of those trained at the private school come from out of state and he believes most don't stay in Nevada when they complete their studies.

Regent Mark Alden said the pharmacy school was proposed four or five years ago and had seed money of $800,000 or more at the time. He said he believed it was still available but it won't come unless the regents approve the school.

Derby and Seastrand voted against the school.