Profile of the

NDSU College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences (PN&AS)

The NDSU pharmacy program was established in 1902 and has evolved over the years to become a major interdisciplinary healthcare education program serving our state, region, and nation. The College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences (PNAS) has been a center of excellence at North Dakota State University (NDSU) for more than 100 years. The College, a major academic unit of North Dakota State University, serves the state, region, and nation through its programs in pharmacy, nursing, and allied sciences providing education, research, patient care, and public service. Through its mission, the NDSU College of PNAS advances health care through research and scholarship and prepares students to become competent, caring, ethical, professionals and citizens, committed to lifelong learning. In addition, through its people and programs the College places an emphasis and value on people; quality; professionalism and ethics; knowledge, teaching, and learning; research and scholarship; patient-focused care; and interdisciplinary education.

The College is composed of four academic departments: (1) the Department of Allied Sciences which joined the College in January 1, 2006; (2) the Department of Nursing which joined the College in 1969 as an associate degree program, 1986 as a baccalaureate degree program; 2001 with a master's program, and 2005 with doctor of nursing practice; (3) the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and (4) the Department of Pharmacy Practice which are the founding members of the College (established in 1902). The nursing program is approved by the North Dakota Board of Nursing and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The pharmacy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). Academic degrees offered by the College include: Bachelor of Science, Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice; Doctor of Pharmacy, and Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences; and Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts in Respiratory Care, Clinical Laboratory Science, and Radiologic Sciences. A Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree is also currently being developed.

The NDSU College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences has a total student enrollment of more than 1,750 students in preprofessional, professional, and graduate programs in pharmacy (800 students), nursing ( 550 students), allied sciences (350 students), and 50 graduate students. The College annually admits 80-85 students in its pharmacy professional program, and 60-65 students in its nursing professional program. Currently, approximately 65% of pharmacy students (>80% ND residents) applying to the professional program are admitted, compared to 20-25% for other pharmacy schools in the region. Approximately 65% of students in the pharmacy professional program and 95% of students in the nursing program are women. On the average, between 30-35% of pharmacy graduates and 70% of nursing graduates each year stay in North Dakota to practice in their respective disciplines. Based on an annual survey of graduates, the average salary of NDSU graduates is between $90,000-$100,000 for pharmacy, $55,000- $60,000 for nursing, and $45,000-$50,000 for allied sciences. Based on 2009-2010 rates, students attending NDSU currently pay $11,858/year (pharmacy students), $7,010/year (nursing students), $6,410/year (allied sciences students) in tuition and fees for the professional programs. NDSU remains one of the best values in the United States for degrees in the health sciences compared to its peers.

The NDSU College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences currently employs approximately 87 employees including 29 staff and 57 full-time and part-time faculty ( 29 in Pharmacy Practice, 11 in Pharmaceutical Sciences, 16 in the Nursing Program, and 2 in Allied Sciences). The College has a highly competitive research program with its basic science researchers obtaining major federally funded grants from a variety of sources including past funding from NIH, DOD, EPA, NSF, and EPSCoR. The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy released the 2008 national rankings for NIH funding for pharmacy schools, and out of 112 schools of pharmacy, NDSU's Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences ranked 13th in the United States for the percent of Ph.D. research faculty with NIH funding (42%). Its researchers are also collaborating with other departments on campus as Co-PI's on a $10.5 million NIH - COBRE grant, and are also part of a $16.3 million NIH - INBRE grant. In 2008, the College was awarded $2.0 million from State of North Dakota to establish a Center of Excellence (Center for Biopharmaceutical Research and Production - CBRP) to work with local private sector businesses to develop new target vaccines and other biopharmaceuticals for commercialization.

The NDSU College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences facility features the latest advances in technology including the Concept Pharmacy, Nursing Skills Lab, state-of-the-art classrooms, PRS & PDA instruction, Electronic Medical Records, and wireless technology. The College contributes to cultural diversity on campus and offers a Native American Pharmacy Program (NAPP) and Multicultural Affairs in Pharmacy Program (MAP). The College owns the Family Health Center Pharmacy in Fargo which serves a very culturally diverse population of uninsured and underinsured clients including many minority and underrepresented groups including refugees from third world war torn countries. The College has built a major teaching program at FHCP including placement of faculty and students. The College also provides pharmacy services to the NDSU Athletics/Sports Medicine program and to the NDSU Student Health Service. Last year, College faculty and students provided flu shots to more than 130 NDSU student athletes. . In addition, the College conducts over 3600 hours of continuing pharmaceutical education each year to over 1500 pharmacists in the region. Through the North Dakota Institute for Pharmaceutical Care, the College has implemented a state-wide skills training program for North Dakota pharmacists in disease state management, laboratory health screening, and immunizations.

Since 2002, the College has received a total of $3.3 million federal grant from HRSA/OAT to implement a state-wide telepharmacy program in North Dakota to restore and retain pharmacy services in medically underserved rural communities all across the state. So far, 72 pharmacies (51 retail and 21 hospital) involving 34 counties in North Dakota and two in Minnesota are participating in the North Dakota Telepharmacy Project. Approximately 40,000 rural citizens have had pharmacy services restored, retained or established through the North Dakota Telepharmacy Project since its inception. The project has restored valuable access to health care in remote medically underserved rural communities and has added approximately $12.5 million annually in economic development to the local rural economy. NDSU's telepharmacy program received the Outstanding Rural Health Program Award at the 2006 Annual Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health. NDSU telepharmacy program has been featured in over 100 national media outlets including CBS news, US News & World Report, USA Today, Modern Medicine, ND Blue Book, AJHP, J Pharm Technol, Telemed J E Health, and The Common Wealth Fund.