Karl Hess

Entrepreneurship and innovation are increasingly being recognized as important for pharmacy practice transformation, advancement, and the sustainability of the profession. However, the extent and nature of entrepreneurship education in Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs remain largely unknown. This study characterizes the prevalence, content, entrepreneurial skills and attitudes, pedagogical approaches, and assessment methods in colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States (US). A cross-sectional descriptive survey was developed, validated, and administered to all 142 accredited colleges and schools of pharmacy in the US from June to August 2025. A total of 107 institutions responded for a 75% overall response rate. Sixty-three institutions (59% of respondents and 44% of all accredited institutions) indicated that they offer at least one entrepreneurship focused course. The most common content included in these courses was business plan development (96%), communication (85%), and leadership (81%). The most frequently taught skills were communication (89%), business plan development (89%), and problem-solving skills (87%). Twenty-two institutions (21%) indicated that they included entrepreneurial content elsewhere in their curricula including in pharmacy management (36%), introduction to pharmacy (18%), and pharmacy leadership (14%) courses. While entrepreneurship education is offered in PharmD programs at many colleges and schools of pharmacy in the US, variability remains in course content, structure, and assessment methods. These findings provide a national baseline for understanding entrepreneurship education in colleges and schools of pharmacy in the US and may help inform future curriculum development and assessment.

Community pharmacies in the United States (US) face an increasingly unsustainable future due to declining third-party reimbursement (remuneration) and ongoing cash flow challenges following the elimination of retroactive direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees. These pressures have contributed to widespread pharmacy closures, the emergence of pharmacy deserts, and reduced access to care for millions of patients. Despite these challenges, community pharmacy remains the most common employment setting for pharmacy school graduates in the US. However, currently required community pharmacy Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) student rotations may offer limited exposure to business, management, and entrepreneurial activities, potentially leaving students underprepared for practice in this setting. US colleges and schools of pharmacy are uniquely positioned to address this gap by partnering with their community pharmacy APPE rotation sites to intentionally integrate business- and practice-focused knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) into the APPE. Equipping students with these KSAs may enhance early career readiness while also supporting the financial sustainability of US community pharmacies through the development of innovative, revenue-generating services. These efforts further align with the 2025 Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Standards and may help advance the profession. Future research should examine optimal community pharmacy APPE structures, models, and assessment strategies to maximize student preparedness and long-term community pharmacy sustainability.

This perspective highlights the inconsistent integration of travel health education across medical, nursing and pharmacy educational programmes globally and calls for standardized travel health competencies based on the International Society of Travel Medicine’s (ISTM) Body of Knowledge to help improve patient care outcomes as global travel returns to pre-pandemic levels.

Background: Many countries have enforced strict regulations on travel since the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic in December 2019. However, with the development of several vaccines and tests to help identify it, international travel has mostly resumed in the United States (US). Community pharmacists have long been highly accessible to the public and are capable of providing travel health services and are in an optimal position to provide COVID-19 patient care services to those who are now starting to travel again. Objectives: (1) To discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the practice of travel health and pharmacist provided travel health services in the US and (2) to discuss the incorporation COVID-19 prevention measures, as well as telehealth and other technologies, into travel health care services. Methods: A literature review was undertaken utilizing the following search engines and internet websites: PubMed, Google Scholar, Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and the United States Department of Health and Human Services to identify published articles on pharmacist and pharmacy-based travel health services and patient care in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many country’s entry requirements which may now include COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and/or masking requirements in country. Telehealth and other technological advancements may further aid the practice of travel health by increasing patient access to care. Conclusions: Community pharmacists should consider incorporating COVID-19 vaccination and testing services in their travel health practices in order to meet country-specific COVID-19 entry requirements. Further, pharmacists should consider utilizing telehealth and other technologies to increase access to care while further limiting the potential spread and impact of COVID-19.