Walgreens has announced the launch of a new online education program in partnership with Guild, which aims to help its merchants with pre-pharmacy education training.
PharmStart is an online education program that aims to promote learning among staff members by helping them meet prerequisite requirements for pharmacy school.
The program also aims to address the shortage of pharmacists by growing the workforce and improving access to pursuing a PharmD degree.
Rick Gates, Chief Pharmacy Officer at Walgreens, said, “Becoming a pharmacist was a lifelong dream, but the cost of tuition always loomed in the back of my mind. Today, we’re continuing to chip away at those financial burdens, ensuring team members can pursue their passion for pharmacy without the burden of debt being a barrier to success.”
The new program will launch with 300 merchants across six states: Oklahoma, Texas, Oregon, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Kentucky.
Bijal Shah, CEO of Guild, added, “Teaming up with Walgreens to launch PharmStart marks a transformative step to strengthen and grow the pharmacist talent pipeline.
“Walgreens is setting a new standard for what talent development can look like—investing in their own team members through a first-of-its-kind, stackable pharmacy education pathway. By eliminating financial hurdles and offering flexibility to learn anytime, anywhere, we’re empowering pharmacy technicians to elevate their careers.”
The program offers tuition-free benefits, which are handled on the Guild platform, with team members having access to application support, enrollment assistance, and career coaching.
Additionally, the Walgreens Pharmacy Educational Assistance Program provides $40,000 in tuition assistance, and it operates the Walgreens Student Loan 401(k) Match Program, which assists students in paying off their student loans.
Applications are now open for eligible Walgreens professionals who aim to pursue careers as pharmacists.
The speciality pharmacy retailer also recently reported a strong financial performance that beat Q2 estimates ahead of its transition to go private.
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