OKLAHOMA CITY—Oklahoma has been selected to participate in a new online educational program at Walgreens that will financially assist team members in achieving a PharmD degree.
The program is called “PharmStart.”
“More than 300 Walgreens employees are participating nationwide”, states a press release provided by a company representative.
Six states have been selected by Walgreens to participate:
- Oklahoma.
- Texas.
- Oregon.
- Illinois.
- Wisconsin.
- Kentucky.
This program is a collaboration with Guild, a talent development company that “helps you empower your workforce and drive business growth,” according to their website.
The press release begins, “PharmStart will begin with an initial cohort of more than 300 team members across six states.”
“The program is now accepting applications for eligible Walgreens pharmacy technicians and other eligible front-line positions who are interested in pursuing a career as a pharmacist,” it continued.
The PharmStart program was started in response to an internal Walgreens pharmacy technicians survey. This survey found that there are significant “financial burdens of tuition for prerequisite course fees and time constraints” in pursuing a PharmD degree.
Other initiatives have also been introduced by Walgreens.
The statement explained, “In addition to PharmStart, Walgreens has introduced several initiatives to support aspiring pharmacists on their journey to a PharmD degree. The Walgreens Pharmacy Educational Assistance Program (PEAP) offers up to $40,000 in tuition assistance, easing the financial burden of pharmacy school; the Walgreens Student Loan 401(k)
Free Press spoke with John Colaizzi, Vice President and Head of Enterprise Pharmacy for Walgreens, via email.
Q: How many participants will be from Oklahoma?
Colaizzi: PharmStart will begin with an initial cohort of more than 300 team members across six states, Oklahoma being one of them.
Q: Which stores in Oklahoma will be participating?
Colaizzi: The program is open to eligible team members working in Walgreens locations across Oklahoma.
Q: How much financial assistance will the average worker in Oklahoma receive in the program?
Colaizzi: PharmStart is designed to be a low- to no-cost program for participants. Walgreens covers tuition, fees, and reimburses other required costs like books. While the exact amount varies per student based on prior coursework and classes needed, the company pays all educational costs directly up to $5,250 annually, with participants only responsible for taxes on any amount over that threshold.
Q: What scheduling issues have arisen for workers not in the program?
Colaizzi: Attending school while working full-time is a significant time commitment. To help support working adults, Walgreens chose programs to help participants fit learning into their life schedule. PharmStart offers multiple start dates per year, and all classes are online to accommodate the need for flexible schedules. We recognize that staffing and scheduling have been ongoing challenges across the retail pharmacy environment, particularly in recent years. PharmStart was designed with those realities in mind – coursework is completed outside of working hours to minimize disruptions to team members’ day.
Q: The press release said the program is available to “eligible” workers. What would make a Walgreens technician eligible for the program?
Colaizzi: Eligibility criteria include: being 18 years old or older; employed at Walgreens for at least one year; working full-time (30+ hours/week); holding a PTCB or EXCPT certification; working in a field role in IL, KY, OK, OR, TX, or WI; and having an “Exceeding Expectations” or higher performance rating.
Q: What can you tell me about the Walgreens survey that employees took that inspired this program?
Colaizzi: PharmStart was created in response to a survey of pharmacy technicians, which highlighted that the financial burden of tuition for prerequisite course fees and time constraints are significant obstacles in pursuing a PharmD degree. PharmStart will cover the cost of prerequisite courses.
Alex Gatley covers labor activities in the state of Oklahoma.
