Pacific University's School of Pharmacy has partnered with Chemeketa Community College and Umpqua Community College for streamlined PharmD pathways launching spring 2026. Students complete pre-pharmacy coursework locally before Pacific's accelerated three-year or extended five-year PharmD programs. Participants receive waived application fees and conditional admission.

Oregon's rural communities face severe pharmacist shortages. Pacific's three-year accelerated PharmD is the only one in the Pacific Northwest. The five-year extended pathway — the only on-campus extended PharmD nationally — serves working pharmacy technicians.

For Umpqua students in Roseburg, the pathway creates a realistic route to a career that can anchor them in their communities. Oregon has 32 of 36 counties classified as health professional shortage areas.

Watch for: Spring 2026 enrollment numbers. Whether Pacific extends to coastal and eastern Oregon colleges. The five-year pathway for working technicians could become a national model for addressing rural pharmacy shortages.