A Blueprint for Developing a Concentration in Ambulatory Care Within the PharmD Curriculum

The US healthcare system is grappling with significant challenges, notably a shortage of primary care providers. Ambulatory care pharmacists are increasingly recognized as vital contributors to addressing these challenges. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Standards 2025 emphasizes preparing Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) graduates to be both "practice-ready" and "team-ready," supporting pharmacists' expanding role in addressing primary care shortages as members of interprofessional ambulatory care teams. The evolving healthcare landscape, local community needs, and directives from national pharmacy organizations underscore the importance of developing ambulatory care-focused curricular concentrations within PharmD programs. In this paper, we describe the development, implementation, and initial evaluation of an ambulatory care concentration (ACC) within a PharmD curriculum and provide a framework adaptable for other pharmacy programs seeking specialized curricular pathways. The purpose of the ACC was to prepare graduates for entry-level ambulatory care practice and postgraduate training. Graduates of the inaugural ACC cohort reported high overall satisfaction with the concentration and enhanced preparedness for ambulatory care practice. Early career outcomes include three graduates currently completing ambulatory care residencies. The seven graduates in practice are in ambulatory care, specialty pharmacy, managed care, clinical community pharmacy, community pharmacy (n = 2), and inpatient clinical practice (post-residency). The ACC was implemented within the PharmD curriculum and was well received by students. Early findings support the purpose of the ACC to prepare graduates for ambulatory care practice and postgraduate training. This model provides an approach that pharmacy programs may adapt to develop practice-focused curricular pathways by leveraging existing institutional resources.