Pharmacy Students Who Commit to Working in Rural Undeserved Areas Could Receive Assistance Under New Republican Plan

Thursday, May 18th, 2023 -- 12:00 PM

(By Gaby Vinick, Wisconsin Public Radio) Pharmacy students who commit to working in rural, medically underserved areas of Wisconsin after graduation could get thousands of dollars in financial assistance under a plan from Republican legislators.

According to Gaby Vinick with Wisconsin Public Radio, the bill would create a rural pharmacy practice grant program through the state's Higher Educational Aids Board, or HEAB.

The agency would provide up to $90,000 in grants over three years to pharmacists who work at least three years of their first five years after graduation in "medically underserved areas," as defined by the secretary of the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

The program would be capped at funding 10 pharmacists each year. Under the plan, students enrolled in a school of pharmacy can apply to the program prior to becoming a licensed pharmacist. If the bill passes, it would apply to this year’s graduates.

Republican Rep. Alex Dallman of Green Lake, the lead author of the legislation, said it's increasingly difficult for people in rural areas like Adams and Marquette counties to get the health care they need. 

Dallman said it's already difficult to fill open job positions, and finding pharmacists is particularly challenging given how much schooling the profession demands, along with the "massive amount of student loan debt" some incur.

A study from 2021 found that of Wisconsin's 837 community pharmacies, fewer than 7 percent, 57 businesses statewide, were in rural areas. Dallman co-sponsored the legislation last year during his first term, but he said it came too late into the budget process.

This time around, he said he's "fairly optimistic" about the bill's prospects because it's a pilot program, which requires one-time funding.

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