WSU Pharmacy Yakima-based didactic education transitioning to Spokane campus
Thursday, August 7, 2025
As WSU Health Sciences works to address budget shortfalls, a key part of its response is evaluating operations and programs to ensure financial stability for the future. In response, the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences will transfer the didactic education of its Yakima-based Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students to the college’s main teaching site on the WSU Spokane campus for fall 2026. The college’s Yakima-area clinical rotation sites and experiential learning will continue, preserving regional healthcare partnerships and access.
“Our commitment to rural communities, especially the Yakima Valley, remains unwavering,” said Julie Akers, interim dean for the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. “We will continue offering clinical learning opportunities for our students throughout central Washington.”
WSU’s health sciences programs have a nearly 50-year history in the Yakima Valley, starting with the College of Nursing establishing its first educational program outside Spokane in 1976. Since then, WSU has expanded its health programs in the region, most recently partnering with Pacific Northwest University (PNWU) in 2015 to offer nursing and pharmacy education on the PNWU campus.
Over 600 healthcare professionals have earned undergraduate and professional degrees in Yakima from WSU’s College of Nursing and College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences since 2015. Currently, 26 second- and third-year PharmD students are enrolled in didactic education at the Yakima location. An additional eight students make up the incoming class.
“Our main priority is to ensure a seamless transition for our students, so they can successfully complete their program,” Akers said. “We are committed to supporting each student’s individual needs both personally and academically.”
Along with ongoing clinical education, the college’s Rural Health Initiative, which aims to improve access to care for more than 450,000 people living in pharmacy deserts, remains strongly committed to the region. “Our Rural Health Initiative will support WSU-affiliated residencies and strengthen clinical partnerships so that every Washingtonian, no matter their zip code, has access to care,” said Akers.
Additionally, the College of Nursing’s Bachelor of Nursing Science (BSN), Master of Nursing (MN), and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs will also continue to remain active in Yakima and will welcome a new cohort of students to the campus this fall.
“WSU Health Sciences’ ongoing presence in the Yakima Valley remains a vital part of our commitment to expanding healthcare access for rural and underserved communities,” said Daryll DeWald, executive vice president of WSU Health Sciences and chancellor of WSU Spokane.
“Through ongoing partnership and collaboration, we aim to contribute meaningfully to the university’s broader vision of transforming into a modern land-grant institution that actively meets the needs of our communities and fosters a healthier future for Washington,” he said.
