Rural public health education as a pharmacist-led team endeavor.

Objective: To examine the state of public health provision and education in North Dakota and to identify the current and potential future roles pharmacists and pharmacy educators play in these activities.

Methods: Rural, medically underserved areas of North Dakota, as well as professional training sites for the practitioners working in these areas. Methods: Practice sites encompass both rural community pharmacies and critical-access hospital pharmacies. The primary education practice site is North Dakota State University. Methods: Pharmacists in rural North Dakota are proactive leaders in providing public health care to their patients. For example, they participate in a statewide diabetes disease management project similar to the Asheville, NC, project. Pharmacy educators are leading the formation of a new interprofessional Master of Public Health program. Methods: Development of an interprofessional public health education program that allows for greater collaboration among rural health practitioners.

Results: The new degree program is successfully negotiating the academic approval process.

Conclusions: Because of the efforts of pharmacists and pharmacy educators, North Dakota is better prepared to face current and future public health challenges.