Core Course Descriptions

This course combines lectures and small group discussions of clinical case studies in workshops. Lectures address structure-function relationships in major biomolecules, human metabolism, and cell biology. Workshops feature clinical case studies to illustrate principles of clinical biochemistry and application to the practice of pharmacy. Workshop topics may include anemias, cytochrome p450 enzymes, dangers of dietary supplements, diabetes mellitus, drug biomembrane transport, environmental toxins and hemostasis disorders.

Credits: 3.5

Prerequisites

PS-I standing

Changes in our healthcare delivery system are creating a growing demand for health professionals with skills in collaboration and teamwork. The various roles healthcare professionals play on a medical team will be introduced to first-year students via practitioner-patient demonstrations utilizing a surrogate patient. Additional lectures will introduce students to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the concept of biomedical research.

Credits: 1

This course is designed as an integrated didactic and self-study program with a laboratory component. A basic knowledge of clinical microbiology is provided so that students can understand the interaction between the host and pathogenic microorganisms. Emphases include the rational management, prevention, and control of infectious diseases.

Credits: 4

Prerequisites

MICR 1576 Introductory Immunology/Biologics

Pharmacology studies the properties and effects of drugs and, in a more general sense, the interactions between chemical compounds and living systems. This series includes the general principles of pharmacology; the dynamics of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of drugs; drug testing in humans; and the role of official regulatory agencies. The student studies drugs affecting the autonomic nervous system; drugs acting on the central nervous system; cardiovascular drugs; chemotherapy of microbial, parasitic, and neoplastic diseases; drugs acting on blood and blood forming organs; and hormone and hormone antagonists. Topics such as principles of toxicology, vitamins, gastric antacids, digestants, laxatives, antihistamines, antiserotonin agents, and drugs causing birth defects are included.

Prerequisites

• Prerequisite for PHAR 1641 Pharmacology I, 4 credits: PS-II standing
• Prerequisite for PHAR 1642 Pharmacology II, 4 credits: PHAR 1641 Pharmacology I
• Prerequisite for PHAR 1643 Pharmacology III, 2 credits: PHAR 1642 Pharmacology II

This course provides core knowledge of physiology required by students of pharmacy in order to understand normal function and to acquire the ability to analyze and interpret the immediate and long-term compensatory responses to common disease states of the renal, endocrine, and gastrointestinal systems. Basic and applied terminology as well as the basic morphology of systems are discussed, and the relationship between anatomy and function of the systems considered is included.

Credits: 4.5

Prerequisites

PS-I standing

This course describes elements and forces affecting the organization, delivery, and financing of health care services in general and pharmacy services in particular. The course explores major economic/political/social aspects of the health care delivery system and examines how provider relationships often affect patient outcomes. Strengths and weaknesses of the system, including possible options for mitigating the latter, are identified. The course describes changing roles of pharmacy practice and methods of financing and shows how professional services may influence and be influenced by these factors.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites

PS-I standing

This course introduces the student to the philosophy, socialization, and practice of the profession of pharmacy through experiences in a community pharmacy practice environment. This course will meet for a weekly eight hour site visit to an assigned community pharmacy for an introductory pharmacy practice experience. Guided exercises in the community practice environment will introduce the student to the basics of practice and serve as a foundation for advanced pharmacy practice experiences.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites

PPRA 1501 Introduction to Pharmacy Practice

This course sequence provides students with a framework to document regular self assessment of his/her progressive achievement of curricular outcomes. Lecture topics include review of reflective writing, introduction to longitudinal reflective writing, defining evidence, common mistakes made in previous portfolios, and the value of continued self-assessment. The PS-II and PS-III workshops focus on portfolio entries that demonstrate progressive achievement of curricular outcomes.

Prerequisites

• Prerequisite for PPRA 1601 Reflective Portfolio II, 0.5 credits: PS-II standing
• Prerequisite for PPRA 1701 Reflective Portfolio III, 0.5 credits, PS-III standing
• Prerequisite for PPRA 1801 Reflective Portfolio IV, 0.5 credits, PS-IV standing

Students will explore the philosophy and practice of health system pharmacy through didactic lectures, workshop assignments and on site experience at an assigned practice site under the guidance of a preceptor. Students will be introduced to technical pharmacy skills, hospital pharmacy management, distributive systems, quality assurance and the role of the pharmacist in the health care team. Students will explore career options within health care systems.

Credits: 2

Prerequisites

PS-II standing, PPRA 1631 Sterile Products: Regulations and Practice

This course provides students the opportunity to practice the principles and skills in clinical pharmacy through practical experiences, practice simulation, and workshops. Site visits to various hospitals and chronic care sites allow the students to experience and apply the lessons learned in the complementary didactic courses in real practice environments.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites

PS-III standing

This course focuses on the clinical skills associated with the practice of pharmacy. It challenges students to integrate and apply knowledge obtained throughout the pharmacy school curriculum as well as to acquire patient assessment and patient management skills. Clinical skills taught in this course include, but are not limited to, the monitoring and treatment of hypertension, asthma, and diabetes mellitus.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites

PS-III Standing

The basic principles of law are reviewed as they relate to the practice of pharmacy under federal, state, and local regulations. The special problems involving the control of narcotics, poisons, and other controlled substances are reviewed. Some laws relative to business activities and discussions of professional ethics are also included.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites

PS-III standing

This course focuses on the application of pharmacokinetic principles for the purpose of optimizing drug therapy. Lectures and workshops are used to teach the following principles: effects of disease and drug-drug interactions on pharmacokinetic parameters, initial loading and maintenance dosage regimen calculations, dosage adjustment for linear and nonlinear drugs, interplay between pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, effects of extracorporeal elimination, and interpretation of serum drug concentrations. Patient cases or problem sets will be distributed weekly and used to give practice in the application of principles. Workshops and quizzes will be conducted to assess the understanding of principles.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites

PS-II standing

Pharmacy students under the supervision of an adjunct faculty member will gain experience in community pharmacy practice including dispensing procedures, pharmacy law, practice management and OTC pharmacotherapy assessment. The student will assess drug therapy, monitor clinical interventions, practice counseling and patient care skills, and complete a journal club and a case presentation. The student will develop a philosophy of practice regarding the role of the pharmacist as a member of the health care team.

Credits: 9

Pharmacy students under the supervision of an adjunct or full faculty member will gain experience in general medicine pharmacy practice including practice management and interactions with other health care providers, participate in drug therapy assessment, patient care activities and monitor outcomes in various patient populations. The student will complete a journal club, a case presentation and drug information paper. The student will develop a philosophy of practice regarding the role of the pharmacist as a member of the health care team.

Credits: 9

Pharmacy students under the supervision of an adjunct or full faculty will gain experience in clinical specialty pharmacy practice, including practice management, interactions with other health care providers, participation in drug therapy assessment, patient care activities, and monitoring outcomes in various patient populations. The student will complete a journal club, case presentation and drug information paper. The student will develop a philosophy of practice regarding the role of the pharmacist as a member of the health care team.

Credits: 9

This course provides an introduction to the practice of pharmacy with an emphasis on the mathematical calculations that are essential to compounding and dispensing drugs and that are commonly encountered in subsequent pharmacy courses. Introductions to pharmaceutical dosage forms and statistical principles are also included.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites

PS-I standing

This course is centered on preparation of dosage forms, which are compounded extemporaneously in a pharmacy setting. Laboratory exercises will be utilized to familiarize the student with all aspects of compounded prescription preparation, from legal requirements to preservation of the completed dosage form.

Credits: 1

Prerequisites

PSCI 1511 Pharmaceutical Calculations

Topics covered in this course include: mathematical descriptions of the time course of drug absorption; distribution and elimination; the physiochemical properties of drugs and the relevant physiologic factors that affect drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion; the relationship between drug concentration and clinical responses; the pharmacokinetic variability caused by differences in body weight, age, sex, genetic factors, diseases, and drug interactions; applications of pharmacokinetics and pharmaceutics to clinical situations.

Credits: 3.5

Prerequisites

PSCI 1512 Pharmaceutics I

Concepts of drug-target interactions and structure activity relationships are discussed for all of the major classes of drugs. Classification is based on a drug's mechanism of action at its biological target, e.g., messenger receptors, enzymes, nucleic acids, and excitable membranes or other biopolymers. Principle routes of drug metabolism, drug transport and the prediction of drug-drug, drug-disease, drug-herb and drug-food interactions based on each drug's chemical properties are also discussed. Examples of drug action in the central nervous system, autonomic nervous system, cardiovascular system, endocrine system, and immune system are discussed, as well as anti-infective agents, anti-neoplastic agents, and the impact of biotechnology on drug design.

Prerequisites

• Prerequisites for PSCI 1602 Chemical Principles of Drug Action I, 4.5 credits: Completion of PSCI 1601 Introduction To Drug Structure Evaluation and PHAR 1641 Pharmacology I, PS-II standing, Concurrent enrollment in PHAR 1642 Pharmacology II
• Prerequisite for PSCI 1603 Chemical Principles of Drug Action II, 4 credits: Completion of PSCI 1602 Chemical Principles of Drug Action I and PHAR 1642 Pharmacology II, PS-II standing
• Prerequisite for PSCI 1751 Chemical Principles of Drug Action III, 2 credits: Completion of PSCI 1602 and 1603 Chemical Principles of Drug Action I and II and PHAR 1642 Pharmacology II, PS-III standing
• Prerequisite for PSCI 1752 Chemical Principles of Drug Action IV, 1 credit: Completion of PSCI 1751 Chemical Principles of Drug Action III, PS-III standing.