Pharmacy Practice

The Department of Pharmacy Practice is comprised of faculty who provide education in the administrative and clinical sciences, as well as direct practice experience. Required courses in the administrative science area include an introduction to career development and current pharmacy topics, a survey of the health care system, professional practice management, and pharmacy law and ethics.

Required courses in the clinical science area include topics in the area of nonprescription medications, drug literature evaluation, pharmacotherapeutics, and a professional practice laboratory that emphasizes communication skills, prescription processing, and pharmaceutical care. Supervised practice experiences required during the program provide opportunities for students to apply knowledge acquired in didactic courses to life situations. The experiences are designed to promote the development of technical, cognitive, and decision-making skills that are necessary for the contemporary practice of pharmacy in a variety of practice environments. Various states apply these experiences to their state board of pharmacy internship requirements.

Mission

The mission of the Department of Pharmacy Practice is to prepare and empower pharmacy students and pharmacists to become competent providers of pharmacist care in all practice settings. This mission is achieved through a combination of innovative didactic coursework, experiential training, mentoring, scholarship, and community service in partnership with students, pharmacy practitioners, and the medical and lay communities. The Department serves the professional community through the development and evaluation of innovative pharmacy practice models that promote the role of the pharmacist as an integral member of the healthcare team.