Pharmacy at USP

Pharmacy at USP
Why USP?
Your Life as a Pharmacist
Your Future in Pharmacy
Hands-on Learning at USP
Learn from the Best
The USP Pharmacy Curriculum
Professional Connections in Pharmacy
FAQs'
For more information...

Do you envision a career helping people understand the effects of medication on their body? Do you see yourself collaborating with health care professionals to determine effective drug therapy for patients? With the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree from USP, you'll gain a competitive edge in one of the fastest-growing professions in health care.

Why USP?

USP is the only place to study pharmacy. You won't do any better than nearly 200 years of experience in the profession. In 1821, we established the first college of pharmacy in North America. Philadelphia College of Pharmacy's long tradition of educating pharmacists to be leaders in health care is built on our unique combination of:

• A broad curriculum that integrates liberal arts and sciences courses with pharmacy and health sciences courses. You'll study the complex nature of drugs and their effects, the regulatory and administrative aspects of contemporary pharmacy practice, and applications of information technology in health care. In addition, you'll learn to interact with other health care professionals and educate patients and consumers regarding medication use.
• Capstone courses in human disorders and medication through which you'll explore drug therapy in the management and prevention of many disease states, work directly with data systems records that simulate those used in pharmacy practice, and develop drug therapy regimens using data from actual patients in our Center for Advanced Pharmacy Studies (CAPS).
• Clerkship experiences in a variety of pharmacy practice settings in community and hospital pharmacies, clinics and managed care organizations, pharmaceutical industry sites, regulatory agencies, and research laboratories.
• Faculty who are leading scientists, researchers, and practicing pharmacists. Many have held elected leadership positions in the most prominent pharmacy and scientific organizations, authored nationally renowned textbooks, and received prestigious awards for their teaching and professional accomplishments.
• Opportunities to develop mentoring relationships with pharmacists from all types of practice settings who participate extensively in professional courses on our campus.
• Preparation to sit for the licensing examination. Licensure is required to enter the pharmacy profession.

Your Life as a Pharmacist

Pharmacists work in a variety of settings such as community pharmacies, hospitals, or clinics. Other possibilities include home health care agencies, government settings, and industry settings where you might work on drug discovery and development, clinical trials, sales and marketing, production, quality assurance, drug information, or regulatory affairs. Pharmacists work closely with other health professionals to select appropriate drug therapy for patients, evaluate the success of the therapy, and ensure that patients understand their medications.

Your Future in Pharmacy

Increased medication and health care needs of an older population, more effective drugs to treat and prevent diseases, and a growing population have resulted in a shortage of pharmacists nationwide. The employment outlook for pharmacists is “very good,” according to the U.S. Department of Labor. New opportunities are emerging for pharmacists in managed-care organizations and for pharmacists trained in research, disease management, and pharmacoeconomics, the science of determining the costs and benefits of different drug therapies.

As a USP Pharm.D. graduate, you will be recognized as a highly competent professional, and in demand among employers because of the thorough science, clinical, and research background you'll acquire. More than 90 percent of recent graduates are placed in positions before graduation.

Hands-on Learning at USP

Throughout the Pharm.D. program, you'll apply the knowledge and skills you develop. You'll use the latest information technology to solve complex drug information questions, prepare specialized dosage forms in our laboratories, and assess a patient's response to drug therapy by doing physical exams and interpreting laboratory results from blood tests and other types of tests.

Many USP Pharm.D. students work in pharmacies during semester breaks and summers. Whether you are interested in working at a community or hospital pharmacy or exploring diverse opportunities within the pharmaceutical industry, the Public Health Service, or a variety of community health initiatives, we will help you find positions that offer an interesting and rewarding start to your career.

In your final year, you will put your skills to work during a clerkship in a variety of pharmacy practice settings including some of the nation's leading hospitals, retail pharmacy chains and independent pharmacies, clinics, pharmaceutical companies, managed care organizations, drug information centers, regulatory agencies, and research organizations.

Learn from the Best

Preparing well-educated and experienced Pharm.D. graduates requires the best faculty in the industry. You'll learn from people like:

• Steve Sheaffer, Pharm.D., a past president of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, one of the nation's largest and most respected professional organizations for pharmacists who practice in hospitals, clinics, and other types of institutions. After graduating from PCP/USP, Dr. Sheaffer completed additional training at the Crozer Health System. After many years of practice and administrative experience, he returned to USP to coordinate our clerkship and experiential learning program. He is also the advisor for our student chapter of ASHP.
• Sarah Spinler, Pharm.D., who completed her Pharm.D. degree at the University of Minnesota and post-doctoral training at the University of Illinois. Dr. Spinler is a nationally known expert on cardiovascular pharmacotherapy and investigates ways to improve long-term survival and quality of life after heart attacks.
• Joan Tarloff, Ph.D., who holds a pharmacy degree from the University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and a Ph.D. from the Medical College of Ohio. After post-doctoral training and experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Tarloff established a research program at USP to study ways to improve cancer drugs. She teaches pharmacology and physiology courses.
• Lisa Davis, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCOP, one of about only 300 board-certified oncology pharmacy specialists in the country. Dr. Davis trained at the University of Arizona and the University of Kentucky before coming to USP in 1986. Together, with other leading cancer researchers in Philadelphia, she works on developing new drugs to treat all types of cancers. She shares her experience and insight with students in the classroom, her research laboratory, and through her practice at one of the area's top cancer centers.
• William McGhan, Pharm.D.,Ph.D., recognized worldwide as a leader in the area of pharmacoeconomics, the field that studies the cost-effectiveness and economic impact of drug therapy.
• Cathy Poon, Pharm.D., who received her pharmacy degree from St. John's University and completed post-doctoral training at the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of Oklahoma where she developed expertise in pediatric pharmacotherapy. Dr. Poon coordinates one of the capstone courses, teaches most of the pediatric course material, and maintains an active clinical practice in a pediatric intensive care unit.
• Pardeep Gupta, Ph.D., who holds a pharmacy degree from Panjab University in India and a Ph.D. in pharmaceutics from the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Gupta has an active research program in which he is developing ways to administer high-tech, protein-based drug products. He teaches in the pharmaceutics courses and labs.
  

The USP Pharmacy Curriculum

Our intensive Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program is built upon a strong foundation in the physical, biological, chemical, and social sciences, and the liberal arts.

After completing all required courses at USP with a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.70 or greater and a cumulative natural science/math G.P.A. of 2.30 or greater, you will progress to the first professional year (third year) of the curriculum.

The professional pharmacy curriculum includes courses in:

• Pharmaceutical sciences, including pharmacology and pharmaceutics, which is the study of dosage formulations and drug stability.
• Clinical pharmacy, emphasizing patient assessment skills and application of rational drug therapy.
• Pharmacy practice and management, including evaluation of drug information, regulatory and ethical issues related to pharmacy practice, and basic management and administrative skills.

You will participate in an introductory pharmacy practice experience. This will begin in your first professional year and continue through your second and third professional years. Forty weeks of clinical training will occur in your final year.

As a student in the Pharm.D. program, you will learn how to:

• Educate patients on the use, composition, and effects of drugs.
• Dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners.
• Counsel patients about medications and their uses.
• Advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of medications.

First Year

• General Biology I and II
• General Chemistry I and II
• Chemistry Lab I and II
• College Composition
• Introduction to Literature
• Mathematical Analysis I and II
• Pharmacy Orientation
• Physical Education
• Introduction to Sociology

Second Year

• Human Anatomy/Histology
• Organic Chemistry I and II
• Organic Chemistry Lab I and II
• Intellectual Heritage I and II
• Elements of Physics
• Social Science Disciplinary Requirement
• Introduction to Pharmacy & Healthcare
• Humanities Disciplinary Requirement
• Microbiology

Third Year

• Physiology I and II
• Introduction to Communications
• Biostatistics
• Biochemistry
• General Education Elective
• Professional Experience I
• Introduction to Clinical Pharmacy Skills
• Immunology
• Molecular Biology
• Pharmaceutical Calculations

Fourth Year

• Professional Experience II
• Drug Information/Literature Evaluation I
• Pharmaceutics I and II
• Pharmacology/Medicinal Chemistry I and II
• Pharmacotherapeutics/Human Diseases I and II
• Practice Lab & Case Studies I and II
• OTC Medications and Devices
• Pharmacy Management

Fifth Year

• Professional Experience III
• Pharmacology/Medicinal Chemistry III
• Pharmacotherapeutics/Human Diseases III and IV
• Practice Lab & Case Studies III and IV
• Law, Pharmacy and Ethics
• Applied Pharmacoeconomics
• Literature Evaluation II
• Free Elective
• Professional Electives
• Clinical Pharmacokinetics
• Professional Seminar

Sixth Year

• Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (eight rotations/five weeks in length)

Total credits: 209

Professional Connections in Pharmacy

Through involvement in student pharmacy organizations, you'll have an unprecedented opportunity to learn more about careers in all types of pharmacy practice while networking with your peers from our pharmacy school and others across the nation. In addition, our faculty advisors, alumni, and other practitioners will help you develop the leadership and teamwork skills that will accelerate your career and make you even more competitive in the field. Our professional pharmacy organizations include:

• American Pharmacist Association/Academy of Students of Pharmacy
• Student Chapter, Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy
• Student Chapter of Pennsylvania Society of Health-System Pharmacists/American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
• Student Chapter of the National Community Pharmacists Association
• Student National Pharmaceutical Association

In addition, you'll have many more opportunities to network with USP alumni and working professionals through our career pathways program and other activities.

Doctor of Pharmacy Program
Frequently Asked Questions

Answers:
1) The Doctor of Pharmacy program is six years in duration if you enter as a first year student.
2) The most important item reviewed by the Admission Committee is the high school transcript. A strong math and science background provides an excellent foundation for professional study. The average GPA for admitted students is 3.5. The average SAT score for students admitted to the University is 1100, while the ACT average is 25. Students applying for the third year of the program must complete the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT).
3) No, all questions related to prescriptions, health matters, or drug information must be referred to the licensed pharmacist. Such counseling cannot be done by either pharmacy technicians or by computers.
4) Specialty areas of practice include nuclear pharmacy, infectious diseases, oncology, psychiatry, pediatrics, nutrition, and geriatrics. You will gain experience in hospitals, clinics, retail settings, laboratories, and a variety of other settings.

For more information………

To learn more about the Pharm.D. program, contact the Admission Office at 1-888-996-USIP (8747), e-mail admit@usip.edu, or fill out our online information request form.

Philadelphia College of Pharmacy
Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacy Administration
Admission