Program Overview

Students in the extended PharmD pathway have the same course requirements as the traditional Doctor of Pharmacy degree.  Extended pathway students will benefit from a curriculum structured to be more manageable, typically requiring only three to four half days of classes per week. This design keeps the course load below 12 credit hours per semester. The first five years of the program will consist of part-time enrollment in didactic coursework, which includes early experiential components. The final year will be dedicated to full-time advanced clinical experiences. 

Qualified candidates include those with an Associate of Arts degree from a community college in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, or Missouri; an Associate of Science degree from a community college in Iowa; or a Bachelor’s degree from any regionally accredited university—while meeting all of the Drake pre-pharmacy course requirements. Additionally, candidates with no degree but at least two years of college coursework (64 credits or more) may qualify once Drake pre-pharmacy and curriculum AOI requirements are fulfilled. 

Educational Goals and Objectives

The purpose of the Pharmacy Professional Program is to provide the graduate with the relevant knowledge base, skills, attitudes, ethics and values to engage in the entry-level practice of pharmacy. The curriculum is designed to provide the graduate with competence in the following areas:

1.1 Scientific Thinking (Learner) - Seek, analyze, integrate, and apply foundational knowledge of medications and pharmacy practice (biomedical; pharmaceutical; social, behavioral, administrative; and clinical sciences; drug classes; and digital health).

2.1 Problem-solving Process (Problem-solver) - Use problem solving and critical thinking skills, along with an innovative mindset, to address challenges and to promote positive change.

2.2 Communication (Communicator) - Actively engage, listen, and communicate verbally, nonverbally, and in writing when interacting with or educating an individual, group, or organization.

2.3 Cultural and Structural Humility (Ally) - Mitigate health disparities by considering, recognizing, and navigating cultural and structural factors (e.g. social determinants of health, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility) to improve access and health outcomes.

2.4 Person-centered Care (Provider) - Provide whole person care to individuals as the medication specialist using the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process

2.5 Advocacy (Advocate) - Promote the best interests of patients and/or the pharmacy profession within healthcare settings and at the community, state, or national level.

2.6 Medication-use Process Stewardship (Steward) - Optimize patient healthcare outcomes using human, financial, technological, and physical resources to improve the safety, efficacy, and environmental impact of medication use systems.

2.7 Interprofessional Collaboration (Collaborator) - Actively engage and contribute as a healthcare team member by demonstrating core interprofessional competencies.

2.8 Population Health and Wellness (Promoter) - Assess factors that influence the health and wellness of a population and develop strategies to address those factors.

2.9 Leadership (Leader) - Demonstrate the ability to influence and support the achievement of shared goals on a team, regardless of one’s role.

3.1 Self-awareness (Self-aware) - Examine, reflect on, and address personal and professional attributes (e.g., knowledge, metacognition, skills, abilities, beliefs, biases, motivation, help-seeking strategies, and emotional intelligence that could enhance or limit growth, development, & professional identity formation.

3.2 Professionalism (Professional) - Exhibit attitudes and behaviors that embody a commitment to building and maintaining trust with patients, colleagues, other health care professionals, and society.

Upon graduation from the Drake University pharmacy program, the graduate also shall fulfill the outcomes of the Drake Curriculum.

Requirements for Major

211.5 credits required.

The four-year professional program is preceded by two years of pre-professional coursework.  The curriculum for the pre-pharmacy and professional programs can be viewed at https://www.drake.edu/cphs/currentstudent/advising/ .  Please note that courses in the professional program may change.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
BIO 012 & 012L	GENERAL/PRE-PROFESSIONAL BIOLOGY I and GENERAL/PRE-PROFESSIONAL BIOLOGY I LAB	4
BIO 095	MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY	3
CHEM 001 & CHEM 003	GENERAL CHEMISTRY I and GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LAB	4
CHEM 002 & CHEM 004	GENERAL CHEMISTRY II and GENERAL CHEMISTRY II LAB	4
CHEM 097 & CHEM 098	ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I LAB	4
CHEM 108 & CHEM 110	ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II LAB	4
ENG 052	PUBLIC VOICES	3
FYS 0--	First Year Seminar	3
HSCI 060	STATISTICS IN HEALTH SCIENCES	3
HSCI 141 & 141L	HUMAN ANATOMY and HUMAN ANATOMY LAB	4
MATH 050	CALCULUS I	3
PHAR 011	CAREER, ACADEMIC, AND PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS (CAPS) I: COLLEGE CONNECTIONS	1
PHAR 031	CAREER, ACADEMIC, AND PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS (CAPS) II: COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS	1
PHAR 051	CAREER, ACADEMIC, AND PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS (CAPS) III: PROFESSIONAL CONNECTIONS	0.5
PHAR 071	CAREER, ACADEMIC, AND PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS (CAPS) IV: CAREER CONNECTIONS	0.5
PHAR 122	CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT I	1
PHAR 123	CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT II	1
PHAR 125	PHYSIOLOGY	4
PHAR 130	BIOCHEMISTRY	4
PHAR 131	INTRODUCTION TO PHARM SCIENCES	3
PHAR 132 & 132D	PATHOPHYSIOLOGY and PATHOPHYSIOLOGY DISCUSSION	4
PHAR 133 & 133D	PRINCIPLES OF DRUG ACTION I and PRINCIPLES OF DRUG ACTION I DISCUSSION	5
PHAR 134 & 134D	PRINCIPLES OF DRUG ACTION II and PRINCIPLES OF DRUG ACTION II DISCUSSION	5
PHAR 135 & 135D	PRINCIPLES OF DRUG ACTION III and PRINCIPLES OF DRUG ACTION III DISCUSSION	4
PHAR 138	PHARMACEUTICAL CALCULATIONS	2
PHAR 140	PHARMACEUTICS I	2
PHAR 141	PHARMACEUTICS II	3
PHAR 142	BASIC PHARMACOKINETICS	3
PHAR 143	THERAPEUTIC DRUG MONITORING	2
PHAR 144	BASIC PHARMACY SKILLS AND APPLICATIONS I	2
PHAR 145	BASIC PHARMACY SKILLS AND APPLICATIONS II	2
PHAR 149	IMMUNIZATIONS	1
PHAR 154	INTERMEDIATE PHARMACY SKILLS AND APPLICATIONS I	2
PHAR 155	INTERMEDIATE PHARMACY SKILLS AND APPLICATIONS II	2
PHAR 162	PHARMACY LAW AND ETHICS	3
PHAR 167	CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT III	1.5
PHAR 168	CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IV	1.5
PHAR 169	SELF CARE AND NON-PRESCRIPTION THERAPIES	3
PHAR 171	HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS AND POLICIES	3
PHAR 172	LITERATURE IN EVALUATION METHODS	3
PHAR 173	APPLIED SOCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PHARMACY	3
PHAR 174	MANAGEMENT IN PHARMACY	3
PHAR 175	CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT V	2
PHAR 176	CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT VI	2
PHAR 177	CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT VII	1.5
PHAR 184	ADVANCED PHARMACY SKILLS AND APPLICATIONS I	2
PHAR 185	ADVANCED PHARMACY SKILLS AND APPLICATIONS II	2
PHAR 190	THERAPEUTICS I	3
PHAR 191	THERAPEUTICS II	5
PHAR 192	THERAPEUTICS III	5
PHAR 285	EXPERIENTIAL ROTATION BLOCK	22
PHAR 285	EXPERIENTIAL ROTATION BLOCK	18
General Electives		26
Pharmacy Professional Electives		5
Written Communication AOI		3
Total Hours		211.5

General Education Electives:  Students complete the Drake Curriculum requirements and other credits for a total of 26 credits.  Drake Curriculum requirements not fulfilled through required coursework:

• Artistic Literacy AOI
• Historical Foundations AOI
• Global and Cultural Understanding AOI

Professional Electives:  Five credits are required and completed during the professional program.

P1 students are required to complete 40 hours of IPPE for Hospital/Institutional Practice I during the summer between the P1 and P2 years, and complete 80 hours of IPPE for Community Practice II during the summer between the P2 & P3 year.

Admission Requirements

Students may apply to the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences as pre-pharmacy students. Students admitted to the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences as pre-pharmacy students are selected from a pool of applicants who have met a priority application deadline of Dec. 1. Students admitted into Drake’s pre-pharmacy program are offered the Drake Direct Admission, through which students receive full consideration for the professional program. In addition, they are assigned a pharmacy Faculty Mentor and Advising Specialist, can belong to professional student organizations, and participate in orientation courses and interview preparation activities.  Additional information is available at www.drake.edu/pharmacy/pre-pharmacy/pre-pharmacyadmission/.

Students who are not selected for pre-pharmacy admission to the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences may be admitted to their second choice program. These students may apply for admission to the professional level of the pharmacy program once all prerequisites are completed. 

Students who have completed the pre-pharmacy course requirements at other institutions may also apply to the professional program.

All students desiring to enter the professional program must complete the Pharmacy Centralized Application Services (www.PharmCAS.org) application.  The PCAT is not required for admission to the professional program.

Additional information regarding the admission process for pre-pharmacy and professional programs can be viewed at www.drake.edu/pharmacy/pre-pharmacy/pre-pharmacyadmission/.

Regulations and Academic Requirements

Pharmacy students should become familiar with the General Information section of this catalog, which covers many regulations that affect all Drake University students. The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences also has a number of specific regulations and requirements that must be met to progress through the pharmacy curriculum. Some of these are listed below; others are available in the Pharmacy Student Handbook at Pharmacy Student Handbook.

Many pharmacy courses have prerequisite requirements. Admission to a course is denied if prerequisite courses have not been successfully completed. Therefore, deviations from the curriculum as it is structured require careful consideration. Course prerequisites may be found in the course descriptions area of the catalog.

Pharmacy students may apply a maximum of nine hours of elective coursework on a credit/no credit basis toward graduation. Courses regularly graded on a credit/no credit basis are not included within the nine-hours maximum. The student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 before registering in a course on a credit/no credit basis.

Candidates qualifying for the degree must complete the required credit hours for graduation and have at least a 2.00 cumulative GPA. The standard grading scale for pharmacy students enrolled in pharmacy-labeled courses is "A", "B", "C", "D" or "F". All courses in the pre-pharmacy curriculum and the first three years of the professional curriculum must be successfully completed before a student enrolls in fourth-year (final year) coursework.

Students may not progress onto rotations unless a "C" or better is earned in each required course. Students are permitted to retake a pharmacy required course for a passing grade (2.0 GPA or "C") one time only. Students who do not obtain a 2.0 (or "C") in a pharmacy required course after two attempts will be dropped from the Pharm.D. program.  Once a student enters the professional program, all didactic coursework must be completed in four years. Students who are unable to complete the didactic course work in this time period will be dropped from the program.

All fourth-year pharmacy students are required to complete 40 weeks of experiential rotations (PHAR 285 EXPERIENTIAL ROTATION BLOCK) prior to graduation. During these experiential rotations, students apply pharmaceutical principles related to diagnosis, treatment and patient care; monitor drug utilization and drug therapy and interact with patients, physicians, nurses and other health care providers. Due to regulations at many of the experiential sites, the college will complete a criminal background check and drug screen prior to admission into the professional program and again prior to entering the experiential year. Students who have a history of a felony are referred to the State Board of Pharmacy where they plan to practice pharmacy to determine if their record would prohibit licensure. Experiential sites have the right to refuse to accept a student for rotations based on the results of the criminal background check even if the history would not prohibit licensure as a pharmacist. Many of these sites also require that a copy of the background check is forwarded to them. Students who have positive drug screens and will be entering rotations will be referred to the Chemical Dependency Policy.

Candidates for the Doctor of Pharmacy degree are required to be in residence in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences for at least the last 30 credit hours before becoming eligible for graduation. Credit earned by examination may not be counted toward fulfillment of the last 30 credit hours.

Through the blended advising model, students will be assigned a faculty mentor and advising specialist who will support them on their journey to earning their degree. The advising specialist will co-create developmental spaces for students to meet their academic and personal goals. The faculty mentor will provide mentorship and guidance that supports professional aspirations.

The Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services is responsible for coordinating the registration process, verifying appropriate registration of courses, approving educational plan waivers and transfer credit requests, updating degree audits with regard to substitutions, waivers and transfer courses, answering student questions regarding registration, credit completion, course transfer process and study-abroad opportunities, serving as a resource for students in combined degree programs (M.B.A., M.P.A., J.D., M.S.L.D., M.P.H., H.S.H.I.A.) and coordinating and communicating opportunities for internship, study abroad, research and postgraduate study. The final responsibility for completion of graduation requirements, however, belongs to the student and, accordingly, each student should become familiar not only with the curriculum but also with the academic regulations of the college.