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Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)

Overview

Pharmacists serve on the front lines of medicine as a critical component of a patients’ health—whether working in the lab, the community, the government, or in a clinical setting.

Today’s pharmacists act as part of an integrated healthcare team, educating patients on the use of both prescription and over-the-counter medications, advising physicians and other healthcare professionals on the best use of therapeutic medications, and offering advice about drug interactions and side effects .

There are several pathways, both in-person and online, into D'Youville University's three-year ACPE-accredited Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) programs for candidates who've earned a bachelor’s degree or are in the process of completing the prerequisite coursework.

What students will learn

  • Skills that will help them communicate effectively with patients and other healthcare practitioners
  • Processes that will help them troubleshoot and solve problems related to drug therapy regimens
  • How to develop and evaluate programs to improve the health of the communities in which they serve
  • Build leadership and collaboration skills through problem sets, case analyses and class service projects.

The demand for Pharmacists in today’s job market is high with a variety of roles to choose from in the healthcare field. Future Pharmacists prefer D’Youville’s Pharmacy program because it allows them to work one-on-one with expert professors, practice across multiple disciplines, and learn in a program focused on caring for their community.

Why Choose D'Youville?

  • Students begin their Introductory Pharmacy Practice experience in the first trimester. Where they'll learn to communicate with patients, solve problems related to medications, and manage themselves and others in a practice environment.
  • Studies show that teamwork across clinical specialties improves patient outcomes. D'Youville's unique interdisciplinary education lab offers the opportunity for students to practice treating patients (played by actors) alongside a team of students from seven other healthcare majors at D'Youville University - all under the supervision of a skilled instructor.
  • Enrich leadership skills while giving back, by joining D'Youville faculty in advocacy and service projects.
  • D'Youville Pharm.D graduates achieve excellent scores on national and state licensing exams. Graduates from the class of 2023 report a 90% job placement rate.

Explore Courses In Pharmacy

Get an introduction to the profession of Pharmacy and the evolution of Pharmacy Practice. Use team-based learning to analyze patient cases using scientific and clinical reasoning. Create a professional e-portfolio to reflect your learning and growth.

  • In this practicum course, students will learn and practice the fundamentals of patient assessment, including physical examination, interviewing skills (such as history taking and symptom analysis) and interpretation of laboratory test results. Students will also become familiar with common drug names, categories, dosing, and therapeutic uses. Classroom time will be a combination of large and small group work. Skill-based activities, such as the practicing of components of a physical examination, will be practiced in student pairs with designated small teams.

  • This course reviews basic math skills necessary for solving pharmaceutical calculation problems and accurate weighing and measurement of pharmaceutical ingredients. Specific calculations involved in individual dosage forms will be covered as well as the application to hospital and community pharmacy.

  • This course is the first of a seven-part series in which students will learn to integrate the principles of pathophysiology, medicinal chemistry, drug disposition and pharmacology in order to optimize therapeutic outcomes. Specific topics covered will include the pharmacotherapy of acute and chronic kidney disease, fluid and electrolyte disorders, acid-base disorders, erectile dysfunction, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and urinary incontinence.

Woman smiles at the camera wearing a white coat
Samantha Paddock

Doctor of Pharmacy Program

My favorite part of DYU is the connections and relationships you can make with faculty and other students in and outside of your major.

Admission Requirements

Transfer/Graduate Student Admissions Requirements
Prerequisite Courses

Students admitted into the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) program are required to complete a minimum of 60-61 prerequisite credit hours. Those applicants who are in the process of completing the prerequisite coursework are welcome to apply to our Pharm.D program .

Find detailed course information for the prerequisite Doctor of Pharmacy program, tools to plan your education, and complete academic policies and procedures in the D'Youville academic catalog.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Fall

Name Credits
Introductory Biology I 4
Intro Bio Lab I 0
General Chemistry I 3
General Chemistry Laboratory 1
Humanities Seminar (English) 3
Calculus I 4
Total Credits 15

Spring

Name Credits
Introductory Biology II 4
Intro Bio Lab II 0
General Chemistry II 3
General Chemistry Laboratory II 1
English, Writing or Literature Elective of Choice 3
Social Science or Humanities 6
Total Credits 17

Fall

Name Credits
Human Biomedical Science with Lab** 4
Organic Chemistry 3
Organic Chemistry Lab 1
Introduction to Applied Statistics 4
General Physics I 3
Gen Physics Lab I 1
Total Credits 16

Spring

Name Credits
Human Biomedical Science with Lab** 4
Organic Chemistry II 3
Organic Chemistry II Lab 1
Public Speaking 3
Macroeconomics or Microeconomics 3
Social Science or Humanities*** 3
Free elective/Human Biomedical Science with Lab (200 level or higher or course equivalent) 4
Total Credits 21

** Two 200-level or higher Human Biomedical Science courses without labs can be substituted for a single Human Biomedical Science with Lab. The Biomedical Science courses that are acceptable include Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, and/or Pharmacology. Microbiology or Anatomy and Physiology are recommended.

*** Acceptable Social Sciences are Sociology, Psychology, History or Political Science.
Acceptable Humanities are Ethics, Philosophy, Fine Arts, Literature, Religious Studies, and Foreign Languages.

  1. Two 200-level or higher Human Biomedical science courses without labs can be substituted for a single Human Biomedical Science with Lab. The Biomedical Science courses that are acceptable include Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, and Pharmacology. However, Microbiology or Anatomy and Physiology are recommended.
  2. Acceptable Social Sciences are Sociology, Psychology, History or Political Science.
  3. Acceptable Humanities are Ethics, Philosophy, Fine Arts, Literature, Religious Studies and Foreign Language.
  4. All pre-requisite coursework must be completed with a grade of “C” (2.0/4.0) or better.
  5. Science and Math courses should be current, completed no more than five years prior to enrollment.
  6. All prerequisite Math and Science courses must be equivalent in scope and rigor to those required for Math, Chemistry and Biology majors at D’Youville.
  7. All students are expected to be proficient in the implementation of computer operating systems, software applications for word processing, statistical analysis, database management, presentations, e-mail, and the use of online databases.

Selected applicants will be invited to campus for an interview. The interview process employs a series of multiple mini-interviews to assess non-cognitive skills important to rendering patient-centered care. The School of Pharmacy’s core values (excellence, lifelong learning, cultural diversity, professionalism, leadership, social responsibility, critical inquiry, and collaboration) are the domains evaluated by the mini-interviews.

Application Requirements

The D'Youville School of Pharmacy participates in PharmCAS, the Pharmacy College Admission Service. To apply to the D'Youville Professional Pharmacy Program (Pharm.D) complete the online PharmCAS application.

The PCAT is not required.  However, if the PCAT test is taken and submitted to the D’Youville School of Pharmacy via PharmCAS the Admissions Committee will review and consider the test score with the entirety of that Candidate’s PharmCAS application. 

You'll need to submit:

  • Results of the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT, code 104) if applicable;
  • Official transcripts from all Colleges/Universities previously attended;
  • Three letters of reference from academic professors, employers or supervisors, and faculty or healthcare advisors;
  • TOEFL scores are required for applicants whose native language is not English. TSE is required if TOEFL score is less than 600 paper, 250 computer, or 100 internet. A minimum TSE score of 40 is required. Test reports must be reported to PharmCAS. The TOEFL test is not required for students who have attended an English-speaking institution for two or more years. 

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

  • Non-US citizens, who have attended a foreign (non-English speaking) institute for their college coursework, must take the TOEFL and TSE and have the results reported to PharmCAS
  • All foreign transcripts must be verified through PharmCAS, World Education Services (WES), Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE), or Josef Silny & Associates 
Evaluation Criteria

The Admission Committee reviews the following criteria for admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) program:

  • Applicant's academic performance
  • Letters of recommendation

It is recommended that applicants will have a math and science prerequisite GPA of 2.5 or higher and overall prerequisite GPA of 2.5 or higher, demonstrate the ability to perform well in a rigorous course of study, possess excellent verbal and written communication skills, be devoted to lifelong learning, and will strive to become competent and compassionate healthcare providers.

Next Steps

Selected applicants will be invited for an interview. Performance on the personal interview will help the committee assess the applicant's potential to develop into a competent, compassionate pharmacist capable of rendering patient-centered care.

  • The interview process employs a series of multiple mini-interviews to assess non-cognitive skills important to rendering patient-centered care.
  • The domains evaluated in the mini-interviews include: excellence, lifelong learning, cultural diversity, professionalism, leadership, social responsibility, critical inquiry, and collaboration (core values of the D'Youville School of Pharmacy)
Articulation Agreements

The following institutions have pharmacy articulation agreements with D'Youville. Contact their admissions office for more details.

Careers

Our program prepares students for General Pharmacy practice. Learn more about being a Pharmacist as well as the job outlook below.

A Pharmacist's Role

The role of a Pharmacist has vastly changed over time. Today, Pharmacists do a lot more than just dispense medications. They serve on the front lines of medicine as a critical component in the overall health and well-being of a patient. In addition to traditional retail pharmacies, Pharmacists can now be found in labs, the community, in government, or in clinical settings 

Today’s pharmacists act as part of an integrated healthcare team, educating patients on the use of both prescription and over-the-counter medications, advising physicians and other healthcare professionals on the best use of therapeutic medications, and offering advice about drug interactions and side effects.

Pharmacists also participate in the research and development of new drugs, they consult on drug manufacturing and usage, participate in drug trials, and inform public health policy in relation to new and existing medications. 

Industries & Settings

Pharmacists work in a variety of healthcare settings in a variety of roles including:

  • Community Pharmacists - work in retail settings dispensing medications, advising patients on drug effects and interactions, and provide primary health care services such as flu and shingles vaccinations.
  • Clinical Pharmacists - work in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare settings. Clinical pharmacists work as part of an integrated healthcare team in the hospital. They provide advice on dosage and timing of medications, efficacy of specific pharmaceuticals and their alternatives, and the role of medications in the treatment of a variety of health conditions and diseases.
  • Consultant Pharmacists - provide advice on medications to institutions such as hospitals or health insurance companies. Some Consultant Pharmacists also provide direct consultation to patients through their own private practices.
  • Pharmaceutical Industry Pharmacists work in the pharmaceutical industry in areas including marketing, sales and/or research
Job Outlook

Pharmacists are in demand and well compensated. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median wage for Pharmacists was $136,030 in May 2023. 

For more information about the job outlook for pharmacists, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

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