Pharmacy

"In the last quarter century, pharmacy has expanded its role within the health care delivery system from a profession focusing on preparation and dispensing of medications to patients to one in which pharmacists provide a wide range of patient-oriented services to maximize the medicine's effectiveness. Pharmacy is practiced in a wide range of settings: community pharmacies, hospitals, long term care facilities, the pharmaceutical industry, mail service, managed care, and government. Historically, educational requirements for pharmacists included the choice of two entry-level degrees: a five-year Bachelor of Science in pharmacy (BS Pharmacy) or a six-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD). However, as of the year 2000, most schools of pharmacy began offering only the PharmD degree. This extensive training makes the pharmacist the most knowledgeable health care professional when it comes to medicines and their use."

(American Pharmacists Association)

Programs

• There are 152 Pharmacy colleges and schools in the U.S.
• list of accredited schools can be found online
• The programs in Florida are:
  • Florida A&M University
  • Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Larkin University
  • Nova Southeastern University
  • Palm Beach Atlantic University
  • University of Florida
  • University of South Florida

Admission Requirements

• An undergraduate GPA of 3.3 is competitive for most pharmacy programs
• PCAT score
• The required courses typically include:
  • General Biology with lab - 2 semesters
  • General (Inorganic) Chemistry with lab - 2 semesters
  • Organic Chemistry with lab - 2 semesters
  • Human Anatomy and Physiology with labs - 1 or 2 semesters
  • Mathematics (usually up to Calculus, maybe Statistics)
  • College English - 2 semesters
  • Communications (typically public speaking)
  • Other courses that are sometimes required include Biochemistry, Microbiology, Physics, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, and courses in the Humanities and Behavioral Sciences.
• Letters of Evaluation
• Experience (some consistent exposure to pharmacy is expected)
• Pharmacy Colleges Application Service

Timeline

• School deadlines for submission vary from October to April depending upon the school
• The PCAT is administered four times throughout the year (typically June, Aug., Oct., and Jan. for each application cycle)
• Most pharmacy programs require secondary application
• Interviews generally start in the fall and continue until March or April

Resources

• American Pharmacists Association
• American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
• Pharmacy Colleges Application Service (PharmCAS)