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Doctor of Pharmacy Degree

The FCOP offers a four-year professional doctorate degree program, the doctor of pharmacy degree (Pharm.D.). The first three professional years of the program are primarily based in the classroom and laboratories on campus at UT Tyler. The fourth professional year is comprised of in-depth practice experiences where students learn at pharmacy practice locations with community practitioners and faculty members.

Team-Based Learning

The FCOP uses a different approach to classroom teaching from the methods most students have encountered. Rather than having courses taught using traditional lectures, pharmacy students actively engage in their learning by spending classroom time solving problems as part of a team. Students come to the classroom prepared to work on cases related to the pharmacy profession and solve those using critical thinking and communication skills. This method of teaching and learning greatly enhances comprehension and application of the content. More information about team-based learning can be found on the FCOP website at: http://uttyler.edu/pharmacy/about/learning.php. 

Accreditation Status

Information on the FCOP accreditation status is available at: https://www.uttyler.edu/pharmacy/about/accreditation.php. 

Pharm.D. Curriculum

The FCOP Pharm.D. curriculum integrates both basic and clinical sciences into a single course. Unlike a traditional Pharm.D. curriculum that organizes content into multiple stand-alone courses, our curriculum integrates those various topics into a single, cohesive course. An integrated curriculum is coordinated by design.

Professional Year 1 (P1)

Fall Courses

PHAR 7601Integrated Pharmacy 1

6
PHAR 7602Integrated Pharmacy 2

6
PHAR 7241Pharmacy Practice Skills Laboratory – 1

2
PHAR 7242Pharmacy Practice Skills Laboratory – 2

2
PHAR 7161Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience 1

1
PHAR 7162Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience 2

1

Spring Courses

PHAR 7603Integrated Pharmacy 3

6
PHAR 7604Integrated Pharmacy 4

6
PHAR 7243Pharmacy Practice Skills Laboratory – 3

2
PHAR 7244Pharmacy Practice Skills Laboratory – 4

2
PHAR 7163Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience 3

1
PHAR 7164Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience 4

1

The Integrated Pharmacy (IP) courses are taught in a team-based learning (TBL) classroom setting. In each IP course, the student discovers how medications impact the body according to its chemical and physical properties. Based on these properties, the student also learns how medications work to correct biochemical, immunological, and physiological disruptions. The IP courses guide students to understanding of the best dosage forms for the medication so that it is optimally absorbed, distributed and eliminated from the body. Finally, the students learn the optimal medication and dosage for each disease.

In the Pharmacy Practice Skills Laboratory (IL), the student learns and practices the skills needed to care for patients in classroom, laboratory and model pharmacy settings. Among the most important of those skills learned are patient interviewing and counseling, compounding medications and sterile products, teaching patients how to take their medications, reading the scientific literature, managing a pharmacy, and learning how to legally fill a prescription in the state of Texas. 

The Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs) begin in the first semester of the Pharm.D. program. In the IPPEs, the knowledge gained in the IP and IL course(s) is transitioned from the laboratory and model pharmacy settings to directly caring for patients in a healthcare setting. During the IPPEs, students are under the direct supervision of a preceptor. All students must be licensed as a pharmacy intern/intern trainee to participate in the IPPE courses.

Professional Year 2 (P2)

Fall Courses

PHAR 7605Integrated Pharmacy 5

6
PHAR 7606Integrated Pharmacy 6

6
PHAR 7245Pharmacy Practice Skills Laboratory – 5

2
PHAR 7246Pharmacy Practice Skills Laboratory – 6

2
PHAR 7165Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) 5

1
PHAR 7166Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) 6

1

Spring Courses

PHAR 7507Integrated Pharmacy 7

5
PHAR 7508Integrated Pharmacy 8

5
Pharmacy Elective 1

1
Pharmacy Elective 2

1
PHAR 7247Pharmacy Practice Skills Laboratory – 7

2
PHAR 7248Pharmacy Practice Skills Laboratory – 8

2
PHAR 7167Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) 7

1
PHAR 7168Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) 8

1

Pharmacy electives are courses that allow students explore areas of personal and professional interest. These are selected from a menu of courses. Examples of pharmacy electives include, but are not limited to: PHAR 7123 Making an effective professional presentation; 7125 Principles of drug design; PHAR 7126 Infectious diseases: antimicrobial stewardship I; and PHAR 7127 Social-behavioral aspect of health care.

Professional Year 3 (P3)

Fall Courses

PHAR 7509Integrated Pharmacy 9

5
PHAR 7510Integrated Pharmacy 10

5
Pharmacy Elective 3

1
Pharmacy Elective 4

1
PHAR 7249Integrated Laboratory 9

2
PHAR 7250Integrated Laboratory 10

2
PHAR 7169Introduction to Pharmacy Practice Experience 9

1
PHAR 7170Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences 10

1

Spring Courses

PHAR 7511Integrated Pharmacy 11

5
PHAR 7512Integrated Pharmacy 12
Pharmacy Elective 5

1
Pharmacy Elective 6

1
PHAR 7251Pharmacy Practice Skills Laboratory 11

2
PHAR 7252Pharmacy Practice Skills Laboratory 12

2
PHAR 7171Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience 11

1
PHAR 7172Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience 12

1

Professional Year 4 (P4)

The fourth professional year includes the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE), which are completed over a 12-month period. Course numbering corresponds to the semester and session the course is taken rather than specific content. The accrediting agency for colleges of pharmacy requires four APPEs and the remainder are elective pharmacy practice experiences. Elective APPEs may be completed a variety of practice settings and specialty areas such as psychiatry, transplant, nuclear pharmacy, academia, and managed care. The potential topics are as diverse as the interests of the preceptor/faculty offering the APPE rotation. The APPE rotations are developed and monitored by the Office of Experiential Education within the FCOP. The fourth year courses and currently in the UT Tyler course approval process. Once approved, course descriptions will be posted on the FCOP website.

Pharm.D. Program Learning Outcomes

The Pharm.D. curriculum is designed to develop 15 key skills and characteristics necessary for College of Pharmacy graduates to enter into the profession and practice at the highest level of their credentials. These Program Learning Outcomes influence the development of curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities within FCOP:

  1. Foundational knowledge: Integrate and apply scientific, social-behavioral, and clinical knowledge to make therapeutic decisions and recommendations.
  2. Patient-centered care: Develop individualized patient health-care plans.
  3. Medication use systems management: Manage medication use systems to improve healthcare outcomes.
  4. Health and wellness: Promote health and wellness strategies to prevent and manage chronic diseases.
  5. Population-based care: Integrate population-based data into the development of healthcare plans.
  6. Problem solving: Identify and resolve medication-related problems.
  7. Education: Provide education about pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies.
  8. Patient advocacy: Advocate for health-care needs on individual and population-based levels. 
  9. Interprofessional collaboration: Collaborate in decision making as part of a healthcare team.
  10. Cultural sensitivity: Incorporate the traditions of diverse cultural groups into individual and community-based care.
  11. Communication: Communicate clearly on a level appropriate for the intended audience.
  12. Self-awareness: Identify areas for self-improvement and incorporate constructive feedback into personal and professional development.
  13. Leadership: Motivate teams to work towards shared goals.
  14. Innovation and entrepreneurship: Develop new ideas to improve patient care and advance the profession. 
  15. Professionalism: Demonstrate respect for all members of the community.