Technical Standards for Admissions and Continued Enrollment

The education objective of Touro College of Pharmacy (TCOP) is to prepare students for the practice of pharmacy. Students admitted to TCOP must therefore have the intellectual, emotional, and physical abilities, with reasonable accommodations as needed for those disabilities, to acquire the knowledge, behaviors, clinical competencies, and technical skills needed to successfully complete the curriculum and engage in the practice of pharmacy. The ability, with reasonable accommodations for disabilities as needed, to meet the technical standards and educational objectives established by the faculty is essential for fulfillment of the Pharm.D. degree. These abilities are evaluated in all candidates for admission and graduation.

The technical standards articulated in this document are for the purposes of completion of the academic and experiential requirements of the College of Pharmacy program, and are no guarantee or assurance of fitness for employment by a third-party employer, nor are they a guarantee or assurance for qualification for licensure by any governmental agency, board or department. Those individuals who would constitute a direct threat to the health or safety of others are not considered suitable candidates for admission.

In compliance with Touro policies, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, TCOP does not discriminate in admissions or educational programs against any individual on the basis of his/her disability or handicap. No otherwise qualified individual with a disability/handicap will be excluded from admission. Applicants or students requiring reasonable accommodations should refer to our Office of Student Disability Services (OSDS) and contact the TCOP OSDS Coordinator.

The awarding of the PharmD degree signifies that the holder is prepared for entry into the practice of pharmacy. It follows that graduates must have the knowledge and skills to practice and function in a wide variety of settings and situations. Candidates for the PharmD degree must be able to perform specific essential functions the faculty deem requisite for the practice of pharmacy. These functions fall into several broad categories, including: professionalism, observation, communication, motor, conceptual, integrative and quantitative; and behavioral and social. Candidates must also have the physical and emotional stamina to function in a competent manner in a setting that may involve heavy workloads and stressful situations.

Accordingly, TCOP requires each candidate and student to meet certain technical requirements, which include:

1. Professionalism
   Candidates and students must possess the skill, competence, and character expected of a member of a highly trained profession required for full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, and the development of mature, sensitive relationships with patients and co-workers.
   
   
2. Observation
   Candidates and students must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic and pharmaceutical sciences, medical illustrations and models, and computer screens and written and/or printed materials. They must be able to directly and accurately see a patient’s physical condition, to obtain a history and perform appropriate physical assessments, and to correctly integrate the information derived from these observations to develop an accurate treatment plan. They must be able to prepare medications for dispensing to patients and observe the activities of technical staff operating under their supervision in accordance in State law. These skills require the functional use of vision and somatic sensation. They must have the visual acuity to be able to read prescriptions.
   
   
3. Communication
   Candidates and students must be able to communicate with, understand, and observe patients in a clinical setting. They must be able to record information accurately and clearly, communicate fluently in and understand the English language, and to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients. Candidates must also be able to communicate effectively with other members of the healthcare team in oral and written form, and in patient care settings in which decisions based upon those communications may be made rapidly. They must have sufficient auditory function to hear verbal or telephonic orders and be able to reduce those orders to writing contemporaneously. They must be able to communicate effectively with and supervise ancillary support staff.
   
   
4. Motor
   Candidates and students must possess the motor function sufficient to accurately compound and prepare prescription products for dispensing to patients. They must possess the motor function sufficient to perform basic laboratory tests such as glucose monitoring or finger stick for laboratory testing and to administer immunizations via intramuscular injections. They must possess sufficient manual dexterity to perform aseptic manipulations required for sterile compounding. They must possess motor function sufficient to perform levigation and trituration for extemporaneous compounding. They must be able to use computer-based information systems. They must be able to bend at the knees, bend at the waist, squat, kneel, stand and sit at various times of the day. They must be able to lift a 25 lb. weight from the floor and transport that weight a distance of ten (10) yards across a flat surface.
   
   
5. Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities
   The candidate must be able to demonstrate ability in measurement, calculation, reasoning, comparison and contrast, analysis and synthesis, and problem-solving. Candidates and students must demonstrate ability to comprehend three-dimensional relationships, and to understand the spatial relationships of structures.
   
   
6. Behavioral and Social Abilities
   Candidates and students must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, and the development of mature, sensitive relationships with patients and co-workers. Candidates and students must be able to tolerate physically and mentally taxing workloads, adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in treating the problems of patients.