Curriculum

Studying at the Touro College of Pharmacy you will see a commitment to collaborative patient-centered care in diverse communities as the backbone of the curriculum and a common theme throughout your learning. In the didactic coursework you will gain a solid foundation in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, social, behavioral, managerial and clinical sciences that will prepare you to engage in evidence-based practices serving individual and public health needs. You’ll hone these abilities and skills in the classroom and laboratory, with participation in co-curricular opportunities, and immersion in our uniquely comprehensive pharmacy practice experiences.

A central foundation of our philosophy is encouraging our students to a lifetime commitment of continuing professional development through the strategic use of developmental portfolios. Students are encouraged to refine their problem-solving and critical thinking skills utilizing them to turn issues and concerns into opportunities to assume leadership roles and innovative approaches to practice; advocacy for patients and the profession; and playing a key role in addressing the health care needs of today and tomorrow.

The Pharmacist Patient Care Process (PPCP) model is central to our curriculum and you will find it referenced throughout your pharmacy education. You’ll find certain sequences in the didactic curriculum that build on one another - pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics – adding complexity as you gain deeper understanding, and you’ll find certain themes, such as patient safety and communication skills, integrated and repeated continuously. Alongside classroom learning you’ll experience a co-curriculum focused on your professional development as a leader and advocate, interprofessional education, and practice experiences that will mold you into a pharmacist able to meet the needs of your patient, community and health system.

TCOP Curriculum Visual September 2024

Download the TCOP curriculum overview.

Pharmacist Patient Care Process Model

The Pharmacist Patient Care Process (PPCP) uses the principles of evidence-based practice for pharmacists to provide the following services 1. Collect 2. Assess 3. Plan 4. Implement 5. Follow Up: Monitor and Evaluate while keeping the patient at the center of each of these steps. It is a continuous patient-centered process conducted in collaboration with the patient, family and other providers on the health care team, in an effort to optimize patient health and medication outcomes.

The PPCP Model is introduced in your first year and then spirals throughout your clinical coursework.

At the core of the PPCP is the establishment of a patient–pharmacist relationship, and care is delivered using a patient-centered approach.

Continuing Professional Development and Portfolios

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a model that is intended to support a lifelong learning habit. CPD is intended to be self-directed, ongoing and focused on lifelong learning. It involves engagement in both formal and informal learning activities that support continued competence, enhanced professionalism, and achievement of goals.

The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) has defined CPD as a cyclical process and has illustrated it as follows:

Touro College of Pharmacy facilitates the use of the CPD by helping you to consider your learning needs and tailoring your learning through your choice of co-curricular activity participation. With the guidance of a personal faculty adviser, you will keep a portfolio documenting your growth and change over the course of your time in the PharmD program. These developmental portfolios will help you to reflect, plan, learn, and evaluate your knowledge through documentation and review. This will help you to make sure you’re on track to become the compassionate, qualified, and dynamic pharmacist you want to be.

Through the portfolio program, you will select and submit samples of projects and assessments from your classroom, pharmacy practice experiences, and co-curricular activities that document your growth and achievement of TCOP’s Outcomes of the PharmD Program. This portfolio will become a valuable asset when you enter the job market and beyond!