Practice Experience Course List and Descriptions

This is an experiential education course introducing students to the practice of community pharmacy. The course provides students with an overview of the practice and enables the student to integrate classroom knowledge with practical experience. Students will attend scheduled reflective sessions at the college of pharmacy campus throughout the course. This course prepares students to be critical thinkers who will continually build their knowledge across the curriculum as they engage in other practice experiences. Students will continue to explore the concepts of professionalism and shared accountabilities for health care outcomes and expand drug and disease knowledge. This experience seeks to provide students with direct exposure to the dynamics of the community pharmacy practice and to guide them to a realistic assessment of the challenges and opportunities that exist. Prerequisite: Successful completion first year didactic year requirements

This is an experiential education course introducing students to the practice of inpatient distribution facility of a hospital or other institutional health care settings. The course provides students with an overview of the practice and enables the student to integrate classroom knowledge with practical experience. Students will attend scheduled reflective sessions at the college of pharmacy campus throughout the course. This course prepares students to be critical thinkers who will continually build their knowledge across the curriculum as they engage in other practice experiences. Students will continue to explore the concepts of professionalism and shared accountabilities for health care outcomes and expand drug and disease knowledge. This experience seeks to provide students with direct exposure to the dynamics of the institutional pharmacy practice and to guide them to a realistic assessment of the challenges and opportunities that exist. Prerequisite: Successful completion second year didactic year requirements.

This is an advanced practice experience course building on student’s prior knowledge and practice in the community or chronic care setting. The student will spend full-time (40 hours per week) 6 weeks focusing on patient centered pharmacy practice in a community pharmacy setting. Acquisition of new knowledge and skills in providing primary patient care and development of confidence in clinical decision making, and managing individual and population care is the goal of this practice course. This course prepares students to be critical thinkers who will continually build their knowledge across the curriculum as they engage in practice experiences. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

The course will expose the student to the techniques required in the preparation of intravenous admixtures, parental chemotherapeutic, agents, and TPN products. The student will utilize his/her pharmaceutical calculation skills. Students will fortify their ability to prepare sterile products and to make determinations as to the length of time the product is stable either at room temperature or under refrigeration. They will also calculate and inform the patient or caregiver of the proper rate of administration. The student will be functioning as a professional in a non- contrived environment. The student will have references available to detect and rectify under/over dosages and /or interactions as well as incompatibilities and thus will be able to resolve any problems encountered, all under the supervision of their preceptor whom is a qualified registered pharmacist. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

This required supervised advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) is designed to offer the student the opportunity to apply their knowledge, solidify their patient-care process and skills to provide direct patient-centered care in an acute care setting. Students will participate in, and take responsibility for, direct patient care activities including: patient assessment to identify and prioritize drug therapy problems, develop patient-specific care plans that address desired patient outcomes, patient monitoring including physical and laboratory assessment, and implementation of follow-up evaluation and documentation, as appropriate. The student will learn to effectively communicate with other healthcare professionals, patients and their caregivers when gathering information, monitoring patients, determining and assessing target outcomes and providing education. Students will closely interact with members of health care team in providing collaborative care, including regular communication about appropriateness of the patient’s specific pharmacotherapeutic agents, dosing regimens, dosage forms, routes of administration, delivery systems, etc. Students are expected to be self-directed, demonstrate insight in identifying and managing their own learning needs and address gaps in their knowledge and skills. The student will complete all activities in a professional manner under the facilitation of a faculty/preceptor.

This rotation will take place in a pharmacy specialty area in an acute care medicine unit where patients are managed using a team-based approach. Team members may include pharmacists, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers. Students will participate in the following types of activities: rounding with a healthcare team, obtaining patient histories, identifying problems requiring therapeutic interventions, solving problems, consulting with physicians, monitoring patient outcomes, and providing educational sessions for the professional staff. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

This required supervised advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) is designed to offer the student the opportunity to provide patient-centered care to promote health maintenance, triage and referral, patient education and prevention as well as to manage medication therapy for patients with chronic diseases. Students will actively and directly participate in the patient care process, by developing patient - student pharmacist relationship that supports communication with the patients. Students will collect patient medical and medication histories (subjective complaints, allergies, objective data such as vital signs, physical assessments, laboratory and other tests, medication reconciliation), assess and analyze the information collected, provide medication therapy management, develop and implement individual patient-centered care plan and monitor patients' therapeutic outcomes. The student will interact with health care providers to formulate care plans, provide drug information to patients and health care professionals, document their recommendations and participate in patient counseling sessions. Emphasis will be placed on the student’s ability to demonstrate their understanding of pharmacotherapeutic management and prevention of adult patients with common chronic disease states in an ambulatory care setting. The student will complete all activities in a professional manner. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

EXPN 845 Institutional Practice is a required core clerkship (6 credit hours), and is a full time (40+ hours/week) commitment for six weeks. The advanced pharmacy practice course enables students to integrate skills and knowledge gained in the first two years of the College curriculum. This Practice rotation shall provide experience in most aspects of drug distribution commonly found in an Institutional setting such as unit dose distribution, automated drug cabinets, and procedures for handling controlled substances. It is essential that students build upon the foundation of information and attitudes formed from previous pharmacy practice experience courses. Incorporating knowledge gained and practiced in a new experience enables students to practice evaluation, identification and formulation of solutions to provide individual patient care. The course offers the student pharmacist a selection of full-time opportunities to observe actual practices, gain knowledge, formulate positive attitudes, develop lifelong values, and practice and refine acquired skills. The rotation will provide and emphasize the need for continuity of care throughout the health care delivery system, including the availability and sharing of information regarding a patient’s condition, medications, and other therapies. Experience in the drug use process through drug therapy monitoring, patient education and interviewing, inter professional communications, active decision-making, and the application and refinement of therapeutic problem solving skills should result at the end of the six-week module. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

This required supervised advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) is designed to offer the student the opportunity to apply their knowledge, solidify their patient-care process and skills to provide direct patient-centered care. Students will participate in, and take responsibility for, direct patient care activities including: patient assessment to identify and prioritize drug therapy problems, develop patient-specific care plans that address desired patient outcomes, patient monitoring including physical and laboratory assessment, and implementation of follow-up evaluation and documentation, as appropriate. The student will learn to effectively communicate with other healthcare professionals, patients and their caregivers when gathering information, monitoring patients, determining and assessing target outcomes and providing education. Students will closely interact with members of health care team in providing collaborative care, including regular communication about appropriateness of the patient’s specific pharmacotherapeutic agents, dosing regimens, dosage forms, routes of administration, delivery systems, etc. Students are expected to be self-directed, demonstrate insight in identifying and managing their own learning needs and address gaps in their knowledge and skills. The student will complete all activities in a professional manner under the facilitation of a faculty.

This rotation will take place in an internal medicine/general medicine unit where patients are managed using a team-based approach. Team members may include pharmacists, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers. Students will participate in the following types of activities: rounding with a healthcare team, obtaining patient histories, identifying problems requiring therapeutic interventions, solving problems, consulting with physicians, monitoring patient outcomes, and providing educational sessions for the professional staff. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

This International Public Health Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) in selected developing countries (India, Ghana, Haiti, and others) is intended to provide students an opportunity to learn and experience first-hand public health, health policy, health system, healthcare delivery, and health programs in resource limited settings. Upon the completion of this experience, students will return to the United States with a better appreciation of the workings of national-international partnerships in addressing specific health problems such as malaria and HIV/AIDS in developing countries. Other important learning experiences will include the development, implementation, and monitoring of National Drug Policy to improve the quality of medications, their rational use, and access. Medications here include both contemporary and herbal medicines.

All these varied experiences in the selected developing countries could be adapted for use in the United States to improve access to care and medications for underserved, minority, and vulnerable populations. Additionally, working with various agencies and organizations involved in international public health may open avenues for future global public health-related careers for our students. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

Students will participate in the work of the New York Regional Office (NYRO) of The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), previously known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with state governments to administer Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and health insurance portability standards. Students will become familiar with pharmacy issues of importance to Medicare Part D Program; participate as a team member in the managed care setting of Medicare’s Prescription Drug Program; analyze the legislative process and the effect of legislation on the practice of pharmacy; and provide pharmaceutical information to advocates, health care professionals and Medicare beneficiaries either through outreach programs and events or phone and email inquiries. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

Students will work at a local, State, or Federal government office or government-funded organization focused on community health needs and advocacy, and learn about public health and environmental legislation, management and policymaking. The course will facilitate the advancement of responsibility, knowledge and skills in the areas of advocacy, communication, cultural awareness, epidemiology, and population health management concepts. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

Through supervised placements in managed care pharmacy in a variety of practice settings, including a managed care organization, hospital administration and community pharmacy management, this course will provide students with an overview of managed care pharmacy and an understanding of how managed care pharmacy impacts the healthcare system. The course will cover managed care and the U.S. health care system; prescription drug benefits; formulary management; specialty pharmacy; drug use evaluation; outcomes research; pharmacoeconomics; and the roles and responsibilities of a managed care pharmacist. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

This course will expose students to the advanced practice of pharmacy and the managerial structure of a community pharmacy. Students will have the opportunity to utilize their knowledge of therapeutics and health disparities to communicate with patients and health care providers to make appropriate recommendations and interventions to positively impact patient outcomes. Coverage includes business metrics that benchmark a pharmacy financial performance; developing a systematic approach to ensure the five principles of drug delivery; processing new and refilling prescriptions; providing patient care to a diverse population; designing safe and effective self‐care plans; counseling patients on prescription, non‐prescription, and herbal medications; and participating in prospective drug utilization reviews. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

This course provides an interdisciplinary learning environment for students interested in developing knowledge, attitudes, and skills to effectively manage the pharmacotherapy of patients receiving end-of-life care. Students will participate in activities to increase their understanding of hospice care, including attending interdisciplinary care conferences and accompanying team members on patient visits to evaluate patients and provide follow-up care. To increase understanding of a pharmacist's role in hospice care, students will review medications and evaluate medication regimens, provide drug information (including recommendations for changes to hospice staff, patients, and caregivers), and participate in assigned projects, which might include drafting documents related to hospice care. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

Through partnerships with local health departments, government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations, students will collaborate with other health care professionals to improve the quality of, and access to, patient care in the local community. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

At the end of the experience student should be able to gain understanding of the mission, goals and objectives, organizational structures, programs and services of the organization. Student will participate in appropriate leadership meetings of the organization during the rotation. Students should be able to identify current issues in pharmacy practice and be advocate in addressing them. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

The goal of this experience is for students to increase their awareness of the activities, responsibilities, and opportunities for clinically oriented and trained pharmacists in the healthcare industry. Topics include process of manufacturing, quality control, quality assurance and regulatory affairs. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

Students will work with inpatients who have had a solid organ transplant. Course coverage includes end stage organ disease and indications for solid organ transplant; methodology used to select patients for solid organ transplant and the system used to allocate organs throughout the U.S.; pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion) and pharmacology of pertinent immunosuppressive drugs; pharmacokinetic formulas to determine appropriate therapy; effects of immunosuppressive drugs on the immune system and the risk of opportunistic infection post-transplant; and evaluation of immunosuppressive therapy for clinical efficaciousness, safety and cost. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

This elective advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) provides opportunities for students to learn and participate alongside various persons responsible for improving medication safety in the hospital/medical center. These persons may include the director of medication safety, the director of pharmacy, and other administrative and clinical personnel. This rotation is designed to give the student a broad perspective on the process of managing medication errors and adverse event reports. An emphasis will be made on identifying and implementing risk-reduction strategies. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

This is an advanced practice experience course building on student’s prior knowledge and practice in academia. Students will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge in compounding by preparing short lectures, briefing students on assigned prescriptions, demonstrating formulation preparation, and working individually with students in the compounding laboratory. Students will build on their prior knowledge of pharmaceutical compounding, while also developing their teaching skills, by preparing short lectures, briefing students on assigned prescriptions, demonstrating formulation preparation, and working individually with students in the compounding laboratory. Students can take both courses 847 and 848 in consecutive months to ensure continuity. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

This is an advanced practice experience course building on student’s prior knowledge and practice in academia. Students will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge in compounding by preparing short lectures, briefing students on assigned prescriptions, demonstrating formulation preparation, and working individually with students in the compounding laboratory. Students will build on their prior knowledge of pharmaceutical compounding, while also developing their teaching skills, by preparing short lectures, briefing students on assigned prescriptions, demonstrating formulation preparation, and working individually with students in the compounding laboratory. Students can take both courses 847 and 848 in consecutive months to ensure continuity. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

This course outlines a practical approach to the management of patients with psychiatric illnesses in a health system or ambulatory setting. The student will practice integration of patient-specific factors (age, height, weight, hepatic and renal function) into treatment regimens. The student will compare the pharmacologic activity, toxicity profile and cost of antidepressants, antipsychotics, and other psychiatric medication classes to determine the most appropriate medication for a given disease state and patient profile. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

Students gain knowledge and insight on the broad scope of pharmacy leadership practices through interactive discussion with directors of pharmacy and other leaders within the institution. Student attendance and participation in daily activities, committee meetings and meetings associated with running an institutional pharmacy provide opportunities for students to network and gain access to information and practices that will enhance their future as a pharmacist leader. Coverage includes day-to-day operation; leadership and management; strategic planning; mission and vision statements; and financial, operational, human resources, regulatory and political leadership skills. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

Students focus on the creation and delivery of information pertaining to drug therapy management for patients with multiple medical problems. Students prepare materials designed to answer clinical questions that arise in the development of promotional educational programs; assess and verify the clinical accuracy of content for healthcare related programs (print and web-based); and research and prepare a needs assessment, write objectives, and create outlines for informational programs. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

Students have the opportunity to learn about the theory and decision-making process behind business initiatives. Students get hands-on experience in the areas of human resources, store operations, loss prevention, field operations and management, regulatory affairs, new store set-up, and professional and collegial relations. Students are also exposed to pharmacy business metrics needed to develop business plans and execute business initiatives for multi-unit management. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

This course provides a practical approach to the management of patients of advancing age in a health care system or ambulatory setting. Students apply knowledge of aging and geriatric pharmacotherapy to care for older patients and make professional recommendations regarding appropriate, effective, and safe medication therapy; provide on-going medication therapy monitoring, assessments and recommendations for individual patients; review signs and symptoms of dementia, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiac disease, renal disease and endocrine disorders (diabetes, etc.); evaluate signs and symptoms of illness in the older patient; identify seniors who may be at high risk for medication-related problems and formulate potential solutions; and participate in and demonstrate skill in communicating with older patients. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

These courses enable students to develop their skills in conducting biomedical or pharmaceutical research in a pharmaceutical industry setting. The area of the research will be determined by the Principal Investigator (PI)/faculty. Students will be expected to learn new techniques and become familiar with the tools utilized in basic science or pharmaceutical research. Students can take both courses 760 and 761 in consecutive months to ensure continuity. Students can take both courses 860 and 861 in consecutive months to ensure continuity. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

These courses enable students to develop their skills in conducting biomedical or pharmaceutical research in a pharmaceutical industry setting. The area of the research will be determined by the Principal Investigator (PI)/faculty. Students will be expected to learn new techniques and become familiar with the tools utilized in basic science or pharmaceutical research. Students can take both courses 760 and 761 in consecutive months to ensure continuity. Students can take both courses 860 and 861 in consecutive months to ensure continuity. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

In this experience, students will be exposed to academic drug information practice. Throughout the experience, students will demonstrate their ability to retrieve, analyze, and communicate appropriate information on medications and healthcare-related issues to pharmacists, physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals. The primary responsibility of the students is to provide accurate, fair, balanced, and evidence-based responses to medical and drug information inquiries submitted by health care professionals. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

Students develop an understanding of all the basic techniques used in a modern compounding pharmacy. Course activities provide students the opportunity to learn the fundamental knowledge required for operating a non-sterile compounding practice. Students gain hands-on experience in maintaining a working lab, preparing various forms of compounded preparations, and working under the highest standards of safety and quality control. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

An opportunity for students to develop their skill in pharmacotherapy; verbal and written communications; drug information retrieval and evaluation; and patient monitoring and diagnostics. In this pharmacist-based primary patient care course, students provide individualized services for patients with multiple chronic medical conditions. The focus at many sites may be specifically on diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, asthma, and chronic pain, although other chronic disease states may be a component of the students’ learning. Students can take both courses 871 and 872 in consecutive months to ensure continuity. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

An opportunity for students to develop their skill in pharmacotherapy; verbal and written communications; drug information retrieval and evaluation; and patient monitoring and diagnostics. In this pharmacist-based primary patient care course, students provide individualized services for patients with multiple chronic medical conditions. The focus at many sites may be specifically on diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, asthma, and chronic pain, although other chronic disease states may be a component of the students’ learning. Students can take both courses 871 and 872 in consecutive months to ensure continuity. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

An opportunity for students to develop skills in a pharmacy specializing in long-term care and adult care therapy management. Coverage includes pharmacy practice regulations and standards required by Federal, State, The Joint Commission (TJC), and/or other public and private agencies; analyzing patient charts and reviewing histories to ensure medication safety; interpreting and preparing prescription compounds; and providing medication safety information and programs to other health care professionals. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements.

A practical approach to the management of advanced infections in a health system setting. Students will practice integration of patient-specific factors (age, height, weight, hepatic and renal function) into antimicrobial treatment regimens; and will compare the spectrum of activity, toxicity profile and cost of a group of antibiotics to determine which agent is the most appropriate for a given disease. Coverage includes assessment of the clinical pharmacist’s role in the infectious disease process, with emphasis on antibiotic cost containment, drug utilization review and an understanding of the hospital antibiogram (antibiotic susceptibility patterns). Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

A supervised experience where students provide education and care to patients with cancer and help promote prevention and wellness. Emphasis is on prevention, management of disease, complications and supportive care. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

A practical approach to the management of patients with cardiac disease in a health-system or ambulatory setting. Students practice integration of patient-specific factors (age, height, weight, hepatic and renal function) into cardiac patient treatment regimens. Students will compare the pharmacologic activity, toxicity profile and cost of a group of beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and other classes of cardiac medications to determine which agent is the most appropriate for a given patient and diagnosis. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

During this experience, students gain knowledge about the responsibility of pharmacists on how to help prevent and treat substance abuse disorders. Students will learn about how to improve their knowledge about the pharmacological and behavioral risks of drug abuse, the long-lasting neurological changes, and the effective pharmacological treatments for certain kinds of drug dependency. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

Under the direct supervision of a licensed pediatric clinical pharmacist, students will provide clinical services and patient-specific pharmacotherapy information to members of a health care team. Coverage includes common pediatric diseases and recommended therapy; basic pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic principles relating to pediatric patients; identifying and interpreting appropriate laboratory tests; and making recommendations regarding patient-specific drug therapy and where applicable, associated pharmacokinetic considerations. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

This course is designed to familiarize students with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and international regulations regarding drug development, including textbook, on-line medical resources and databases related to drug approval and regulation. Students will meet with representatives of various departments of pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors to develop an understanding of their functions and responsibilities and to see how a regulatory affairs department supports various aspects of the company, including marketing, clinical research, customer interaction center and medical affairs. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

This course promotes competency in direct patient care and enhances students’ awareness of many aspects of pharmacy practice with a medical team. Students will become familiar with the role and responsibilities of pharmacists in the family medicine practice setting; the importance of appropriate and effective communication between patients, pharmacists and other health-care providers; and the process of developing appropriate individualized treatment plans. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.

This course focuses on skills related to a Medical Affairs department in a pharmaceutical industry setting. Students will have the opportunity to develop basic competencies in medical affairs and clinical development at a large, global pharmaceutical company. Students will assist in the creation, updating, and editing of printed and verbal content for both internal and external audiences. Students will also be responsible for completing a research project of relevance to the company, which may include, for example, evaluation of a potential Rx-to-OTC switch opportunity, review of the competitive environment in a particular therapeutic area or authoring of an expert opinion. Throughout the experience students will be challenged to improve their literature searching and evaluation skills as well as written and verbal communication abilities. Students will also be encouraged to meet and interact with colleagues from other functional areas such as drug safety, regulatory affairs, and marketing to broaden their understanding of the pharmaceutical industry. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements including all didactic courses and IPPE courses.