Pharmacy Tracks
Pharmacy is a career that provides its graduates with various and diverse career opportunities. You might be interested in community pharmacies, hospitals, pharmaceutical industries, healthcare insurance, and/or academia. If you know early on in your pharmacy education – as you enter your second year - where your interests lie, you can focus your electives with one of our tracks.
The research track can prepare you for a fellowship and a career in academia or research. The managed care track can prepare you for a fellowship/residency and a career in healthcare insurance and pharmaceutical industry. The advanced patient care track can prepare you for residency and a career in clinical pharmacy.
We have three tracks
Research
Pharmacists are in ever-increasing demand in research. With a research background there are opportunities in basic research, clinical research (clinical trials), scientific and medical affairs, and business development. The Touro College of Pharmacy (TCOP) has a strong history in preparing its graduates for careers in research. With didactic offerings that include biotechnology and pharmacogenomics, coupled with a unique practice experience elective series, TCOP students are strong contenders for fellowships and industrial positions.
Our research track consists of didactic courses that will train you in experimental design, data analysis and scientific communication; an advanced APPE research elective at New York Medical College’s School of Medicine, with a focus on pharmacology; and collaborative opportunities with a pre-eminent engineering program exposing TCOP students to product innovation and design.
When to apply? Spring semester of your first year (P1).
PBSN 656 - Research Methods (3 Credits)
This course is intended to provide students with an understanding of the essential principles and operations of a research laboratory in the biological sciences. Furthermore, the development of fundamental skill sets required to work within a modern laboratory environment will be emphasized. Good laboratory practice concepts will be introduced with the intent of fostering attentive and mature attitudes towards laboratory science. Developing proficiencies in accurate and timely maintenance of data notebooks will be emphasized. Skill in the reading and presentation of scientific literature will be developed. Developing communication skills in a laboratory environment will be cultivated. Expertise of various faculty members will be employed to instruct various topics. Faculty may lead didactic or laboratory sessions when appropriate. Prerequisites: P2 or P3 Standing. 3 Credits
PBSN 657 - Advanced Research Methods (3 Credits)
This course is designed to familiarize students with the processes, operations and procedures within a research laboratory that is examining a question/topic in the biological sciences. A student successfully completing this course should be able to integrate into and function well in a professional basic research or drug development environment. In addition, this course builds upon and exploits those skills and techniques gained in PBSN 656 and brings them to bear on a formal scientific project. This project will take the student through an arc of a series of interconnected experiments and procedures designed to elucidate the intellectual reasoning and technical approaches employed in basic biological research. Emphasis will be placed on team building, data recording and data presentation proficiencies and developing communication skills. The faculty as a group will develop the project(s) and participate in guiding the students through the various experiments. Faculty may lead didactic or laboratory sessions where appropriate. Prerequisite: PBSN 656. 3 Credits
PBSN 716 - Scientific Presentation and Writing Skills (3 Credits)
This course is intended to provide students with an understanding of the process of research communication in the biological sciences. The students will also learn how to effectively communicate their research, using the style and format appropriate for their chosen are of specialization. This knowledge will be acquired through the production of the deliverables including journal clubs, a research oral presentation, research poster and abstract and research paper. This entails identification and assimilation of the key results in their chosen area of specialization. Furthermore, the development of research skills emphasizing development of a research question and study design and methodology required to work within a modern laboratory environment and data analysis will be emphasized. Skill in the reading and presentation of scientific literature will be developed. Developing communication skills in the oral and written format will be cultivated. Expertise of various faculty members will be employed to instruct and supervise various research projects. Faculty may lead didactic or online interactive sessions when appropriate. Prerequisite: P3 Standing. 3 Credits
Managed Care
Pharmacists who pursue managed care pharmacy perform a variety of functions, including health insurance plan design, patient safety programs, clinical program development, business operations, analysis of therapeutic outcomes, and cost management and can be found in healthcare settings such as health insurance, pharmaceutical industry, government programs, and specialty pharmacies.
For students interested in pursuing a career in managed care pharmacy, the Touro College of Pharmacy Department of Social, Behavioral, and Administrative Sciences offers an elective track consisting of three courses, taken sequentially. The two didactic courses are designed to help you develop knowledge in managed care, followed by a practice experience elective where you will apply the managed care principles within the healthcare system.
This track will be open to 12 students each year, and track participants will be pre-registered for the elective courses below. Students who successfully complete this track (B or above on all track courses) will receive a TCOP certificate of “Certificate of Completion-Managed Care”.
When to apply? Spring semester of your first year (P1).
SBAN 626 - Managed Care (3 Credits)
This course provides students with an overview of managed care pharmacy and an understanding of how managed care pharmacy impacts the healthcare system. Students will learn about the various public and private health insurances in the US and the role of PBMs in these health insurance systems. The course will discuss how various prescription drug benefits are designed, the criteria for formulary management and drug use evaluation, pricing/reimbursements in pharmacy, as well as the role of quality in pharmacy reimbursements will be discussed. Prerequisites: None. 3 Credits
SBAN 689 - Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research (3 Credits)
This course provides students with an understanding of the basic concepts and methods of pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research. Emphasis will be placed on explaining pharmacoeconomic and outcomes research study designs and critically analyzing, interpreting, and preventing drug-related problems in a population. The utility of databases and reporting of effectiveness/cost-effectiveness in pharmacoeconomics will be assessed. Students will be taught to utilize studies other than randomized control trials to evaluate safety, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of medications. Prerequisites: SBAN 540. 3 Credits
EXPN 816 – Managed Care APPE (6 Credits)
The goal of this experiential elective is to provide educational and experiential opportunities for students in a managed care setting such as AmidaCare. This rotation will help students learn to apply the managed care principles within the healthcare system and deliver patient care in the managed care pharmacy practice setting. Students will be expected to utilize their prior knowledge and skills to build confidence when practicing in this new area. Prerequisite: Successful completion of pre-APPE requirements. 6 Credits
Advanced Patient Care
The clinical pharmacist is the most public-facing role of a pharmacist, focused on direct patient care. This track is designed to prepare you for post-graduate training in pharmacy practice residencies and patient care-focused pharmacy fellowships. The Advanced Patient Care Track will provide unique didactic elective and practice experiences in your second, third, and fourth professional year in the areas of patient care, scholarship, and career development so as to best prepare you for the rigorous standards of post-doctoral programs. Completing this track will help your progress towards becoming a clinical pharmacist, community pharmacy specialist, professor of pharmacy, or clinical pharmacy manager.
As part of this track you will become adept at the presentation of clinical patient cases, journal clubs, and research data; comfortable working in an interdisciplinary care team; hone your critical thinking and problem-solving skills in assessing patients and creating patient-centered solutions.
In addition to the traditional PharmD program requirements, you will participate in the following activities during your second, third, and fourth professional year: (1) mentoring program, (2) additional coursework encompassing clinical practice (3) modified experiential education activities, (4) scholarship (original research project, a case report, or a review of therapeutics) and (5) professional presentations. By completing this program, you will earn a notation on your academic transcript as well as a digital badge that you may use on your digital resume or social media sites.
When to apply? Applications are accepted in the fall semester of your second year (P2).
Courses are TBD.
