Elective Course Descriptions

Courses may not be offered every semester; view the course schedule pdf on the Current Students page for available options.

Courses are in-person unless there is a modality description.

ECP/Phar 5220: Regulatory Issues in Drug Research

2 credits – Fall semester
Prerequisite: Completion of the first year of the PharmD program
Course Description: Regulatory issues encountered in conducting drug research trials. Performing different aspects of clinical trials. Lectures, readings, small group discussions, homework assignments.

ECP 5620/Phar 6394-006: Drug Metabolism and Disposition

3 credits – Spring semester, offered odd years
Prerequisite: Completion of Phar 6515 and 6525
Course Description: Oxidatative/conjugative enzymes systems involved in human drug metabolism/disposition. Various in vitro models used to evaluate drug metabolism or chemical entity, pros/cons of each. Factors involved in conducting in vivo studies. Components used to predict in vivo drug disposition from in vivo studies.

Phar 5201: Applied Medical Terminology

2 credits – Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Modality: Online, asynchronous
Prerequisite: Basic knowledge of human anatomy and physiology
Course Description: Interested in learning the difference between an antigen and an antibiotic? During this course, you will not only increase your medical vocabulary by more than 2500 words at your own pace, you will also learn to identify and articulately describe a wide variety of medical conditions and processes. Communication related to disease states, procedures, and diagnostics in health care can sometimes seem like another language. This course will help you recognize medical abbreviations, relate terms to procedures and diagnostics, and comprehend the meaning of medical terminology by using word elements. If you are interested in the health care field or would like to understand more about your own medical care, this course is a great place to start. Course Site

Phar 5204: Drugs and the U.S. Healthcare System

3 credits – Fall and Spring Semesters
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Modality: Online, asynchronous
Prerequisite: None
Course Description: Being an empowered patient is important when discussing ethics-driven issues within the U.S. healthcare system. This course will expose students to current controversial issues surrounding medications and national healthcare and help students examine their own role as a participant in this system. Students will learn to draw comparisons between medication use systems around the world and analyze other controversies related to access, choice, and quality of healthcare. During this course, students will explore how their choices, ethics, and behavior affect societal decisions surrounding the availability of medications in the U.S. and what their rights are as a citizen-participant during the healthcare debate. Course Site

Phar 5230: Principles of Clinical Pharmacology Research

2 credits – Fall semester, offered even years
Prerequisite: Completion of the second year of the PharmD program
Course Description: Drug therapy investigation. Topics include experimental design of drug studies in human research subject volunteers. Topics related to individualization of therapy including effects of genetic polymorphisms, demographic variables, physiologic variables, age on drug disposition treatment outcomes.

Phar 5270: Therapeutics of Herbal and Other Natural Medicinals

2 credits – Spring semester
Modality: Online, asynchronous
Prerequisite: Completion of the first year of the PharmD program
Course Description: Herbal products/supplements. Pharmacology/clinical indications/drug interactions of common products in nontraditional complementary health care. Historical significance/evidenced-based role of products in health care. Case studies of clinical applications.

Phar 6150: Medicinal Chemistry Seminar

1 credit – Fall and Spring semesters
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Modality: In-person and available via Zoom, but not recorded. Recommend students take before P3 spring.
Prerequisite: Instructor consent
Course Description: Current topics in medicinal chemistry

Phar 6160: Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Seminar

1 credit – Fall and Spring semesters
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Prerequisite: Instructor consent
Course Description: Selected topics in experimental/clinical pharmacology

Phar 6219: Building a Pharmaceutical Care Practice

2 credits – Spring semester
Prerequisite: Second year pharmacy student
Course Description: Initiating pharmaceutical care practice. Building personal practice plan.

Phar 6220: Pediatric Drug Therapy

2 credits – Fall semester
Modality: Remote, synchronous
Prerequisite: Completion of the second year of the PharmD program
Course Description: Pathophysiology/therapeutics of disease states. Common issues encountered in providing pharmaceutical care to pediatric patients.

Phar 6222: Advanced Pharmaceutical Compounding

2 credits – Spring semester
Prerequisite: Second year pharmacy student
Course Description: Expands skills gained in pharmaceutical care lab.

Phar 6223: Pharmacokinetics Research Seminar

1 credit – Spring semester
Prerequisite: Instructor consent
Course Description: Students critically evaluate literature in pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and drug metabolism.

Phar 6224: Advanced Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine

1 credit – First half spring semester
Prerequisite: Completion of the second year of the PharmD program
Course Description: This course is for individuals wanting advanced knowledge in PGx and an introduction to the broader field of precision medicine. It consists of lectures, homework assignments and class discussions designed to introduce precision medicine as it relates to the impact of genetic variation on health and the advanced practice of pharmacogenomics. Students will learn diagnostic methods to identify germline and somatic mutations, how algorithms and equations are used for predictions and the relationships between genes and environment. How these concepts apply in the clinical settings, forecast health and drug response will be presented. Emerging tools in genetics and pharmacogenomics will be presented. The course will also address clinical implementation and the ethical, legal, and social issues presented by precision medicine and PGx.

Phar 6232: Health System Pharmacy Practice

2 credits – Spring semester
Prerequisite: Second year pharmacy student
Course Description: This class is an introduction to health system pharmacy practice. Students will gain a broader and deeper understanding of care delivery in health systems, building upon any current pharmacy experience. A great elective for any students pursuing a health system pharmacy internship, residency program, or future career. Many career opportunities in health system pharmacy are not well known to students and this elective will expose students to a variety of key roles of health system pharmacists. Students will also build their network of health system practice leaders throughout the semester.

Phar 6233: Drug Use Review and Management

2 credits – Fall semester
Prerequisite: Completion of the first year of the PharmD program
Course Description: Principles of drug use review in various health care settings. Optimizing quality, minimizing cost.

Phar 6236: Clinical/Pharmacy Management in Modern U.S. Healthcare and Regulatory Landscape

2 credits – Fall semester
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Prerequisite: None
Course Description: This interactive course provides diverse introductory exposure to key non-traditional pharmacy topics within the broader, complex, and evolving US healthcare and managed care landscape. Class entails expertise and critical evaluation of clinical and pharmacy management topics such as utilization & care management, formulary, clinical planning, HEOR, healthcare policy and strategy, clinical account management, specialty pharmacy, Medicare, benefits consulting, pharmaceutical industry, business issues in managed care, and clinical pharmacy leadership. Relevant regulatory topics such as drug development are included as complementary topics, time permitting.

Phar 6250: Social and Administrative Pharmacy Seminar

Phar 6260: Pharmaceutics Seminar

Phar 6294-001: Rural Pharmacy Practice

2 credits – Spring semester
Prerequisite: Completion of the first year of the PharmD program
Course Description: Students in this elective course will be introduced to the unique challenges of providing pharmacy services in geographically-isolated rural communities.

Phar 6902: Foundations for Integrative Mental Health and Psychiatric Practice

2 credits – Fall semester
Prerequisite: Third year student in the Mental Health Focus Area
Course Description: This course is designed to allow students to examine concepts, theories, and paradigms foundational to psychiatric/mental health practice and interprofessional integrative mental health care. Students develop clinical interviewing methods that elicit a client’s health narrative and facilitate the therapeutic relationship. Students also practice techniques that promote beginning skills important in reflective clinical practice. The course is primarily online, with 3 required 3-hr patient care simulations. There will be content posted on the course website for student learning. Activities and assessments include quizzes, patient scenario cases, reflective papers (upon re-watching the video of their interactions with the interprofessional teams and standardized patients during the simulation sessions), and individual and interprofessional groups.

Phar 6903: Assessment and Management of Psychiatric Disorders

2 credits – Spring semester
Prerequisite: Third year student in the Mental Health Focus Area
Course Description: This course is designed to allow students to apply advanced concepts from integrative mental health theory and research, social sciences, neuropsychology, and neurophysiology in the differentiation and explanation of psychiatric symptoms and disorders across the age continuum.

Phar 6905: Applied Psychiatric Pharmacotherapy

2 credits – Fall semester
Prerequisite: Completion of Phar 6455
Course Description: This course provides a semester-long application of the psychiatric pharmacotherapy content from the core curriculum through complex scenarios and exploration of advanced psychiatric pharmacy topics. Student-developed case presentations will be worked-up using a standardized format and shared with a designated visiting expert prior to the class session. Class sessions each week will begin with a discussion of the case and work that is primarily student-led, with a visiting psych/behavioral health clinician providing expert feedback and guidance for the second half of the class session.

Phar 6906: Introduction to Pharmacy Research

1 credit – Fall semester
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Prerequisite: None
Course Description: This course will provide an overview of principles to research in particular research topic areas. It will also provide a forum for scientists involved in research in particular topic areas to discuss their research, environment, and careers with students.

Phar 6907: Interprofessional Collaborative Practice in HIV Care

1 credit – Spring semester
Prerequisite: Completion of the second year of the PharmD program
Course Description: Interprofessional Collaborative Practice has the potential to positively affect the lives of persons living with HIV/AIDS. This short-semester course is designed to provide learners with foundational knowledge of HIV prevention and care and to develop the ability to work as a member of an interprofessional collaborative health care team. Learners will explore options for involvement in HIV care as part of their health care career and will be inspired to lifelong learning related to HIV care and interprofessional collaborative practice. The methods of instruction include lectures with small group discussion incorporated throughout the course. Course exercises are designed to provide hands on experience with some of the tools and concepts covered in the course.

Phar 6908: Drugs of Abuse

2 credits – Spring semester
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Phar 6515
Course Description: Basic medicinal chemistry of substances of abuse, associated paraphernalia.

Phar 6911: CI Cooper, RPh: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Antiracism GoodReads

2 credits – Fall semester
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Prerequisite: None
Course Description: This course is designed to support students in finding ways to actively participate in equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI), and antiracism work in healthcare and life through reading and critical thinking. Students examine concepts, theories, and paradigms foundational to EDI and antiracism and apply what they have learned to real-life situations. One title is assigned to students in their enrolling semester followed by three subsequent books of their choice. Each student will create their own study plan and progress through the course at a contracted pace. Students have up to one year to complete the course. Learning is primarily self-directed to meet unique interests and career goals. This course is remote online with one arranged Zoom session in the first semester.

Phar 6937: Foundations of Leadership

2 credits – Fall semester
Prerequisite: Completion of the first year of the PharmD program
Course Description: Leadership development/its relation to advancing the profession of pharmacy.

Phar 6939: Leading Change Experience I

2 credits – Fall semester
Prerequisite: Phar 6937, Phar 6938
Course Description: In collaboration with a faculty advisor, students implement a change that requires adaptive leadership. Work will focus on building a "short term win" and a team that can continue efforts into the future. Students will also gain experience in collecting and managing data to assist the change process (e.g., needs assessment and/or outcomes assessment). In addition, working with their faculty advisor, students will create and implement an individualized plan for their own personal leadership development. Students will also gain experience in supporting the leadership development of others. To support individualized development, a leadership networking partner (pharmacist) is assigned and periodic networking events and/or meetings are held.

Phar 6940: Leading Change Experience II

2 credits – Spring semester
Prerequisite: Phar 6937, Phar 6938, Phar 6939
Course Description: Continues leading change and development work initiated in Leading Change Experience I. During this term, students continue with their networking partners, present their leading change work, facilitate transition of the work to new leaders, conduct a critical appraisal of their leadership development, and support second year students as they initiate their projects. Students will also evolve their roles, shifting from personal development to the development of others. Students assist in a mentoring role in several capacities, such as transitioning new leaders into the leading change experience and providing guidance, ideas, and encouragement to interested students.

Phar 6941: Leadership Best Sellers for Pharmacists

2 credits – Fall and Spring semesters
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Modality: Online, asynchronous
Prerequisite: None
Course Description: This is a self-directed course that students have up to one year to complete. Students design their own study plan, selecting four leadership books, types of assignments, and due dates. If students are new to leadership studies, recommendations on introductory books are available. If students have studied leadership in the past, or are taking part in the Leadership Emphasis Area, books can be selected to expand on past studies or delve into new areas. All students are encouraged to examine the concepts' applications to their roles and within the profession, both now and in the future.

Phar 6961: Women's Health

2 credits – Fall semester
Prerequisite: Completion of the second year of the PharmD program
Course Description: During this course, students will have the opportunity to actively learn and discuss women's health issues taught in the core curriculum to a greater extent. We will focus on the patient's perspective, pathophysiology, and other quality care considerations specific to women including cultural, religious, psychosocial, and socioeconomic factors affecting health. Health topics will range from social issues to menstrual health, breast cancer to eating disorders, with a specific focus on preparing students for professional practice and the pharmacist's role.

Phar 6964: Clinical Toxicology

1 credit – First half spring semester, offered odd years
Modality: Remote, synchronous
Prerequisite: Completion of the first year of the PharmD program
Course Description: This course will cover the clinical signs/ symptoms, general management and treatment of poisonings and toxicologic emergencies that are not covered in the main curriculum. It will also cover decontamination and laboratory principles associated with poisonings and toxicological emergencies.

SAPH 5100/Phar 5100: Pro-Seminar

1 credit – Fall semester
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Prerequisite: None
Course Description: History, foundational frameworks, and key research domains for social and administrative pharmacy through examining landmark literature. Students think critically, reflect on important works, and create a cognitive map of the discipline and their own focus for study.

SAPH 8054: Advanced Studies in Pharmaceutical Care Practice

3 credits – Fall and Spring semesters
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Prerequisite: Instructor consent
Course Description: Analyzing practice/implementation of pharmaceutical care. Students confront their assumptions about pharmacy profession, pharmacy practice, and pharmaceutical care. Discussions, guest speakers, intensive literature searches/evaluation.

SAPH 8200: Research Problems

1-8 credits – Fall and Spring semesters
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Prerequisite: Instructor consent
Course Description: History, foundational frameworks, and key research domains for social and administrative pharmacy through examining landmark literature. Students think critically, reflect on important works, and create a cognitive map of the discipline and their own focus for study.

SAPH 8235: Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy

3 credits – Fall semester
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Prerequisite: Instructor consent
Course Description: Economic analysis of pharmaceutical sector of health care systems. Problems of pricing production and distribution of pharmaceuticals. Domestic or international policy issues relevant to price and access of pharmaceuticals.

SAPH 8255: Pharmaceutical Marketing

3 credits – Spring semester, offered odd years
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Prerequisite: Instructor consent
Course Description: Historical development of distributive systems, marketing channels, institutions, policies, and practices as they relate to pharmaceutical industry. Contemporary issues/theory related to pharmaceutical marketing. Pharmaceutical proportion, especially directed to consumer advertising.

SAPH 8420: Social & Behavioral Aspects of Pharmacy Practice

3 credits – Fall semester
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Prerequisite: Instructor consent
Course Description: Historical development of the profession, its growth and development, emphasizing forces of education, professionalization, attitude modification, and changes occurring as a product of legal and organizational forces in society.

SAPH 8500: Pharmacy and Its Environment

3 credits – Fall semester
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Prerequisite: Instructor consent
Course Description: Cultural foundations of pharmacy. Development of present state of pharmacy practice. Role of pharmacist as health practitioner in relation to other health practitioners. Identification of factors (health policy, regulation, economics, research and development, promotion) that affect individual responses to drug therapy.

SAPH 8610/Phar 5610: Pharmacoepidemiology

3 credits – Fall semester, offered odd years
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Prerequisite: None
Course Description: Pharmacoepidemiology is the study of the uses and effects of drugs in patient populations. The science of pharmacoepidemiology borrows from pharmacology and epidemiology. This course will introduce students to the field of pharmacoepidemiology including study methodology, relevant statistics, data sources, measurement of treatments and outcomes, sources of bias and control of confounding, techniques to reduce bias and confounding, survival analysis and regression techniques, interpretation of results, and drug safety surveillance and risk management.

SAPH 8810: Social Psychology of Health Care

3 credits – Spring semester, offered even years
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Prerequisite: Instructor consent
Course Description: Behavioral and social aspects of recovery responses to drugs and other therapies, patients' compliance with prescribed therapies, relationships between healthcare professional and patient.

SAPH 8840: Social Measurement in Pharmacy

3 credits – Fall semester, offered even years
Open to: Any student in the PharmD program
Prerequisite: Instructor consent
Course Description: How social factors such as innovativeness, compliance, religiosity, and stress are measured and tested for reliability and validity. Relationships between theory, concepts, variables, data.