The entry-level PharmD program prepares students for licensure as a pharmacist. The PharmD program constitutes four years of study. The first three years consist of mostly didactic course work covering principles of pharmaceutical sciences and pharmaceutical care. The fourth year is full-time professional experience. Class size for the entry-level PharmD is 130 students each year.

What is Pharmacy?

The mission of pharmacy practice is to help people get the best outcomes from medication therapies to achieve a healthier society. Before the Industrial Revolution, pharmacists manually compounded most medicines. With the growth of pharmaceutical manufacturing, pharmacists compounded fewer drugs and focused on safe and accurate dispensing procedures.

In the Information Age, pharmacists have placed an emphasis on a practice orientation known as pharmaceutical care which entails a shared responsibility between the patient and pharmacist toward achieving positive therapeutic outcomes. Pharmaceutical care inherently invokes a patient-focused orientation to pharmacy practice. Today pharmacists provide comprehensive drug therapy management including the provision of medications and medical devices, educating patients and other health care providers on the proper use of prescription and over-the-counter products, and monitoring the outcomes of drug therapy.

Students with a desire to help people in a health care environment and an interest in math and science will find the profession of pharmacy particularly well suited to them. Drug therapy is the most common means of treating disease. With the development of more and more complex and expensive therapies, the aging of the United States population, and the dynamic nature of the health care market, pharmacists are well positioned to help patients receive the best benefits from their medications and to reduce the estimated $100 billion spent each year in the United States due to the improper use of prescription drug products.

Career Opportunities in Pharmacy

A graduate from the College of Pharmacy can choose from a variety of career paths tailored to individual interests and aptitudes with a choice of lucrative employment opportunities. Pharmacists in Community setting provide pharmaceutical care to ambulatory patients including the provision of prescription and non-prescription drugs, medical equipment and devices, and drug related information and educational services to patients, the public, and other health care professionals. Pharmacists in institutional settings (e.g., hospitals) provide service to inpatients and are involved in the medication dispensing process, clinical services, drug information and a number of specialty practices (e.g., cardiology, psychiatry, pediatrics, oncology, nuclear pharmacy, nutritional support).

The pharmaceutical industry offers career opportunities in sales and marketing, drug research and development, quality assurance, and professional services. Faculty positions in colleges of pharmacy offer the opportunity to teach, conduct research and provide professional service. Pharmacists are employed by a number of federal agencies involved in drug regulation or national health care services. For example, the Food and Drug Administration, Drug Enforcement Agency, National Institutes of Health, Public Heath Services, Veteran's Administration, and military services provide exciting career opportunities. Nontraditional areas of employment also include pharmaceutical journalism, pharmacy law, and positions on state boards of pharmacy or in professional associations.

More information about careers in Pharmacy can be found in the Science Careers article "Careers in Pharmacy".

Medication safety resources can be found at the "Generation Rx Initiative" website.

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Salary Trends

Salaries in the profession of pharmacy are on an upward trend, with the majority of pharmacy graduates reporting annual salaries $90,000-$95,000.

College Preparation

The faculty at Ohio State voted to require a Bachelors Degree for entry into the PharmD program, beginning Autumn Quarter 2007. One can still be finishing the degree when applying, but it must be completed prior to PharmD matriculation. This degree can be in any major as long as the required prerequisites are completed as well. In fact, candidates are encouraged to consider diverse areas of study in preparation for a people-oriented profession.

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General Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Most new undergraduate students at Ohio State will enroll directly into their major of choice. In some cases, entrance into the major will occur after satisfactory completion of a list of prerequisite courses. If students are undecided about their college major, they will enroll in USAS - Undergraduate Student Academic Services, for career exploration. Advising is available through the College of Arts and Sciences or the College of Pharmacy to help students in planning pre-professional course work.

How to Prepare for the Doctor of Pharmacy Program at Ohio State

The entry-level Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) is a four-year graduate professional program. Applicants are now required to have completed a Bachelors Degree prior to matriculation into the PharmD program. Applicants are not required to have prior pharmacy education; any undergraduate major is acceptable as long as prerequisites are met. The following courses at The Ohio State University or equivalents at other institutions are required for admission (prospective students should contact the Admissions Office at 614-292-9444 for information about specific Ohio State Course work or course equivalency at other institutions):

General Requirement Description	OSU Course Number
Human Anatomy/lab	Anatomy 2300 or EEOB 2510
Introductory Biology/lab	Biology 1113
General Chemistry/lab	Chemistry 1210-1220
Organic Chemistry/lab	Chemistry 2510, 2520, 2540, and 2550
Calculus	Math 1151
Statistics	Statistics 1450
Basic Microbiology/lab	Microbiology 4000
Physics/lab (regular or calculus based)	Physics 1200-1201

Students must also have completed a general education (liberal education) curriculum. Admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program is competitive based on a faculty committee review of the following:

• Performance in prerequisite course work
• Cumulative and math/science grade-point averages
• Pharmacy College Admission (PCAT)
• Test scores Test of English as a Foreign Language or Michigan English Language Assessment Battery scores for non-native English speakers (minimum TOEFL score of 577 or MELAB of 84)
• Full disclosure of prior misdemeanor or felony convictions
• Personal statements completed by the applicant Extracurricular leadership and work experience
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal interviews

Applications for admission in the subsequent year (Autumn Quarter) are available in August. The deadline for the submission of applications is January 1. It is in the student's best interest to submit application materials early in order for the Admissions Committee to make a decision about an interview invitation. Those interested in applying must apply via the centralized application service. Please visit www.pharmcas.org to apply or find out more information.

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Doctor of Pharmacy Requirements

The professional component of the entry-level PharmD program constitutes four years of study. The first three years consist of mostly didactic course work, and the fourth year is full-time professional experience. The professional curriculum incorporates courses or series of courses in the following areas

Biopharmacy Medicinal chemistry and Pharmacognosy Physiology Pharmaceutics Pharmacokinetics Pharmacology Pharmacy law Pharmacy practice Pharmacy management Therapeutics

Various courses incorporate lecture and recitations sections case study workshops, laboratories, and field experience.

More About the College of Pharmacy

Pharmacy graduates consistently exceed state and national pass rates on the pharmacy licensure examinations. The college's graduate professional program is ranked fifth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. A recent poll of practicing pharmacists ranked Ohio State's pharmacy program third in the nation. Approximately 90% of our students agreed or strongly agreed in a recent survey that they would enroll in this college again if starting over, would recommend enrollment in the College of Pharmacy to a friend with the same interest, that they learned a great deal in the College of Pharmacy, and that pharmacy faculty members are interested in their welfare and professional development.

Application Information

All applicants to the Ohio State Doctor of Pharmacy program should send three letters of recommendation directly to PharmCAS. Please follow directions on their website to submit these letters.

For questions pertaining to the application process for the PharmD program, please email admissions@pharmacy.ohio-state.edu

 

Admission from other Doctor of Pharmacy Programs / Advanced Standing

On limited occasions, students with advanced standing are considered for transfer from other accredited Pharmacy programs. Transfer is rarely considered except into the first or second year of the PharmD program.  The following requirements must be met:

1. The Dean or Director of Student Affairs of the Pharmacy school which the applicant is attending must submit a letter summarizing the applicant's credentials and verifying that the student is in good academic standing.
2. The student must submit a copy of his/her pharmacy school application including PCAT scores and all previous college transcripts.
3. The student must submit a formal request for transfer outlining circumstances regarding the potential transfer.
   

Medication Safety Resources

Medication Safety Resources can be found at:
http://pharmacy.osu.edu/outreach/generation-rx/

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