Academic Curriculum

BACK TO TOP

Classroom preparation mixed with real experience

The Manchester University Pharmacy Program is a four-year doctoral program requiring at least two years of pre-pharmacy coursework. The program is an integrated educational environment involving the disciplines of pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy practice. Students immerse themselves in three years of didactic (instructional) study, along with Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE) that place them into various real-world pharmacy settings. The fourth year is entirely experiential, involving six required and four elective rotations of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE).

Upon graduation, students will be required to take and pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) and the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) in order to obtain licensure.

Service activities are a required component of the curriculum that promote a service learning philosophy and put an emphasis on community engagement. Each semester’s service activities culminate in a Day of Service which celebrates our students’ and faculty members’ service accomplishments.

Doctor of Pharmacy Curriculum (On-Campus)

Year 1

PHRM 310 - Pharmaceutical Biochemistry | 5 credits
Pharmaceutical Biochemistry is the study of the chemical principles related to physiological and pharmaceutical phenomena. This course will build on an understanding of general and organic chemistry concepts, such as bonding, acids/bases, and reaction mechanisms, as well as basic biology and biological processes. In this course, essential topics in biochemistry, molecular biology, and pharmacogenomics will be discussed. The knowledge gained in this course will provide the solid background necessary for understanding the advanced concepts presented in courses throughout the PharmD curriculum.
PHRM 322 - Drug Information | 2 credits
Drug Information is designed to provide students with a foundation for an evidence-based approach to pharmacy practice in all settings. Students will gain familiarity with the types of drug literature and their uses, regulations of drug development and promotion, and a variety of drug information specialty practices. Students will be expected to demonstrate critical thinking and commitment to lifelong learning. By the end of the course, students should be able to identify and use appropriate drug information resources to systematically respond to basic requests for drug information from patients and healthcare professionals.
PHRM 330 - Pharmacy Practice Lab I | 1 credit
The courses in the Pharmacy Practice Lab series are designed to provide students with the opportunity to engage in a variety of pharmacy practice skill sets. Each lab course will include a variety of activities simulating professional practice scenarios through the use of peer-teaching, faculty-student interactions, demonstrations, student interactions with standardized patients, and pharmacy-specific and inter-professional frameworks. Students will be expected to demonstrate critical thinking skills and develop lifelong learning techniques through these courses.
PHRM 334 - Pharmaceutics I | 2.5 credits
The Pharmaceutics course series is designed to teach essential concepts of physical pharmacy, pharmaceutics, and dosage form design, including compounding and evaluation of both sterile and non-sterile dosage forms. The student will gain background knowledge and skills necessary to apply biopharmaceutical principles to the selection and evaluation of dosage forms for use in patients.
PHRM 336 - Pharmaceutical Calculations | 2 credits
This course explores the various methods used to perform pharmaceutical calculations required for safe medication use. Accurately performing pharmaceutical calculations is a critical component in providing patient care in every pharmacy practice environment. The development of pharmaceutical calculations skills plays a significant role in building a competent pharmacist.
PHRM 340 - Patient Centered Care | 5 credits
This course will help prepare students for their roles and responsibilities as pharmacists in the areas of listening to, informing, and involving patients in their care, communicating effectively with other healthcare professionals, and advocating on behalf of patients and for the pharmacy profession. Students will be introduced to the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process, which is essential to contemporary practice of pharmacy. Focus will be placed on cultural sensitivity and pharmacy law and ethics to ensure a high standard of patient care. This course will start to shape student attitudes about pharmacy practice as they begin to chart a course for their pharmacy education and future career.
Elective

PHRM 318 - Immunology | 2 credits
This course focuses on immunity and the body’s self-defense mechanisms during host-microbe, host-immune factor, and immune-microbe interactions. The course will consider both innate and adaptive immunity and include the structure and function of key receptors including immunoglobulins, T cell receptors, and innate pattern recognition receptors. The mechanisms of antibody formation and molecular aspects of cellular immunity, including T and B cell interactions and lymphocyte memory formation, will be emphasized, and connections to pharmaceutical biochemistry will be highlighted.
PHRM 319 - Pathophysiology | 3 credits
This course focuses on the pathophysiology of common disease conditions affecting human beings across the lifespan. It includes clinically relevant concepts based on the principles of physiology, biochemistry and microbiology. The course moves from basic pathological processes to diseases by organs or organ systems to multiple system diseases and associated processes
PHRM 325 - Nonprescription Therapeutics | 3 credits
The focus of this course is the pharmacotherapeutic use of over the counter (OTC) medications, including dietary supplements. The course will introduce the student to issues surrounding the self-care decision making process. Special emphasis will be placed on how pharmacists may assist patients in safely and effectively self- treating common medical problems and to recognize when self-care is inappropriate. Home diagnostic tests, glucometers, and smoking cessation counseling/products are also discussed. PHRM 324 will be paralleled by activities in PHRM 331 and PHRM 370 in which students gain interviewing and problem-solving skills as they apply concepts learned in Nonprescription Therapeutics classes.
PHRM 331 - Pharmacy Practice Lab II | 1 credits
The courses in the Pharmacy Practice Lab series are designed to provide students with the opportunity to engage in a variety of pharmacy practice skill sets. Each lab course will include a variety of activities simulating professional practice scenarios through the use of peer-teaching, faculty-student interactions, demonstrations, student interactions with standardized patients, and pharmacy-specific and inter-professional frameworks. Students will be expected to demonstrate critical thinking skills and develop lifelong learning techniques through these courses.
PHRM 335 - Pharmaceutics II | 2 credits
The Pharmaceutics course series is designed to teach essential concepts of physical pharmacy, pharmaceutics, and dosage form design, including compounding and evaluation of both sterile and non-sterile dosage forms. The student will gain background knowledge and skills necessary to apply biopharmaceutical principles to the selection and evaluation of dosage forms for use in patients.
PHRM 337 - Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacogenomics | 2 credits
This course focuses on the mathematical and conceptual study of the time course of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. The course also presents the evolution of pharmacogenetics/pharmacogenomics, the human genome, and modern applications of DNA information related to drugs.
PHRM 370 - IPPE I Community* | 3 credits
This introductory community pharmacy practice experience (IPPE I) course will help you develop basic knowledge, professional identity, and self-confidence in the area of community pharmacy. Under the supervision and guidance of pharmacy professionals, you will gain familiarity with all aspects of pharmacy practice in the community setting. You are expected to build on knowledge and skills gained during your first professional year of college, achieving standard competencies for the practice of pharmacy in the community setting.
Elective

Year 2

PHRM 402 - Interprofessional Education I | .5 credit
The courses within the Interprofessional Education (IPE) sequence will enable students to work collaboratively and learn with, from, and about other healthcare professions and how to work as a team to improve patient care. Professions you can expect to interact with include but are not limited to the following: athletic training, nurse practitioner, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant, and speech- language-pathology. Events include, but are not limited to, live or virtual synchronous and asynchronous activities, on-line modules, and simulations. Activities may also include pre-work. The goal of the IPE sequence is to gain competence in the IPEC domains: Roles/Responsibilities, Teams/Teamwork, Values/Ethics, and Interprofessional Communication in a step-wise approach: Exposure, Immersion, and Integration .
PHRM 411 - Integrated Pharmacotherapy (IPT) I | 4 credits
The courses in the integrated pharmacotherapy series will be centered on a body system and/or disease states. Each course will incorporate instruction about the pathophysiology of body systems/disease states, the pharmacology and medicinal chemistry of the agents used to treat the disease states, and the therapeutics and management of patients. Pharmacogenomics, special populations, and toxicology concepts will also be incorporated in the discussion of disease state treatment and management. The focus of this course series is to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of caring for patients in a variety of medical circumstances.
PHRM 412 - Integrated Pharmacotherapy (IPT) II | 5 credits
The courses in the integrated pharmacotherapy series will be centered on a body system and/or disease states. Each course will incorporate instruction about the pathophysiology of body systems/disease states, the pharmacology and medicinal chemistry of the agents used to treat the disease states, and the therapeutics and management of patients. Pharmacogenomics, special populations, and toxicology concepts will also be incorporated in the discussion of disease state treatment and management. The focus of this course series is to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of caring for patients in a variety of medical circumstances.
PHRM 421 - Case Conference I | 1 credit
Case Conference is a 4-course series of classes that students will progress through during their P2 to P3 year. The purpose of the case conference series is to allow students to progress in their critical thinking and clinical knowledge as they reinforce and apply what they have learned in the classroom to patient cases to facilitate the transition to become APPE-ready. Students will be able to successfully identify and resolve medication- related problems and develop comprehensive patient-centered plans to optimize drug therapy in order to achieve positive outcomes utilizing the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process (PPCP). Patient cases will be a mixture of topics learned in the classroom to reinforce concepts taught in the IPT courses along with disease states that are not covered to exercise skills of self-directed learning. Case conference 1 will have an emphasis on instruction for patient documentation, evaluating patient cases and problem prioritization. Students will receive foundational knowledge during this course that will allow them to be successful in future case conference and integrated pharmacotherapy courses.
PHRM 430 - Pharmacy Practice Lab III | 1 credit
The courses in the Pharmacy Practice Lab series are designed to provide students with the opportunity to engage in a variety of pharmacy practice skill sets. Each lab course will include a variety of activities simulating professional practice scenarios through the use of peer-teaching, faculty-student interactions, demonstrations, student interactions with standardized patients, and pharmacy-specific and inter-professional frameworks. Students will be expected to demonstrate critical thinking skills and develop lifelong learning techniques through these courses.
PHRM 442 - Healthcare Systems and Patient Safety Elective | 0 - 3 credits
Healthcare systems & patient safety is designed to provide students with the foundational knowledge of the U.S. healthcare system and the skills to administer safe pharmaceutical care. Building on the comprehensive overview of the pharmacy profession in previous courses, this course will cover care delivery models, health insurance, medication distribution, and healthcare safety, accessibility, and quality. Discussions of the medication use system, error analysis, prevention, and risk communication will allow students to understand and advocate for safe medication practices. Students will gain familiarity with informatics and technologies that can be used to reduce risk and prevent medication errors. By the end of the course, students will have a sufficient understanding of the U.S. healthcare system and the ways to minimize risk and enhance patient safety to provide optimal patient-centered care.
Elective

PHRM 430 - Interprofessional Education II | .5 credit
The courses in the Pharmacy Practice Lab series are designed to provide students with the opportunity to engage in a variety of pharmacy practice skill sets. Each lab course will include a variety of activities simulating professional practice scenarios through the use of peer-teaching, faculty-student interactions, demonstrations, student interactions with standardized patients, and pharmacy-specific and inter-professional frameworks. Students will be expected to demonstrate critical thinking skills and develop lifelong learning techniques through these courses.
PHRM 413 - Integrated Pharmacotherapy (IPT) 3 | 5 credits
The courses in the integrated pharmacotherapy series will be centered on a body system and/or disease states. Each course will incorporate instruction about the pathophysiology of body systems/disease states, the pharmacology and medicinal chemistry of the agents used to treat the disease states, and the therapeutics and management of patients. Pharmacogenomics, special populations, and toxicology concepts will also be incorporated in the discussion of disease state treatment and management. The focus of this course series is to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of caring for patients in a variety of medical circumstances.
PHRM 414 - Integrated Pharmacotherapy (IPT) 3 | 3 credits
The courses in the integrated pharmacotherapy series will be centered on a body system and/or disease states. Each course will incorporate instruction about the pathophysiology of body systems/disease states, the pharmacology and medicinal chemistry of the agents used to treat the disease states, and the therapeutics and management of patients. Pharmacogenomics, special populations, and toxicology concepts will also be incorporated in the discussion of disease state treatment and management. The focus of this course series is to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of caring for patients in a variety of medical circumstances. This course provides this content for pediatric and non-immune-mediated gastrointestinal conditions.
PHRM 420 - Drug Literature Evaluation | 2 credits
Drug Literature Evaluation builds on the foundational evidence-based medicine practice skills developed in Drug Information. Students will gain familiarity with medication use management strategies, multiple types of pharmacy-related study design, and the process of evaluating the clinical usefulness of a medication. Students will be expected to demonstrate superior critical thinking; synthesize information from multiple resources; and write clearly, concisely, and professionally. By the end of the course, students should be able to comprehend, assess, and evaluate relevant primary literature and determine its potential impact on clinical practice.
PHRM 422 - Case Conference 2 | 1 credit
Case Conference is a 4-course series of classes that students will progress through during their P2 to P3 year. The purpose of the case conference series is to allow students to progress in their critical thinking and clinical knowledge as they reinforce and apply what they have learned in the classroom to patient cases to facilitate the transition to become APPE-ready. Students will be able to successfully identify and resolve medication- related problems and develop comprehensive patient-centered plans to optimize drug therapy in order to achieve positive outcomes utilizing the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process (PPCP). Patient cases will be a mixture of topics learned in the classroom to reinforce concepts taught in the IPT courses along with disease states that are not covered to exercise skills of self-directed learning.
PHRM 434 - Pharmacy Practice Lab IV | 0.5 credit
The courses in the Pharmacy Practice Lab series are designed to provide students with the opportunity to engage in a variety of pharmacy practice skill sets. Each lab course will include a variety of activities simulating professional practice scenarios through the use of peer-teaching, faculty-student interactions, demonstrations, student interactions with standardized patients, and pharmacy-specific and inter-professional frameworks. Students will be expected to demonstrate critical thinking skills and develop lifelong learning techniques through these courses.
PHRM 443 - Pharmacy in Public Health | 3 credits
Pharmacists are an integral part of the health care system. Their vital role in the health of the population requires pharmacists to have an awareness of public health issues and their root causes, the ability to identify how the profession can contribute to public health, and the knowledge of where to find information about a variety of public health issues. Pharmacists who understand public health will develop the ability to serve in proactive roles to protect the health of their patients. This course is an organized introduction to the vast field of public health and aims to spark students’ imagination on meaningful ways of contributing to public health through the art and science of the profession of pharmacy.
PHRM 471 - IPPE II Institutional | 4 credits
This introductory institutional pharmacy practice experience (IPPE II) course will develop students’ basic knowledge, professional identity and self-confidence in the area of institutional pharmacy. Under the supervision and guidance of pharmacy professionals, students will gain familiarity with all aspects of pharmacy practice in selected institutional settings. Students will be expected to build on knowledge and skills gained during their first professional year of school, achieving standard competencies for the practice of pharmacy in the institutional setting bearing in mind that competence at a mastery level in all areas is not to be expected at this stage of the student’s education.
Elective

Year 3

PHRM 502 – Interprofessional Education (IPE) 3 | 0.5 credit
The courses within the Interprofessional Education (IPE) sequence will enable students to work collaboratively and learn with, from, and about other healthcare professions and how to work as a team to improve patient care. Professions you can expect to interact with include but are not limited to the following: athletic training, nurse practitioner, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant, and speech- language-pathology. Events include, but are not limited to, live or virtual synchronous and asynchronous activities, on-line modules, and simulations. Activities may also include pre-work. The goal of the IPE sequence is to gain competence in the IPEC domains: Roles/Responsibilities, Teams/Teamwork, Values/Ethics, and Interprofessional Communication in a step-wise approach: Exposure, Immersion, and Integration
PHRM 515 Integrated Pharmacotherapy 5 | 5 credits
The courses in the integrated pharmacotherapy series will be centered on a body system and/or disease states. Each course will incorporate instruction about the pathophysiology of body systems/disease states, the pharmacology and medicinal chemistry of the agents used to treat the disease states, and the therapeutics and management of patients. Pharmacogenomics, special populations, and toxicology concepts will also be incorporated in the discussion of disease state treatment and management. The focus of this course series is to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of caring for patients in a variety of medical circumstances.
PHRM 516 - Integrated Pharmacotherapy 6 | 5 hours
The courses in the integrated pharmacotherapy series will be centered on a body system and/or disease states. Each course will incorporate instruction about the pathophysiology of body systems/disease states, the pharmacology and medicinal chemistry of the agents used to treat the disease states, and the therapeutics and management of patients. Pharmacogenomics, special populations, and toxicology concepts will also be incorporated in the discussion of disease state treatment and management. The focus of this course series is to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of caring for patients in a variety of medical circumstances.
PHRM 523 - Case Conference 3 | 1 hour
Case Conference is a 4-course series of classes that students will progress through during their P2 to P3 year. The purpose of the case conference series is to allow students to progress in their critical thinking and clinical knowledge as they reinforce and apply what they have learned in the classroom to patient cases to facilitate the transition to become APPE-ready. Students will be able to successfully identify and resolve medication related problems and develop comprehensive patient-centered plans to optimize drug therapy in order to achieve positive outcomes utilizing the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process (PPCP). Patient cases will be a mixture of topics learned in the classroom to reinforce concepts taught in the IPT courses along with disease states that are not covered to exercise skills of self-directed learning.
PHRM 535 - Pharmacy Practice Lab V | 0.5 hour
The courses in the Pharmacy Practice Lab series are designed to provide students with the opportunity to engage in a variety of pharmacy practice skill sets. Each lab course will include a variety of activities simulating professional practice scenarios through the use of peer-teaching, faculty-student interactions, demonstrations, student interactions with standardized patients, and pharmacy-specific and inter-professional frameworks. Students will be expected to demonstrate critical thinking skills and develop lifelong learning techniques through these courses.
PHRM 540 - Practice and Personnel Management | 3 hours
This course will provide foundational management principles related to the role of the pharmacist as a manager and leader in pharmacy practice settings. Topics will include pharmacy practice management as it relates to the medication use process and medications safety, business planning of clinical pharmacy services, leadership and personnel issues, and the future of pharmacy practice. This course particularly focuses on how the managerial sciences apply to pharmacy practice, and the management issues associated with the safety, effectiveness and efficiency in delivering pharmacy services in various practice settings. Students will develop knowledge of the business planning process commonly used in development of clinical pharmacy services. It will also provide an overview of the pharmacy workforce including supply and demand and future pharmacy practice models.
Elective | 3 credits

PHRM 503 – Interprofessional Education (IPE) 4 | 0.5 credit
The courses within the Interprofessional Education (IPE) sequence will enable students to work collaboratively and learn with, from, and about other healthcare professions and how to work as a team to improve patient care. Professions you can expect to interact with include but are not limited to the following: athletic training, nurse practitioner, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant, and speech- language-pathology. Events include, but are not limited to, live or virtual synchronous and asynchronous activities, on-line modules, and simulations. Activities may also include pre-work. The goal of the IPE sequence is to gain competence in the IPEC domains: Roles/Responsibilities, Teams/Teamwork, Values/Ethics, and Interprofessional Communication in a step-wise approach: Exposure, Immersion, and Integration
PHRM 517 - Integrated Pharmacotherapy 7 | 5 hours
The courses in the integrated pharmacotherapy series will be centered on a body system and/or disease states. Each course will incorporate instruction about the pathophysiology of body systems/disease states, the pharmacology and medicinal chemistry of the agents used to treat the disease states, and the therapeutics and management of patients. Pharmacogenomics, special populations, and toxicology concepts will also be incorporated in the discussion of disease state treatment and management. The focus of this course series is to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of caring for patients in a variety of medical circumstances.
PHRM 518 - Integrated Pharmacotherapy 8 | 3 hours
The courses in the integrated pharmacotherapy series will be centered on a body system and/or disease states. Each course will incorporate instruction about the pathophysiology of body systems/disease states, the pharmacology and medicinal chemistry of the agents used to treat the disease states, and the therapeutics and management of patients. Pharmacogenomics, special populations, and toxicology concepts will also be incorporated in the discussion of disease state treatment and management. The focus of this course series is to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of caring for patients in a variety of medical circumstances.
PHRM 524 - Case Conference 4 | 1 hour
Case Conference is a 4-course series of classes that students will progress through during their P2 to P3 year. The purpose of the case conference series is to allow students to progress in their critical thinking and clinical knowledge as they reinforce and apply what they have learned in the classroom to patient cases to facilitate the transition to become APPE-ready. Students will be able to successfully identify and resolve medication related problems and develop comprehensive patient-centered plans to optimize drug therapy in order to achieve positive outcomes utilizing the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process (PPCP). Patient cases will be a mixture of topics learned in the classroom to reinforce concepts taught in the IPT courses along with disease states that are not covered to exercise skills of self-directed learning.
PHRM 536 - Capstone | 4 hours
PHRM 541 - Pharmacy Law | 2 hours
In this course, we will discuss the contours of law, specifically focusing on the area of pharmacy law. We will examine the federal and Indiana state laws that impact the practice of pharmacy, while emphasizing the legal and ethical principles applied by pharmacists in their daily decision-making. Students will learn the governmental framework within which pharmacy is practiced, as well as acquire an understanding of the laws, regulations, and the ethical responsibilities applicable to pharmacists so that they will be able to protect the public and ensure patients’ wellbeing. Furthermore, students will learn legal procedure, legal terminology, and have an opportunity to reflect upon and evaluate the United States legal system, including its impact on the profession of pharmacy, through readings and in-class discussions.
Elective

Year 4

PHRM 610 - APPE Advanced Community | 4 credits
The Advanced Community Rotation focuses on the day-to-day operations of a retail/community pharmacy such as counseling and monitoring ambulatory patients, communicating with various caregivers and healthcare providers along with medication procurement and dispensing. The overarching goal of this rotation is to prepare student pharmacist to think and act as a professional. Steps to achieving this goal include exploring as many experiences as possible, being confident in the performance of daily tasks, finding value and application in the rotation for your future career, and having a complete understanding of a community pharmacist’s role in the healthcare system.
PHRM - 620 APPE Advanced Institutional | 4 credits
The Advanced Institutional/Hospital Rotation focuses on the day-to-day operations of an institutional/hospital environment, such as providing general care to patients and procurement and distribution of medications. The overarching goal of this rotation builds upon the knowledge and skills previously learned in order to fully participate in hospital pharmacy operations and services. Steps to achieving this goal include exploring as many experiences as possible, being confident in the performance of daily tasks, finding value and application in the rotation for your future career, and having a complete understanding of an institutional/hospital pharmacist’s role in the healthcare system.
PHRM 630 - APPE Ambulatory Care | 4 credits
The Ambulatory Patient Care Rotation focuses on the ambulatory patient and their long-term medical needs and care. The overarching goal of this rotation is to provide pharmaceutical care in an ambulatory care setting. Steps to achieving this goal include exploring as many experiences as possible, being confident in the performance of daily tasks, finding value and application in the rotation for your future career, and having a complete understanding of an ambulatory care pharmacist’s role in the healthcare system. This course may be repeated for credit.
PHRM 640 - APPE Acute Care | 4 credits
The Acute Care Rotation focuses on enhancing your ability to observe and provide comprehensive medication therapy management for acutely ill patients in an institutional setting. You will be able to identify and optimize pharmacotherapy in a hospitalized patient. The overarching goal of this rotation is to learn what pharmacists do in the institutional setting by gaining hands-on experience with contributing to patient care. You will master disease states and drug-related issues to the level of an entry-level pharmacist. This course may be repeated for credit.
PHRM 670 - APEE Electives | 16 credits
Elective advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE) in other settings (such as research, management, drug information, academia, managed care, long-term care, hospice, and home health care) should complement the required experiences and provide adequate and innovative opportunities for students to mature professionally and in accordance with their individual interests. The overarching goal of the elective APPE is for students to broaden their practice experience in pharmacy and pharmacy-related settings while positively contributing to the activities at the site.
PHRM 601 - Personal and Professional Development | 0.5 hours
This course is designed to assist students in preparing for standardized examinations – the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) and Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) – through their participation in a series of review sessions. This course also provides students an opportunity to evaluate the pharmacy program by participating in focus group discussions and completing surveys, most notably the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Graduating Students Survey. These activities are purposely and intentionally designed to aid in our assurance that students are practice-ready upon graduation. This class will be graded in a pass/no pass manner.
Elective