Pocatello & Boise

ISU’s College of Pharmacy is the oldest of the colleges on campus and offers the Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Better known as the Pharm.D., the Doctor of Pharmacy degree is a four-year professional doctorate, preceded by at least two years of pre-pharmacy academic studies. 

The College of Pharmacy serves the State of Idaho.  The Doctor of Pharmacy degree can be completed in either Pocatello or Meridian Idaho. Students may complete their fourth year at our clinical sites in Idaho (Boise, Pocatello, Coeur d’Alene) or at our site in Reno Nevada. 

General Information

The College of Pharmacy offers professional doctorate that focuses on improving clinical outcomes and improving the quality of patient life. Specifically, we educate pharmacists to:

• Provide patients quality pharmaceutical care
• Be a valuable member of a health-care team
• Promote public health
• Meet the health-care challenges of the future

Pharmacists are called upon continuously to develop knowledge and skills to assume new roles that focus on medication management, and to optimize patient outcomes.  Graduates of the Idaho State University, College of Pharmacy possess the knowledge and skills to succeed throughout their careers and hold true the values of professionalism, ethics, critical thinking and life-long learning.
ISU's Pharm.D. graduates are sought after for various career opportunities. New graduates reported employment in the following areas (in order of majority of positions accepted): community pharmacy practice, clinics and hospital practice, long-term care and home health care. Full-time salaries associated with these positions for new graduates range from $70,000 to $87,000 annually. Most of the graduates accept their positions based on location and the professional opportunities for practice.
Eight of the fifty-four 2005 graduates are pursuing residencies in the areas of general pharmacy practice, ambulatory care, drug information, pharmacotherapy and geriatric pharmacy practice. While completing residencies, residents' salaries range from $30,000 to $40,000.

PRE-PHARMACY

If you wish to be one of our students, you must complete pre-pharmacy requirements by the end of the spring term of the year you apply.  Your pre-pharmacy requirements may be completed at any accredited two-or four-year college.  These courses provide the foundation necessary for successful completion of the Pharm.D. program.  In addition to ISU’s general education requirements and elective credits, you will need to have completed the following pre-pharmacy requirements:

• General Biology
• General Chemistry
• Brief Calculus or Calculus I
• General Physics I
• Organic Chemistry
• Biochemistry (beginning with 2010 Applicants)
• General Microbiology
• Economics
• Anatomy and Physiology
• English Composition
• Public Speaking
• Humanities & Social Sciences

Students are required to have completed a minimum of 72 college/university semester credits before actually beginning the Pharm.D. program at ISU.

For more detailed prepharmacy requirements, look here. Actual pharmacy experience is strongly recommended prior to applying for admissions to the Doctor of Pharmacy program.

Application Process

Non-ISU students are not required to concurrently apply to both the College of Pharmacy and the University; however, if you are invited to interview, we will ask you to also apply to Idaho State University's undergraduate program.  Once the entering class is finalized, students are transferred to the professional program and permitted to register for classes. The application must be submitted online to the College of Pharmacy no later than February 1^st and hard copies of the following no later than February 1^st:

• Official college transcripts
• A $55 nonrefundable application fee (payable to ISU College of Pharmacy)
• Three letters of recommendation  (one from a pharmacist)

For more information, please visit our Pharm.D. admissions web page.

Cost

Cost per semester for the 2008-2009 Academic Year

*may be refundable for students with existing coverage.  For more information see www.isu.edu/finserve.

The Pharm.D. Curriculum

The Pharm.D. curriculum is provided in an environment characterized by sensitivity to the importance of diversity, through the utilization of traditional and innovative delivery methods, and tailored to meet the needs of the citizens of Idaho and beyond. The College of Pharmacy has an innovative and forward-thinking faculty throughout the state who has designed a progressive curriculum to enable you to join the profession of pharmacy as a highly competent pharmacy practitioner.  The mission of the College's traditional Doctor of Pharmacy program is to foster the profession of pharmacy and meet the needs of the citizens of the state of Idaho. As a result, approximately 80% of each entering class is comprised of Idaho residents.

PHARM.D. FIRST YEAR

Your first year in the Pharm.D. program will provide a firm foundation in the basic sciences.  Curriculum topics include:

• Physiology
• Pharmaceutics
• Pharmacology

In other courses students will learn about literature evaluation, research design, career opportunities and current issues in healthcare.

Pharm.D. Second and Third-Year

The second- and third-year courses are presented in a module format, in which the pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacokinetics, pharmaceutics and pharmacotherapy of specific organ systems or diseases are integrated into one intensive course focusing on disease-state management. These courses will prepare you for the practice of pharmacy. The focus of these courses is:

• Hematology/Oncology/Pain Management                     
• Renal/Pulmonary                                                          
• Special Populations                                                      
• Hepatic/Nutrition/Gastrointestinal                     
• Endocrine/Dermatology/Ophthalmologic
• Central Nervous System
• Infectious Diseases
• Cardiovascular
• And Others

Pharm.D. Fourth Year

Your final 42 weeks are devoted to full-time advance practice experience clinical rotations at various clerkship sites, which are established in the following locations:

            Pocatello                                  Boise
            Reno, Nev.                               Twin Falls
            Coeur d’ Alene

These sites offer the most innovative and highest quality pharmaceutical care being practiced today.  Rotations begin in late May and continue throughout the ensuing 12 months after successful completion of your third-year. 

* a complete description of the Pharm.D. curriculum can be found here

DUAL DEGREES

• *Pharm.D./M.B.A.
• *Pharm.D./M.S.
• *Pharm.D./Ph.D.

A joint-degree program permits you to study concurrently for a Pharm.D. and a graduate degree, (M.S. or Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences). Professional pharmacy students may apply for early admission to a graduate program following completion of the Pharm.D. first year.

Student Organizations

Membership in student organizations provides you with the opportunity to network with future colleagues, strengthen interpersonal communication and leadership skills, participate in service projects and develop friendships. Participation in student organizations not only benefits you, but also benefits the pharmacy profession and your community. The Professional Pharmacy Student Alliance advocates the enhancement of all pharmacy student organizations. This Alliance sponsors annual fund-raisers and health clinics, and serves as a liaison group for all pharmacy student organizations. Preparing leaders in pharmacy requires the commitment of the student to service, volunteerism and the enhancement of the profession.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Academia

Opportunities include administration, teaching, research and clinical services.

Community Practice

Options include independent and corporate pharmacies, neighborhood health clinics, home health care and consulting for nursing homes.

Collaborative Practice

Pharmacists work with other health professionals to select and manage drug therapy to optimize clinical outcomes.

Managed-Care Pharmacy

Pharmacists provide clinical service or management within a managed-care setting.

Hospital Pharmacy

Considered a valued member of the health-care team, hospital pharmacists are involved in drug-therapy management, education, drug-use evaluation, clinical studies, and administration.

Pharmaceutical Industry

Some areas of focus in industry are: pharmaceutical manufacturing, marketing, sales, research, regulatory affairs, education and administration.

Public-Service Practice

Options include practice in federal agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Air Force, Army, Navy, Public Health Service, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Meet Our Faculty

Our skilled faculty work closely with our students to foster excellence, integrity and professionalism. They serve various roles, from mentors to teachers to researchers. The faculty strive for a balance that results in a well-rounded pharmacist who is actively engaged in the health management of those under their care, not simply a person who fills prescriptions.
Please take a look at our biographical sketches to find out more about individual members' research areas and credentials.
Shown: Joseph F. Steiner, Dean and Professor

Other

Housing

University housing offers a variety of living accommodations ranging from residence halls, graduate housing and apartment complexes. For information about housing please go to ISU Housing.

Books, Computers and Supplies

Books and supplies may cost $1,200 to $1,800 per year. In addition, each student is required to have a laptop computer available for daily use in the program.

Scholarships

Over $135,000 in scholarships were awarded to Pharm.D. students, from the College of Pharmacy, for the 2004-05 academic year through contributed and endowed funds. This is in addition to scholarships awarded through the campus Office of Financial Aid.

Information about Pharmacy

For more information about the profession of pharmacy visit these Web sites:

     *American Association of Colleges
     www.aacp.org

*American Pharmacists Association
     www.aphanet.org

     *American College of Clinical Pharmacy
www.accp.com

     *American Society of Health System Pharmacists
     www.ashp.org

ABOUT ISU

Idaho State University is located in the southeastern Idaho community of Pocatello, approximately 150 miles north of Salt Lake City, Utah. Pocatello is host to regional shopping, education and medical services, and offers numerous outdoor recreation activities including rock climbing, hunting, and Nordic and alpine skiing just minutes from town.