Pharmacy

To provide an exemplary,learner centered pharmacy education and advance the practice of pharmacy through interprofessional collaboration,research, patient care and service. 

Overview

The College offers the Doctor of Pharmacy as the professional degree that prepares students for careers as pharmacists in a variety of practice settings. A minimum of two years of undergraduate pre-professional education is required for admission. The two-year, undergraduate pre-professional program (Pre-Pharmacy) is offered on UNE’s Biddeford Campus in Biddeford, Maine and at other institutions. The Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree is awarded after successful completion of four years of professional study in the College of Pharmacy located on UNE’s Portland Campus in Portland, Maine. To apply or to learn more about this exciting program, please call (800) 477-4UNE, or email gradadmissions@une.edu

Pharmacy is one of the most highly respected healthcare professions in the United States.   Maine ranks quite high in its need for pharmacists and although we recognize that not all of our graduates will remain in our state, we believe that our program makes a difference in providing competent practitioners to serve the health needs of our citizens. Admission to pharmacy programs is very competitive and at UNE there is a high demand for entrance into our four-year professional degree program. 

Research Objectives

The College of Pharmacy strives to achieve balance in its research efforts between discovery of clinically relevant drugs or drug delivery systems and pre-clinical and clinical development of these entities. Our primary area of focus will be the discovery and development of new drug molecules. Other areas of research activity will include therapeutic biomarkers, drug delivery methods, nutraceuticals, herbal medicines, and strategies for assessing individual variations in drug response, nutritional status or inborn errors of metabolism. We educate our pharmacy students about the drug discovery process and the necessary regulatory compliance required for drug development. Our students will understand the basic science, thought process, and strategies for the generation of new drug discoveries. They will also be familiar with the safety, the formulation, and the delivery of new drug entities. They will have instruction on the principles of proper clinical trial design and the process by which a new drug product is introduced into commercial use.

Core Values 

The College operates guided by a set of values that include:

• Learner Centered approaches
• Professional and servant leadership
• Diversity and inclusiveness
• Lifelong learning, discovery,and creativity
• Collegiality and mutual respect
• Integrity and accountability
• Continuous quality improvement

The College initiative is clearly consistent with UNE’s mission, which is to “provide a highly integrated learning experience that promotes excellence through interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in education, research, and service.” 

University of New England College of Pharmacy’s Doctor of Pharmacy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 135 South LaSalle Street, Suite 4100, Chicago, IL 60503, 312/664-3575; FAX 312/664-4652, web site www.acpe-accredit.org.

PHA- Pharmacy Administration
PHP- Pharmacy Practice
PHS- Pharmaceutical Science

Pharmacy Practice Experiences

The process of experiential education provides the student with the ability to integrate first-hand practical experience with their didactic and laboratory course work.

Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE)
All course requirements in the first and second professional years must be successfully  completed before a student may participate in an IPPE. The Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) will consist of two courses, one of four weeks duration,  and one of three weeks duration.The four week course will occur in a community (retail) pharmacy while the other will occur in an institutional (hospital) pharmacy. The community course experience, totaling 160 hours, will provide four semester hours of credit,while the institutional course, totaling 120 hours, will provide three semester hours for a total of 7 semester credit hours. A one credit semester hour course,PHP 315, is required in the P3 year to provide the additional credit hour needed for the full 300 hours of IPPE experience.  Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences in community and institutional pharmacy settings begin early in the professional curriculum and are interfaced with didactic course instruction. This provides an introduction to the profession and continues in a progressive manner preparing the pharmacy student for the advanced pharmacy practice experiences.

Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE)
All previous course requirements must be successfully completed before a student may participate in an APPE. The Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) will occur immediately following the third year and throughout the fourth and final year which will consist of six, six-week assignments. Each experience will provide 6 semester hours of credit for a total of 36 credit hours (1440 contact hours). Each student will be required to successfully complete four required experiences in the following patient care settings: inpatient acute care medicine; outpatient or ambulatory care, community pharmacy, and institutional pharmacy as well as two elective experiences in various practice environments.

Academic Program Standards

Pharmacy students must complete all Doctor of Pharmacy Program requirements and receive a passing grade in all courses and clinical rotations to be eligible for graduation. The graduating student must have a cumulative grade point average of a 2.0 or better and be recommended for graduation by the faculty.

Technical Standards

All students must be able to meet the following University of New England (UNE) College of Pharmacy technical standards.  A student accepted into the Doctor of Pharmacy Program must have abilities and skills in five categories: observation, communication, motor, intellectual, and behavioral/social. Standards are developed as criteria to achieve the Doctor of Pharmacy degree in preparation for licensure as a practicing pharmacist and for postgraduate professional training and education in any of the varied fields of pharmacy. Further, the safety of the patient, on whom the pharmaceutical education process is largely focused, must be guarded as the final and ultimate consideration.

The University of New England, College of Pharmacy acknowledges Section 504 of the 1973 Vocational Rehabilitation Act and PL 11-336, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 19903, and requires minimum technical standards be present in students accepted into the Doctor of Pharmacy program. The College of Pharmacy will engage in an interactive process with applicants with disabilities but the College of Pharmacy reserves the right not to admit any applicant who cannot meet the Technical Standards set forth below, with reasonable accommodations. Applicants are not required to disclose the nature of their disability(ies), if any, to the Admissions Committee. However, any applicant with questions about these technical standards is strongly encouraged to discuss his/her specific issue(s) with Disability Services prior to the interview process. If appropriate, and upon the request of the applicant, reasonable accommodations will be provided. 

Reasonable accommodation for persons with documented disabilities will be considered on an individual basis, but a student in the Doctor of Pharmacy program must be able to perform in an independent manner. Every applicant is considered without regard to disability. Once accepted, students must complete all elements of the curriculum with or without reasonable accommodations. In the case of a documented disability, the College of Pharmacy must be fully satisfied that the applicant can make progress through the curriculum. Students in the Doctor of Pharmacy program must have the functional use of the senses of vision and hearing. A student's skills will also be lessened without the functional use of the senses of equilibrium and smell. Additionally, they must have sufficient exteroceptive senses (touch, pain and temperature), and sufficient motor functions to permit them to carry out the activities described in the sections that follow. Doctor of Pharmacy students must be able to integrate information received from multiple senses quickly and accurately. They must also have the intellectual ability to learn, integrate, analyze and synthesize data. Graduates of the College of Pharmacy must have the knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of clinical, administrative and leadership situations and to render a wide spectrum of pharmaceutical care. 

Throughout the pharmacy program, a student will be expected to maintain the technical standards and demonstrate them through their coursework, interaction with peers and faculty, and in their professional experiences.  Students who fail to demonstrate the technical standards while in the program will be evaluated and appropriate action (e.g., remediation, counseling, or dismissal) will be taken.  Because this expectation is separate from academic achievement, simply maintaining a passing GPA is not sufficient. 

While the College of Pharmacy recognizes that certain disabilities can be accommodated without compromising the standards required by the college and the integrity of the curriculum, the use of a trained intermediary means that a student's judgment must be mediated by someone else's powers of selection and observation, and is not acceptable.  Additionally, those individuals who would constitute a direct threat to the health or safety of others are not considered suitable candidates for continued matriculation.

The following skills are required, with or without accommodation:

Observation

Students must be able to observe demonstrations and conduct exercises in a variety of areas related to contemporary pharmacy practice, including but not limited to monitoring of drug response and preparation of specialty dosage forms. Students must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic and pharmaceutical sciences, medical illustrations and models, microscopic studies of microorganisms and tissues in normal and pathological states. A student must be able to observe a patient accurately at a distance and close at hand, noting nonverbal as well as verbal signals. The student must be able to observe and interpret presented information. Specific vision-related requirements include, but are not limited to the following abilities: visualizing and discriminating findings on monitoring tests; reading written and illustrated material; discriminating numbers and patterns associated with diagnostic and monitoring instruments and tests; observing the activities of technical staff operating under their supervision; reading information on a computer screen and small print on packages or package inserts; distinguishing shapes, colors, markings, and other characteristics of small objects (e.g. different dosage forms); and competently using instruments for monitoring drug response. Observation requires not only the functional use of the sense of vision, but other sensory modalities as well such as hearing and other somatic senses. For example, observation can be enhanced in some situations by the use of the sense of smell.

Communication

A pharmacy student should be able to speak, to hear and to observe patients and other health care professionals in order to elicit both verbal and non-verbal information, and must be able to communicate effectively with and about patients. Communication includes speech, reading, writing and computer literacy. The student must be able to perceive and respond appropriately to all types of communication including telephone communications (verbal, non-verbal, written) from faculty, staff, peers, patients, caregivers, family of patients, the public, and all members of the health care team. 

Specific requirements include but are not limited to the following abilities; reading, writing, speaking and comprehending English with sufficient mastery to accomplish didactic, clinical and laboratory curricular requirements in a timely, professional and accurate manner; eliciting a thorough medication and medical history; and communicating complex findings in appropriate terms that are understood by patients, caregivers, and members of the healthcare team. Each student must be able to read and record observations and care plans legibly, efficiently and accurately. Students must be able to prepare and communicate concise but complete summaries of individual activities, decisions and encounters with patients. Students must be able to complete forms or appropriately document activities according to directions in a complete and timely fashion. 

Motor

Pharmacy students must have sufficient motor function to carry out basic laboratory techniques and skills to accomplish basic pharmacy practice tasks utilizing both gross and fine motor skills. These include but are not limited to; compounding prescriptions, filling prescriptions, counting prescription medications, administering medications, preparing intravenous products, and administering intramuscular and subcutaneous injections. The student must be able to conduct a physical assessment of a patient by palpation, auscultation and other diagnostic maneuvers. Other motor activities include performing first aid and/or cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the clinical setting. 

The student must be able to transport him or herself to off-site settings and experiential locations in a timely manner. Students must be able to respond promptly to urgencies within the practice setting and must not hinder the ability of their co-workers to provide prompt care. Examples of such emergency treatment reasonably required of pharmacists include arriving quickly when called, rapidly and accurately preparing appropriate emergency medication, and the preparation of sterile intravenous medications. 

Students must be able to use computer-based information systems and have sufficient motor function and coordination required for manipulation of small and large objects. The student must have the ability to move and position another person in a manner that will facilitate physical assessment or other diagnostic lab testing. Lastly, students must exhibit the physical and mental stamina needed while standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time.

Intellectual

A student should possess sufficient intellectual, conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities to complete a rigorous and intense didactic and experiential curriculum. These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, decision-making, judgment, information integration, and solution synthesis. In addition, the student should be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relations of structures. Especially important is the appropriate and rapid calculation of dosages for a variety of patient-specific conditions such as renal or hepatic failure, obesity, cardiac or respiratory arrest, etc. Additionally, calculations involving appropriate dilution or reconstitution of drug products, electrolytes, etc. must be made accurately and quickly. Students must be able to retain and recall critical information in an efficient and timely manner. Students must be able to identify and acknowledge the limits of their knowledge to others when appropriate and be able to recognize when the limits of their knowledge indicate further study or investigation before making a decision. Students must be able to interpret graphs or charts describing biologic, economic or outcome relationships. They must be able to learn through a variety of modalities including, but not limited to, classroom instruction, small group activities, individual study, preparation and presentation of reports, and use of computer technology. Students are expected to be fully alert and attentive at all times in classroom and clinical settings. 

Behavioral and Social

A pharmacy student must possess the physical and emotional health required for full utilization of his/her intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the care of patients, and the development of effective relationships with patients. Students must adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility and function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the academic and clinical environments with appropriate coping responses. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation are qualities that are assessed during the admission and education process. The student must recognize and display respect for differences in culture, values, and ethics among patients, faculty, peers, clinical and administrative staff and colleagues. The student must be able to identify and demonstrate appropriate behavior to protect the safety and well being of patients, faculty, peers, clinical and administrative staff and colleagues. Lastly, the student should handle situations appropriately and professionally when those situations may be physically, emotionally, or intellectually stressful, including those situations that must be handled promptly and calmly. At times, this requires the ability to be aware of and appropriately react to one's own immediate emotional responses and environment.

When a letter of acceptance to the University of New England College of Pharmacy is mailed, a detailed copy of the Technical Standards for completion of the curriculum will be included. The applicant will be asked to respond in writing whether he/she can meet the standards with or without accommodation. An applicant should be able to evaluate him or herself for compliance with these Technical Standards. In the event that accommodation is requested, the student must submit documentation of disability with the proposed accommodation from a certified specialist to UNE's Disability Services. A continuing student who develops a disability should request accommodations based on the limitations of the disability through Disability Services. Individuals unable to meet the above Technical Standards may be unable to progress and/or complete the Pharm.D. program. 

Students must be able to meet the Maine State Board of Pharmacy licensing requirements to obtain a valid Introductory (IPPE) and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE) License. These licenses are required to complete off-campus experiential courses. Inability to obtain a Maine IPPE or APPE License may prevent completion of experiential courses and prevent a student from continuing in the program and completing the requirements for graduation. Students completing their experiential education in other states must meet the licensing requirements of that state. 

The College of Pharmacy's Admissions Committee will consider the applicant based on the criteria for admission of all applicants. An applicant who discloses a disability and requests accommodation in the admission process may be required to submit, in writing, the request for accommodation and pertinent supporting documentation. This pertinent information may include a history of accommodations granted previously in other educational programs. Requests for accommodation may be initiated with UNE's Disability Services.

For more information on disabilities and accommodation, please contact the UNE Office of Students With Disabilities.

Grading Policy

Upon completion of a course of study, the faculty member in charge of that course submits the number of hours taught and a grade for each student to the Registrar. The Doctor of Pharmacy Program uses a standard letter grade format. (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D, and F.

Grading

Upon completion of a course of study, the faculty member in charge of that course submits a grade for each student to the Registrar. Starting with the 2015-2016 academic year, the minimum passing grade for didactic courses will be a C-. The minimum passing grade for IPPE and for APPE will be C. Any course that receives a grade less than minimum for passing will require remediation of the course, as dictated by the Student Progression Committee.

Incomplete Policy

An incomplete grade (I) is given to a student who is doing passing work in a course, but who, for reasons beyond their control, is not able to complete the work on time. The incomplete grade must be changed within the time limit determined by the instructor and usually does not extend beyond six weeks following the end of the semester. The incomplete grade defers computation of credits for the course to which it is assigned. Failure to complete the work before the limitation date, or within the time imposed by the instructor, results in the assignment of a failing grade (F) for the course.

Course Add/Drop or Withdrawal Policy

Due to the standard curriculum sequence within the Doctor of Pharmacy Program, students do not usually add or drop Doctor of Pharmacy Program core courses; to do so may put them out of curriculum sequence and may delay graduation.

Under special circumstances, students may  withdraw from a Doctor of Pharmacy Program core course without penalty up to 2/3s of the way through the semester. After that time, a student receives either a WP, for Withdraw Passing, or a WF, for Withdraw Failing, depending on accumulated grades to that point in the course.  Students contemplating course or curriculum withdrawal should seek the advice of their advisor or the Associate Dean for Student Services.  A pharmacy student may drop/withdraw from an elective course within the first week of classes.

Repeat Course Policy

Courses in the Doctor of Pharmacy Program are offered once per year. If a course is failed, placing the student on probation,  the student may be allowed to repeat it, depending on their circumstances and previous grades; however, the student must wait until the next time that course is offered or come to an agreement with the course instructor and the Student Progress Committee in the Doctor of Pharmacy Program.

Upon completion of a repeated course, a new listing and assigned grade are placed on the student's transcript. The original course listing and grade remain on the student's transcript. All courses are listed chronologically on the transcript by semester or academic period in which they are enrolled.

In keeping with the mission of the College of Pharmacy, our overarching curricular philosophy includes the following:

1. Both the pharmaceutical and clinical sciences will be integrated throughout the curriculum, instilling in our graduates the understanding and need for continuous development (lifelong learning) of knowledge in these areas throughout their careers.
2. The curriculum will be patient focused, developing our students as primary care providers through their understanding and application of the pharmaceutical and clinical sciences, and social, behavioral and administrative functions necessary to current pharmacy practice.
3. Throughout the curriculum, students will have ample practical experience based on the provision of pharmaceutical care.
4. Faculty will endeavor to continuously improve their didactic and experiential abilities to provide the most effective approaches to teaching and learning.
5. The curriculum will remain current in regard to changes in pharmaceutical and clinical science, patient care, teaching methods, and practice experience in response to faculty, student, and relevant community input.

Upon completion of the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum, student will achieve the following outcomes:

1. Apply the principals of biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences in the practice of pharmacy
2. Managing systems and resources
3. Communicate at a professional level with patients and other members of the healthcare professions
4. Demonstrate professional, ethical, and legal conduct in the practice of pharmacy
5. Evaluate drug orders and dispense pharmaceuticals
6. Evaluate, synthesize, and provide drug information
7. Promote public health and provide population based pharmaceutical care
8. Provide patient-specific pharmaceutical care

Transfer Credit

Transfer credits are rarely awarded to students who transfer from another Doctor of Pharmacy program. The Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in the College of Pharmacy, with input from the course directors, will award transfer credits on a case-by-case basis.

ADVANCED STANDING
No Advanced standing is available.

Experiential Learning

No credit will be awarded to transfer students for experiential learning.

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
All candidates for the Doctor of Pharmacy program must complete a minimum of two years of undergraduate pre-professional coursework with 58 required undergraduate semester credits (82 quarter credits) from a US regionally accredited institution or international equivalent.  Pre-professional coursework must include ALL of the following prerequisite courses.

PREREQUISITE COURSES

*AP Credit will be accepted to fulfill prerequisite course work with a score of "4" or better only.  AP Credit must appear as transfer credit on the undergraduate transcript.  Regardless of total AP credit awarded 48 credit hours of undergraduate coursework post high school graduation must be completed to be eligible for admission

ACADEMIC/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
Applicants who meet the minimum requirements for application should understand that the average GPAs for students accepted into the program are well above the minimum requirements. Just meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee an interview or acceptance.

• All math and science courses should be completed within five (5) years of enrollment into the Doctor of Pharmacy program (Summer 2012 or more recent).
• Successfully complete all prerequisite coursework with a grade of "C” or better ("C-" grades are not acceptable) by the end of the summer session of the year of matriculation into the Doctor of Pharmacy program.
• Have earned a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 as calculated by PharmCAS, factoring all courses taken and grades earned from all colleges attended.
• Have earned a minimum math/science prerequisite GPA of 2.5 calculated by UNE and using the best grade earned for course that has been repeated. 
• Have successfully completed the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) by the end of January of the desired year of matriculation to the College of Pharmacy. (Use PharmCAS code 104 to have scores reported directly to PharmCAS.) Please Note: the PCAT requirement will be waived for all applicants with a 3.2 or higher cumulative and 3.2 or higher prerequisite GPA.
• Two (2) letters of reference are required as a part of the PharmCAS application. (Letters of reference from clergy, co-workers, family members, friends, or politicians will not be accepted.)
  • One letter required from a science professor who can speak to your academic ability to be successful in a doctoral level graduate program.
  • One letter recommended from a Pharmacist
• Health care related experience is recommended.

Note: Before matriculation, accepted applicants will be expected to obtain a physical examination with proof of up-to-date immunization status to meet all health immunization requirements.  Please visit Student Health Care  for details.

As required by clinical training sites, students will be subject to criminal background checks and drug screens prior to matriculation, and periodically throughout the Pharmacy program.

PROCEDURES AND POLICIES (FOR ALL APPLICANTS)

• Applications for admissions are accepted through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS) only.
• On-campus interviews are granted to qualified applicants by invitation only and are required for admission to the program.
• Admissions are rolling and decisions are made after each interview session and continue until the program starts with candidates on the waitlist being offered admissions as seats become available. Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply early in the admissions cycle.
• Pre-requisites may be in-progress or planned at the time of application, but must be completed before enrollment. Please include any in-progress or planned coursework in your PharmCAS application. (Transcripts for coursework and/or degrees completed in the Fall term prior to the PharmD  program start must be submitted to PharmCAS to be verified during the Fall Academic Update period. Transcripts for coursework and/or degrees completed in the Spring or Summer terms and not verified by PharmCAS must be submitted directly to UNE’s Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions as soon as they are available.)
• International applicants and applicants with international degrees must have their transcripts evaluated for degree and grade equivalency to that of a regionally accredited US institution.   Please see International Admissions for details.
• All applicants to UNE must be able to understand and communicate in English to be admitted to the university. UNE accepts several methods of English Proficiency (see International Admissions). 
• If the applicant cannot prove English Proficiency in another way, scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) are required and must be submitted as a part of the completed application. (Use code 8246 to have TOEFL scores reported directly to PharmCAS.)

For additional information on the admissions process and requirements, please access the College of Pharmacy’s website.

Exceptions to Policy

The College of Pharmacy and the COP Admissions Committee in collaboration with the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions reserve the right to make exceptions to the admissions criteria and to make changes or exceptions to policies and procedures, on a case by case basis, when it deems such a decision is necessary and appropriate.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Books and Computers

Students in the didactic phase can plan on spending approximately $1,200 to $1,500 on required textbooks. Course syllabi and the program book list also include recommended books which students are not required to purchase, but may wish to have as important reference materials. A laptop computer is required for all students entering the Doctor of Pharmacy program.  The university does not support Windows 8 or tablet PCs at the time of this writing. At least one copy of all required textbooks will be available for use within the Portland Campus library.

Other Expenses

Students are responsible for expenses involved with travel, parking, living expenses and meals at clinical sites.

Student Employment

The program discourages students from having outside employment while attending the Doctor of Pharmacy Program. If a student feels that it is necessary to work while in the program, it is advisable that the student informs their academic advisor.

Housing

For information about on-campus and off-campus housing visit the Housing and Residence Life web pages.

Student Health Care

UNE has Student Health Care Centers on both the Biddeford Campus and the Portland Campus. For more information visit the Student Health Care website.

Financial Aid

Detailed information and applications are available on request from the Financial Aid Office at the Biddeford Campus. Call 207-602-2342 or visit the Financial Aid Office website.