Technical Standards
Doctor of Pharmacy Program
In addition to the academic requirements for admission, applicants must also meet the technical standards that the College deems essential for training and practice in the profession of pharmacy. Students who have concerns about their ability to meet these standards should contact the Associate Dean of the College. When requested, the College will provide reasonable accommodation to otherwise qualified students. Students should work with the Office of Disability, Access, and Inclusion for support.
The technical standards include, but are not limited to:
Observation: A candidate with or without accommodations must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences. A candidate must be able to observe a patient accurately at a distance and close at hand. The candidate must be able to visually observe and interpret presented information. This will necessitate the functional use of vision, hearing, and somatic senses.
Communication: A candidate with or without accommodations must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients, caregivers, faculty/staff, and all members of the healthcare team. The focus of this communication is to elicit information, describe changes in mood, activity and posture, and perceive nonverbal communication. An applicant must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written English.
Sensory/Motor: The candidate with or without accommodations must have sufficient motor function and skills necessary to perform basic tasks in the practice of pharmacy. Examples of such tasks may include the compounding of medicinals, physical assessment, the administration of drugs, and the provision of basic cardiac life support. Such actions require the coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses.
Intellectual: A candidate must have the ability to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize, and integrate information that is essential to fully develop these skills. A candidate must be fully alert and attentive at all times in clinical settings.
Behavioral/Social: A candidate must be of sufficient emotional health to utilize fully his or her intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, and the prompt completion of all patient care responsibilities. A candidate must possess the ability to develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients. A candidate must be able to tolerate physically and emotionally taxing workloads and to function effectively under stress. A candidate must be able to adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility and learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of many patients. A candidate must possess compassion, integrity, interpersonal skills, and motivation to excel in pharmacy practice.
Health: Certain illnesses impair a student’s performance. These include, but are not limited to, active drug and/or alcohol addiction, severe depression and other psychiatric illnesses. It is not permissible for students to interact with patients while impaired by these conditions. It is the policy of the College of Pharmacy to encourage recognition of these conditions and to support treatment so that the student may resume their studies in the College.