Professional Year 2

EFFECTIVE UNTIL 2017-2018

EFFECTIVE STARTING AY 2018-2019

THE PROFESSIONAL YEAR 2 (FIRST SEMESTER)

The year 2 consists of two semesters. The first semester provides 18 hours of academic credit and consists of six required courses and one elective course.  Because our pre-pharmacy curriculum contains many of the traditional basic science courses (e.g., anatomy and physiology, microbiology, biochemistry) students are able to begin clinical courses in the fall of the second professional year.

• Therapeutics I, PHPP-401. This 3 credit hour course will introduce the student to the pathophysiology and pharmacotherapy of cardiovascular diseases. Students are expected to prepare for class sessions by studying assigned readings for each topic. Other references should be used by students to supplement any deficiencies and to expand their knowledge base in other areas. Students should come to class prepared to discuss each day’s topic. Credit 3 (3 – 0).
• Therapeutics II, PHPP-402. This course is a continuation of Therapeutics I and is designed to develop the student's ability to apply principles and concepts of clinical therapeutics to the care of patients with specific illnesses. The primary focus of the course will be the therapeutic management of major disease states including diabetes, acute and chronic kidney diseases, fluids and electrolytes, and respiratory disorders. The etiology and pathophysiology of these diseases will be presented to the extent needed to thoroughly understand the therapeutic management. Emphasis will be placed on the selection and evaluation of rational drug therapy, the design of effective therapeutic regimens, and clinical monitoring of drug response using appropriate laboratory and physical measures. Credit 3 (3 – 0).
• Basic Pharmacokinetics, PHPS-401. An introduction to concepts and techniques involved in quantitative processes associated with the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of drugs as well as their application to optimize and individualize dosage regimens in applied pharmacotherapy. The course will rigorously develop basic pharmacokinetic concepts based on appropriate model systems. Based on this fundamental knowledge and understanding, the students will learn how to apply pharmacokinetic concepts to develop and optimize clinically appropriate dosage regimens based on demographic, physiologic, pathophysiologic and pharmacologic criteria, including drug-drug interactions. The didactic material and assigned problems will familiarize the student with the latest advances in pharmacokinetics and biopharmaceutics and will also introduce the basic concepts of pharmacodynamics and therapeutic drug monitoring and their relevance for drug therapy and dosage individualization. Credit 4 (3 – 1).
• IPPE -II, PHPP-400. The goal of this Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience II (PHPP-400) is to give students an exposure to the community and other outpatients and specialty pharmacy practice, Drug Manufacturers, Saudi Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), Centers for medication safety, and evidence-based medicine, selected Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, and the art of preparing a curriculum vitae and sitting for interviews.
  At each introductory practice experience site, the pharmacist designated as the coordinating preceptor, such as an associate pharmacist serves as the student’s main contact. Students are likely to interact with many staff members in the area they are assigned a shadowing experience. Students must bear in mind that all such personnel are potential mentors, thus they must be open to learning from all. Credit 1 (0 – 1).
• Patient Assessment, PHPP-405. The patient assessment course is developed to primarily focus on the identification, interpretation, and assessment of drug-Related problems and common complaints. Students shall gain skills necessary for diagnostic findings analysis, a performance of specific physical examination techniques.

  Also, students shall acquire the required skills for drug monitoring, interpreting laboratory parameters beside detailed history taking and accurate documentation of subjective and objective gained information from a pharmacy-perspective point of view. The course consists of didactic lectures supported by topic discussion and practical skills lab to enrich and widen students’ comprehension. Role-playing will be part of the program to further consolidate the course objectives. Credit 2 (1 – 1).

• Self-Care and Non-Prescription Drugs, PHPP-406. Nonprescription drug therapy is an essential component of pharmaceutical care. This course is designed to provide the first year pharmacy student with the information needed to:
  • Recognize conditions that are self-treatable with nonprescription drugs
  • Identify laws which govern nonprescription therapy
  • Assess patient’s needs, risk factors, and potential for adverse events
  • Assist with product selection
  • Advice and counsel patients on therapeutic options and outcomes of therapy
  Recognize appropriate physical assessment techniques needed to evaluate a patient’s condition and response to therapy. Credit 3 (2 – 1).
• Clinical Research Methodology, PHPP-407. The fundamental aim of this course is to teach students how to design and conduct a proper (applied) research. Moreover, this course is directed to students taking their first course in educational research. Therefore, this course is an essential building block in the education of a pharmacist.

This course is intended to enable the student how to define some basic concepts, describe the processes of selecting a research problem to be investigated and writing a research proposal and provide the student with a style of writing that can be used to write research reports, proposals and papers. It also emphasizes an overview of methodologies used in educational research. Thus, this course will provide the students with the basic information about the clinical research processes, and enable them to design their own research investigation. In addition, this course will permit students to read and appreciate the literature of educational research.

By the end of this course, students must be able to follow the research processes in order to prepare their research proposal and eventually their final research report within a definite time period. Credit 2 (2-0).

THE PROFESSIONAL YEAR 2 (SECOND SEMESTER)

The second semester of the year 2 consist of 18 hours of academic credit and consists of nine required courses. 

• Therapeutics III, PHPP-403. This course is a continuation of Therapeutics I & II and consists of lectures and case discussion designed to develop the student’s ability to apply principles and concepts of clinical therapeutics to the care of patients with infectious diseases. Credit 3 (3 – 0).
• Therapeutics IV, PHPP-404. This course is a continuation of Therapeutics III and consists of lectures designed to develop the student’s ability to apply principles and concepts of clinical therapeutics to the care of patients with specific illnesses.  The principal focus of the course will be the therapeutic management of major disease states such as solid organ transplant, gastrointestinal disorders, liver disease, and total parenteral nutrition.  The etiology and pathophysiology of these diseases will be presented to the extent needed to thoroughly understand the therapeutics involved.  Emphasis will be placed on the selection and evaluation of rational drug therapy, design of effective therapeutic regimens, clinical monitoring of drug response using appropriate laboratory and physical measures and diagnosis and management of adverse drug reactions.
  Students are expected to prepare for class sessions by studying assigned readings for each topic. Other references should be pursued by students to supplement any deficiencies in their understanding and to expand their knowledge into peripheral areas.  Students should come to class prepared to discuss the subject matter. Credit 3 (3 – 0).
• Alternative Therapy, PHPS-402. The rich history and widespread use of herbal preparations and other alternative medicines make it necessary to include a course in alternative medicine in Pharm.D. Curriculum.  In this course, which focuses mainly on gerbil remedies, the students will get to know the medicinal parts of each herb discussed in the course, the clinically or scientifically documented indications, the routes of administration, the most appropriate dose, the most common side effects and interactions with other herbs or pharmaceuticals. Finally, the course also describes, albeit to a lesser extent, other alternative therapies that include body-mind therapies, acupuncture, and homeopathic therapies.   These therapies are used in many regions around the world, and research points to their utility in specific disease states. Credit 2 (2 – 0).
• Medication Therapy Management (MTM), PHPP-408. Medication therapy management services are used to optimize a patient’s drug therapy and prevent adverse drug events, hospitalizations, and death. This course explores the area of medication therapy management services and medication use by patients and health professionals from a social systems perspective.  It emphasizes information about a) the background and concepts of MTM, b) common drug therapy problems found in patients with various disease states, c) medication adherence issues, d) pharmacist-physician collaboration, and e) documentation of MTM services. This course is not designed to make you an expert in Medication Therapy Management, nor totally prepare you to start up your own MTM practice after graduation. It is designed, however, to give you a good foundation on the practice and theory of Medication Therapy Management, give you a better understanding of various MTM practice settings, and provide you with practical MTM activities (during Recitation) to make you more comfortable with the MTM process. Credit 3 (2 – 1).
• Clinical Literature Evaluation, PHPP-409. This required course consists of a blended learning approach designed to introduce pharmacy students to the skills necessary for independent literature searching, critical literature evaluation, and communication of medication information. Blended learning includes lectures, discussions, readings, self-study materials, and recitations using team-based learning (TBL).  The majority of lectures will be delivered over Blackboard.  Students will be introduced to the efficient use of resources available at the KSAU-HS Library and online. Credit 2 (1 – 1).
• Research Proposal, PHPP-410. This course is intended to guide the student in the selection, preparation, and the submission of the Pharm. D. Research Proposal. Once the research proposal is submitted and approved, the student will enroll in the (Pharm.D. Research PHPP-510) the semester that follows. The latter is the actual conduction of the designated Pharm.D. Research project whose proposal was approved earlier. Thus the two courses focus on one single research project from conception to conclusion; they share some of the same “Course Learning Outcomes”. The student has to conclude the proposal section successfully before moving to conduct the actual research. Credit 1 (0 – 1).
• Applied Therapeutics I, PHPP-411:  This course is an extension of the P1 and P2 early practice experiences. Students will communicate with patients and apply therapeutic knowledge in order to solve problems. Placing students in the patient care environment will reinforce and enhance the learning experience provided in the didactic Therapeutics courses. Increased knowledge of some of the disease states and drug therapy covered in lecture is one of this course’s aims. Communication skills with faculty, other pharmacy students, and perhaps pharmacy residents will be refined.
  In addition, written communication skills would be enhanced as well as the ability to organize patient data and identify potential problems. The challenge of presenting to a group and taking questions from others is an important part of student growth. Credit 1 (0 – 1).
• Applied Pharmacokinetics, PHPP-412. This course is designed to introduce the student to the practical application of pharmacokinetic principles in clinical practice. The course will focus on the integration of pharmacokinetic analysis with therapeutic information for the optimization of a patient’s drug therapy. The course will identify the various elements of clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics that may have substantial effects on therapeutic drug monitoring and individualization of drug therapy. These general considerations will provide a framework for the evaluation of individual medications or therapeutic classes that will be presented throughout this course. Credit 2 (1 – 1).
• Immunization, PHPP-413. This is a one-credit course that will be taught for P-2 students. It is based on Saudi Ministry of Health National Immunization Program and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US Department of Health and Human Services) curriculum on Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases. This course will provide the student with adequate knowledge on the value of immunization in preventing disease. It will touch upon the majority of vaccines marketed in the world and the role of the pharmacist in managing such a vital program and products. Credit 1 (1 – 0).

Program Accreditation

The KSAU-HS College of Pharmacy adopted the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy curriculum through a collaborative agreement. The Tennessee program is already accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) in the United States of America. Additionally, the College’s program meets all current standards of the Saudi National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA).

Upon the complete implementation of the four year Pharmacy program at KSAU-HS, the college of pharmacy will seek the status of full certification of professional degree programs in pharmacy, the only international form of accreditation offered to non US colleges by ACPE.

Professional Year 1

EFFECTIVE UNTIL 2016-2017

EFFECTIVE STARTING 2017-2018

THE PROFESSIONAL YEAR 1 (FIRST SEMESTER)

The year 1 consists of two semesters. The first semester provides 17 hours of academic credit and consists of seven required courses.

• Pharmacology I, PHPS-301. This course is the first-half of a two-semester course designed to provide pharmacy students with fundamental knowledge related to the actions and effects of drugs on man.  While the course emphasizes basic pharmacology rather than applied therapeutics, appropriate clinical material is necessarily included at times to elucidate essential pharmacologic concepts. Effort is made to integrate pharmacology instruction with biochemical and physiological concepts that were introduced to students during early years in the program.  The course is structured to be neither so detailed that students are overwhelmed by the volume of material to be mastered, nor so simplistic that they are deprived of fundamental background material essential to a broad understanding of drug mechanisms.  The lectures emphasize drug classes and prototypes rather than repetitive details about individual drugs.  Attention is focused on drug mechanism(s) of action, pharmacodynamics, toxic effects and important interactions with other drugs, generally following an introduction or review of the basic biology underlying the topic of discussion.  Credit 4 (4-0)
• Medicinal Chemistry I, PHPS-303. A course that provides the chemical basis for the interdisciplinary field of therapeutics. The health care team looks up to the pharmacist as it is the only member with chemical expertise. It is therefore vital that the pharmacist retains this expertise in the chemistry of drugs. This course is devoted to the study of synthetic entities and natural products, which are either therapeutic agents per se or are components of medicinal preparations. It familiarizes the student with the chemistry of organic medicinal agents necessary for effective professional practice. While geared to furnish relevant information on the chemistry of drugs in contemporary use, sufficient emphasis is also placed on basic principles enabling the practitioner to maintain competence in drug chemistry throughout his/her professional career.  This course is also related to and/or serves as a foundation to other courses in Pharmacy Curriculum. Credit 4 (3-1)
• Pharmaceutics I, PHPS-305. This required course focusing on understanding the physicochemical principles of medications and their applications to the design and development of different pharmaceutical dosage forms. The basic principles that will be covered in this course include drug development and regulatory process, physicochemical and biopharmaceutical considerations in dosage form design, solutions and buffers, chemical kinetics and stability, rheology, interfacial phenomena, disperse system basics, suspensions, emulsions, pharmaceutical polymers, and introduction to drug delivery. Credit 3 (3-0)
• Pharmacy Math, PHPS-307. This course is designed to teach the fundamentals of pharmaceutical calculations that are required in the compounding and dispensing of a prescription. Students will apply appropriate mathematical concepts using typical situations that are encountered during the practice of pharmacy. The course will emphasize aspects of basic mathematics and logical skills needed to perform pharmaceutical and clinical calculations essential to ensure that the right dose and strength of a medication or nutritional are given. The pedagogy for this course is predominately didactic lectures. Credit 1 (1-0)
• IPPE-I, PHPP-300. The goal of this Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience 1 (PHCS-301) is to give students hands on experience in the drug distribution process of both the inpatient and the outpatient areas (e.g. dispensing, compounding, and Drug Information) and introduce students to patient care activities (e.g. taking medication histories, performing medication reconciliation and learning from preceptors how to solve problems related to medications. At each introductory practice experience site, the pharmacist designated as preceptor serves as the student’s main contact. Students are likely to interact with many staff members in the department of Pharmaceutical Care. Credit 1 (0-1)
• Introduction to Pharmacy, PHPP-301. This course provides the Pharmacy student with an introduction to the American healthcare delivery system and to the profession of pharmacy. Material center on health delivery models, the environment in which healthcare is rendered, and interdisciplinary care with a focus on the roles of the pharmacist. Students will learn about a variety of career opportunities and will self-assess their potential interest using the APhA Pathways Program. Credit 2 (1-1)
• Communication Skills, PHPP-302. Communications Skills is a two-credit hour, letter graded, lecture and case discussion course offered to first-year pharmacy students.  It is designed to introduce the student to the role of a pharmacist as a problem solver and a patient educator.  It also teaches the students how to communicate verbally and in writing with the health care professionals caring for patients. Course content includes general communication skills in the patient care setting, patient counseling, interviewing, documentation. Application of the concepts learned in the classroom will be demonstrated by the students in case discussions. Credit 2 (1-1)

The second semester of the year 1 consists of 17 hours of academic credit and consists of six required courses.  As mentioned earlier the Immunization course is copyrighted by another organization.

• Pharmacology II, PHPS-302. This course is designed to provide pharmacy students with fundamental knowledge related to the actions and effects of drugs on man.  While the course emphasizes basic pharmacology rather than applied therapeutics, appropriate clinical material is necessarily included at times to elucidate essential pharmacologic concepts.  This course is designed to complete exploring drug action on living system especially CNS and antimicrobial drugs where they act, what they do, how they exert their toxic effect. This 4 credit hours course is an essential building block in the education of a pharmacist and is designed to introduce first professional year pharmacy students to the concepts of pharmacology.  The course emphasizes fundamental principles and current concepts of the discipline, which includes overviews of the physiological, biochemical, and anatomical foundations of the interaction of drugs and chemicals with biological systems. This course focuses on fundamental principle in basic Pharmacology, application safe administration to the patients. Drug classification their therapeutic uses, common side effects and precaution related to administration are emphasized. Credit 4 (4-0)
• Medicinal Chemistry II, PHPS-304. Medicinal Chemistry II (PHPS 304) is a continuation of Medicinal Chemistry I (PHPS 303). The course provides the chemical basis for the interdisciplinary field of therapeutics. The health care team looks up to the pharmacist as its only member with a chemical expertise. Therefore, it is vital that the pharmacist retains this expertise in the chemistry of drugs. This course is devoted to the study of synthetic entities, which are either chemotherapeutic agents per se or are components of medicinal preparations. It familiarizes the student with the chemistry of organic medicinal agents necessary for effective professional practice. While geared to furnish relevant information on the chemistry of drugs in contemporary use, sufficient emphasis is also placed on basic principles enabling the practitioner to maintain competence in drug chemistry throughout his/her professional career. This course also relates to and/or serves as a foundation for other courses in the Pharmacy Curriculum. Credit 4 (3-1)
• Pharmaceutics II, PHPS-306. This required course focuses on the principles and techniques involved in the formulation and preparation of different solid dosage forms namely; powders, granules, capsules, tablets, and suppositories. The course gives an overview on the basics of controlled drug delivery with emphasis on per-oral, buccal, transdermal, nasal, pulmonary, and ocular drug delivery systems, in addition to targeting drugs to the brain. This course gives exposes students thoroughly to the main types of nano-particulate drug delivery systems. Credit 3 (3-0)
• Sterile Dosage Forms, PHPS-308.  This course is an introduction to the attributes of sterile dosage forms; including parenteral, ophthalmic and optic preparations. It emphasizes basic principles related to preparation, dispensing and administration of parenteral medications during pharmacy practice in the extended care, hospital, and home care arenas. Current regulations and guidelines covering facility requirements, quality requirements and the pharmacist’s responsibilities when compounding sterile and non-sterile preparations will be thoroughly covered. Complications associated with the delivery of parenteral medications will also be addressed. The various methods of sterilization and all the quality control tests for sterile products will be covered. Important issues related to handling and administration of sterile dosage products will also be addressed. Credit 2 (2-0)
• Pharmacy Compounding, PHPS-309.  This required course introduces Pharm. D. students to the concepts, techniques, and equipment that are used in compounding and dispensing of pharmaceutical preparations. In addition, the laboratory provides basic knowledge to extemporaneously compounded medications that are required for optimum patient care when manufactured medication cannot provide the desired outcomes. In addition, the course will provide hands-on training in basic techniques used to prepare and dispense parenteral admixtures. Credit 2 (1-1)
• Introduction to Patient Care, PHPP-303. This two-hour weekly course will introduce the student to body systems and common diseases affecting the human body. Selected diseases will be highlighted along with the appropriate terminology used for each including diagnostic tests, selected drug therapy, basic monitoring, major drug effects, adverse events, interactions, and patient safety. The student comprehension and studying should fall back on his/her knowledge acquired in the pharmacology courses taught earlier and in the current semester. The course will be taught through lectures followed by case discussions. In class, quizzes will be administered at the beginning of the hour covering the previously discussed lecture and case. Credit 2 (1-1)

Assessment

Whenever applicable, especially for Therapeutics and other Clinical Pharmacy and Experiential Training Courses, the students must be assessed by the faculty for their:

• Mastery of essential skills in drug safety
• Rank order (grading) on related topics
• Improvement over time
• Difficulties (as diagnosed by the faculty)
• Acceptance of feedback and follow up
• Other outcomes as deemed by the course faculty and course coordinators

Student performance evaluation forms, especially those for IPPE and APPE, will be designed to address these elements.