PharmD Curriculum

Our curriculum includes both classroom and experiential learning with a focus on patient-centered outcomes. First-year students learn patient assessment, clinical and counseling skills in the Pharmacy Simulation and Clinical Skills Laboratory and further hone those skills in experiential activities throughout their second, third and fourth years. Students complete introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiences at leading medical and teaching hospitals and in a variety of pharmacy practice settings in Georgia and across the country. Unique to Mercer’s Pharm.D. Program are four exceptional opportunities in the fourth year: Advanced Clinical Track, Global Medical Missions, Indian Health Service and International Pharmacy.

Mercer’s “spiral” learning style highlights broad concepts at first before funneling down to increasingly complex concepts, all while emphasizing skills competency required for pharmacy care.

We’ve added Comprehensive Patient-Centered Care courses to the P1-P3 years to gear up students for the increasing care of patients with complex conditions. Our Integrated Patient Care sequence gives students a broad foundation of pharmacy practice and the profession. Our new Specialty Pharmacy Practice course in the P3 year addresses the management practices and pharmacotherapy of advanced pharmacy practice areas.

Courses complement what students will see in their rotations:

  • Infectious disease and endocrine moved up to the P2 year as students increasingly see these conditions in their community pharmacy rotations and the more complex nervous system is covered in the P3 year in preparation for advanced rotations in the P4 year.
  • Introductory Law covers what P1 students need to know before they enter their introductory rotations. Advanced Law in the P3 year covers the “gray areas” of pharmacy law with more case-based scenarios, all in preparation for advanced rotations in the P4 year.
  • Each Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience will now run for three weeks, allowing more time for students to experience the workings of a pharmacy.

The College of Pharmacy uses PioneerRx Pharmacy Software to allow students to learn in a real-world environment using the most installed software for independent pharmacies. Students enhance their clinical and functional skills by training in this pharmacy system.

Click here for the full course list.