Educational Outcomes for the Doctor of Pharmacy Program
Pharm.D. Program Mission
The mission of the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program is to prepare graduates to become excellent generalist practitioners who demonstrate the essential knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes and behaviors to promote holistic patient wellness. To accomplish this mission, the school provides an exceptional educational environment and prepares students to deliver the highest quality direct patient care as an interprofessional team member.
Educational Outcomes
Foundational Knowledge
- Foundational Knowledge: The graduate is able to develop, integrate, and apply knowledge from the foundational sciences (i.e., biomedical, pharmaceutical, social/behavioral/administrative, and clinical sciences) to evaluate scientific literature, explain drug action, solve therapeutic problems, and advance population health and patient-centered care.
Essentials for Practical Care
- Patient-Centered Care: The graduate is able to provide patient-centered care as the medication expert (collect and interpret patient information; prioritize and formulate assessments and recommendations into a plan; implement, monitor and adjust plans; and document activities) to optimize health outcomes.
- Medication Use Systems Management: The graduate is able to apply professional standards to manage patient health care needs using human, financial, technological, and physical resources to optimize the safety and efficacy of medication use systems.
- Health and Wellness: The graduate is able to implement evidence-based prevention, intervention, and educational strategies for individuals and communities to improve health and wellness and manage disease.
- Population-Based Care: The graduate is able to use population-based health data to interpret practice guidelines and evidence-based best practices to provide patient-centered care.
Approach to Practice and Care
- Problem Solving: The graduate is able to identify problems; explore and prioritize potential strategies; and design, implement, and evaluate a viable solution.
- Education: The graduate is able to educate all audiences by determining the most effective and enduring ways to impart information and assess learning.
- Patient Advocacy: The graduate is able to represent the patient’s best interests by considering individual differences, values, preferences and needs when providing patient-centered care.
- Interprofessional Collaboration: The graduate is able to engage and actively participate in shared decision making as a healthcare team member by demonstrating mutual respect, understanding, and values to meet patient care needs.
- Cultural Sensitivity: The graduate is able to recognize social determinants of health and diminish healthcare disparities in access to and delivery of quality care.
- Communication: The graduate is able to effectively communicate verbally and nonverbally when interacting with individuals, groups, and organizations.
Personal and Professional Development
- Self-Awareness: The graduate is able to enhance personal and professional growth through reflection on personal knowledge, skills, abilities, beliefs, biases, motivation, and emotions.
- Leadership: The graduate is able to demonstrate responsibility for creating and achieving shared goals, regardless of position.
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship: The graduate is able to engage in innovative activities by using creative thinking to envision better ways of accomplishing professional goals.
- Professionalism: The graduate is able to exhibit professional behaviors, ethics, and values consistent with the VCU School of Pharmacy attributes of professionalism that are consistent with the trust given to the profession by patients, other healthcare providers, and society.