Phases and Curriculum

Non-Traditional Phases

Phase I - A 2-month orientation to educational technology and fundamental clinical concepts. Pharmacists will participate in two (2) executive weekend seminars at Howard University School of Pharmacy. The seminars begin on Saturday morning and adjourn Sunday afternoon. One of the objectives of the seminars is to familiarize the learners with technology (e.g. World Wide Web, e-mail, computer conferencing and access to remote information databases) that they will utilize while enrolled in the program. Learners will also participate in hands on workshop on physical assessment, pharmacokinetics, drug literature evaluation, and clinical research methods.

Phase II - A 16-month course of study divided into three semesters, which include Integrated Pharmacy Care and Science courses. The Integrated Pharmacy Care and Science sequence is a unique instructional model that Howard University has adopted in the NTDP curriculum. It involves the careful integration of Information, concepts and practice techniques required of pharmacists seeking to implement pharmacy care. In contrast to traditional instructional delivery, which involves discrete pieces of information, the Integrated Pharmacy Care and Science approach provides the learner with a comprehensive set of modules that include pathophysiology, therapeutics, pharmacology, pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomics. Each module contains realistic example and practical suggestions for utilizing the material in pharmacy practice.

Phase III - A 2- to 6-month experiential component culminating in the development, implementation and evaluation of a disease state program. Pharmacists may be given credit for up to two, two-month rotations based upon an evaluation of their performance in Clinical Patient Assessment and are required to participate in the Standardized Patient assessment. Standardized Patient Assessments are live clinical simulations involving actors trained to present realistic problems that evaluate problem solving, communication and information gathering skills. All pharmacists enrolled in the NTDP program are required to participate in a minimum of one (two-month) experiential rotation.

* All topics are based on disease state management system and include presentations on the pathophysiology of the disease, the chemistry, pharmacology and kinetics of therapeutic agents used to treat the disease and the therapeutic management of the whole patient.
** Students must successfully complete all didactic courses before enrolling in the Professional Practice Experience.They may be given credit for up to 2 two-months of rotations based upon an evaluation of his/her performance and prior practice experience.