Harpe, Dr. Spencer E.
Graduate Program Director, Pharm.D./M.P.H.
seharpe@vcu.edu
(804) 828-3245
Anderson, Lisa S., M.P.H.
Graduate Program Director
lsanders@vcu.edu
(804) 628-2512
The School of Pharmacy and the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health in the School of Medicine offer a dual degree program through which students earn both the Pharm.D. and M.P.H. degrees This dual degree program offers students the opportunity to achieve a doctorate in pharmacy while also learning about research and the importance of population health. This five-year program requires students to spend their fourth year pursuing the M.P.H. degree, after which they transition back to pharmacy for advanced practice experiences. Students are required to take 36 of the 45 credits required for the M.P.H. The M.P.H. field study (internship) requirement will be satisfied by Pharm.D. special advanced practice experiences in community health during the fifth year of the program.
Students complete two credits of practical skills work during the P3 year, followed by full immersion in the M.P.H. curriculum in the P4 year. The required M.P.H. capstone project will be completed in a community setting during the P5 year; it will involve a comprehensive project that serves the needs of a professional public health organization and typically involves the development of one or more deliverables. Examples include a disease surveillance project, a needs assessment or program evaluation, or development of a comprehensive suite of patient health education or medication safety materials.
Curriculum
Typical course plan for dual degree:
| Credit | |
| P1 fall semester | |
| MEDC 527 Basic Pharmaceutical Principles for the Practicing Pharmacist | 3 |
| MEDC 533 Pharmacognosy | 2 |
| PCEU 507 Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics I | 3 |
| PHAR 509 Evidence-based Pharmacy I: Drug Information | 1 |
| PHAR 512 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention | 2.5 |
| PHAR 523 Foundations I | 1 |
| PHAR 525 Communications in Pharmacy Practice | 2 |
| PHAR 545 The U.S. Health Care System | 2.5 |
| PHAR 547 Managing Professional Patient-centered Practice | 1.5 |
| PHAR 771 Student Pharmacist Professionalism | continues |
| ________ 18.5 |
|
| P1 spring semester | |
| MEDC 543 Clinical Chemistry for the Pharmacist | 2 |
| MEDC 553 Clinical Therapeutics Module I: Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry | 1 |
| PCEU 508 Pharmacokinetics | 2 |
| PCEU 509 Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics II | 2.5 |
| PHAR 513 Contemporary Pharmacy Practice | 3.5 |
| PHAR 524 Foundations II | 1 |
| PHAR 529 Clinical Therapeutics Module III: Introduction to Special Populations | 1 |
| PHAR 530 Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience: Community Practice | 4 |
| PHAR 540 Self-Care and Alternative and Complementary Treatments | 3 |
| PHAR 771 Student Pharmacist Professionalism | continues |
| PHTX 606 Clinical Therapeutics II: Introduction to Pharmacology (Pharmacy) | 1 |
| ________ 21 |
|
| P2 fall semester | |
| PHAR 534 Foundations III | 1 |
| PHAR 543 Scholarship I | continues |
| PHAR 544 Clinical Therapeutics Module IV: Cardiovascular | 4.5 |
| PHAR 549 Biotechnology, Pharmacogenomics and Pharmacogenetics | 2 |
| PHAR 555 Clinical Therapeutics Module V: Endocrinology | 2.5 |
| PHAR 556 Clinical Therapeutics Module VI: Neurology I | 3 |
| PHAR 565 Evidence-based Pharmacy II: Research Methods and Statistics | 2.5 |
| PHAR 566 Evidence-based Pharmacy III: Drug Literature Evaluation | 2 |
| PHAR 567 Pharmacy Informatics | 1.5 |
| PHAR 771 Student Pharmacist Professionalism | continues |
| ________ 19 |
|
| P2 spring semester | |
| PCEU 615 Applied Pharmacokinetics | 2 |
| PHAR 532 Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience: Hospital Practice | 3 |
| PHAR 535 Foundations IV | 1 |
| PHAR 543 Scholarship I | 1 |
| PHAR 601 Clinical Therapeutics Module VII: Neurology II | 1 |
| PHAR 602 Clinical Therapeutics Module VIII: Psychiatry | 3 |
| PHAR 603 Clinical Therapeutics Module IX: Respiratory/Immunology | 3 |
| PHAR 621 Pharmacoeconomics | 2 |
| PHAR 622 Epidemiology and Pharmacy Practice | 2 |
| PHAR 623 Patient Medication Safety | 2 |
| PHAR 771 Student Pharmacist Professionalism | continues |
| ________ 20 |
|
| P3 fall semester | |
| EPID 593 MPH Practicum* | 1-2 |
| PHAR 533 Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience: Service-learning | 0.5 |
| PHAR 550 Scholarship III | continues |
| PHAR 604 Clinical Therapeutics Module X: Infectious Diseases | 4.5 |
| PHAR 605 Clinical Therapeutics Module XI: Hematology/Oncology | 2.5 |
| PHAR 606 Clinical Therapeutics Module XII: Nephrology/Urology | 2.5 |
| PHAR 607 Clinical Therapeutics Module XIV: Dermatology, EENT | 1.5 |
| PHAR 640 Foundations V | 1 |
| PHAR 660 Pharmacy Practice Management I: Community Practice | 4 |
| PHAR 771 Student Pharmacist Professionalism | continues |
| *A total of two credits of the practical experience must be completed. | |
| ________ 17.5-18.5 |
|
| P3 spring semester | |
| EPID 593 MPH Practicum* | 1-2 |
| PHAR 550 Scholarship III | 2 |
| PHAR 618 Clinical Therapeutics Module XIII: Gastrointestinal/Nutrition | 2.5 |
| PHAR 619 Clinical Therapeutics Module XV: Women’s Health/Bone and Joint | 2.5 |
| PHAR 620 Clinical Therapeutics Module XVI: Critical Care/Toxicology | 1.5 |
| PHAR 645 Foundations VI | 1 |
| PHAR 661 Pharmacy Practice Management II: Institutional Practice | 2 |
| PHAR 721 Clinical Therapeutics Module XVII: Special Populations | 1 |
| PHAR 724 Pharmacy Law | 2.5 |
| PHAR 771 Student Pharmacist Professionalism | continues |
| Pharmacy electives | 2-3 |
| *A total of two credits of the practical experience must be completed. | |
| ________ 18-20 |
|
| P4 fall semester | |
| BIOS 547 Applied Data Analysis in Public Health I | 3 |
| EPID 547 Applied Data Analysis Lab I | 1.5 |
| EPID 571 Principles of Epidemiology | 3 |
| HCPR 701 Health Services Research and Policy I | 3 |
| SBHD 605 Introduction to Social and Behavioral Health | 3 |
| Public health elective | 3 |
| ________ 16.5 |
|
| P4 spring semester | |
| BIOS 547 Applied Data Analysis in Public Health II | 3 |
| EPID 547 Applied Data Analysis Lab II | 1.5 |
| EPID 580 Public Health Ethics | 1 |
| EPID 604 Principles of Environmental Health | 3 |
| Public health electives | 6 |
| ________ 14.5 |
|
| P5 year | |
| EPID 694 MPH Research Project (capstone) | 3 |
| PHAR 760 Acute Care Pharmacy Practice I | 5 |
| PHAR 761 Advanced Hospital Pharmacy Practice | 5 |
| PHAR 762 Geriatrics Pharmacy Practice | 5 |
| PHAR 763 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Practice | 5 |
| PHAR 765 Elective I** | 5 |
| PHAR 766 Elective II** | 5 |
| PHAR 768 Advanced Community Pharmacy Practice | 5 |
| PHAR 771 Student Pharmacist Professionalism | 1 |
| PHAR 773 Acute Care Pharmacy Practice II | 5 |
| **At least one of these electives must be in an approved public health setting. | |
| ________ 44 |