About Pharmacy
The Pharmacy program at Wayne State University is provided by the Department of Pharmacy Practice and the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The Doctor of Pharmacy program (PharmD program) is the professional degree for the practice of pharmacy in the United States. The curriculum for the PharmD program is jointly administered and taught by faculty in both the Department of Pharmacy Practice and the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
The pharmacy faculty have a diverse range of expertise in the basic and clinical sciences that provide students with an outstanding education. Faculty members in pharmaceutical sciences are primarily focused on the basic sciences of medicinal chemistry, pharmacology and pharmaceutics (drug delivery and disposition). Faculty members in pharmacy practice have expertise in a variety of clinical specialty areas such as pediatrics, geriatrics, ambulatory care, infectious diseases, cardiology and neurology. In addition, many faculty members in this department have shared appointments with community and hospital pharmacy departments in metropolitan Detroit allowing students access to these outstanding health care facilities. The pharmacy program at Wayne State University is also fortunate to have over 200 volunteer faculty members who play an important role in training PharmD students for the future practice of pharmacy.
In addition to the PharmD program, the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences also offers a graduate program leading to a PhD or Masters in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Further details on this program can be found by visiting the department's website.
Evaluating PharmD Programs - Consider the Wayne Advantage
Academic Success
1. Since 2005, over 98% of the graduates from the
2. In 2008, 24% of our graduates exceeded the 95%tile on the NAPLEX.
3. Our graduation rates exceed 90%.
Commitment to Life Long Learning
1. Exit surveys and national organization survey data indicate that our program excels in the development of critical thinking skills and learning independence.
2. Standardized testing demonstrates our program increases self-directed learning skills.
Curricular Innovation
1. Students are exposed to real-life patient care scenarios in patient-care laboratories, in small group discussions and in pharmacy practice environments from the first to last semester in our program
2. Our patient care laboratory sequence leads the country in innovation in the development and assessment of skills required to be an advanced pharmacy practitioner.
3. Our student problem based learning experiences integrate clinical and basic sciences providing early and continued experience in the assessment and management of drug related problems.
4. Our experiential program is one of the most extensive in the country offering an exceptional depth and breadth of pharmacy practice experiences.
5. The final year of our experiential program offers a unique opportunity for students to focus their education by spending several months at the same health-care system pharmacy department or the same community pharmacy organization.
6. Our training sites are nationally recognized for the provision of pharmacy-based patient care services. Students have access to some of the most advanced pharmacy practice environments in the country.
Student Engagement
1. Our students are professional engaged providing important public health services such as flu immunizations to the entire Wayne State University Community. They also provide health screenings for diabetes, hypertension and counseling for heartburn and smoking cessation, as well as many other community education programs.
2. Our students provide pharmacy services to economically disadvantaged patients in metro
3. Our students frequently participate in applied research with faculty and present at national pharmacy organization meetings and publish papers in professional journals.
4. Many of our students attend national professional meetings, such as the annual meeting of the American Pharmacist Association (APhA) in addition to regional and local meetings.
Faculty Leadership
1. Our faculty are the leaders of the profession. Current and past positions include past presidents of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, the American Society of Pharmacy Law, The American Toxicology Association, two faculty who were on the board of directors of the American Pharmacists Association, the current Executive Director of the Michigan Society of Health-Care Pharmacists and a faculty member who serves on the Michigan State Board of Pharmacy.
2. Our faculty are recognized leaders in their field of research. Numerous faculty serve on the editorial boards of the most prestigious journals in pharmacy or serve on review boards in the pharmaceutical industry, National Institutes of Health as well as with private foundations.