Basic Drug Development
Even years
 

Introductory graduate course on the fundamental concepts of drug formulation and development, including discussions of the crucial physicochemical and biopharmaceutical characteristics necessary for drug absorption.

Drug Delivery
Odd years

A study at the advanced level of the physical and biological principles which apply to the design, development, and evaluation of drug delivery systems. Specific examples of modern systems such as transdermal preparations, liposomes, implants, monoclonal antibodies, and those involving site-targeting will be discussed.

Drug Metabolism and Transport
Instructor permission only

A study of the metabolism and transport of drugs and drug metabolites. Topics include in-depth discussions of Phase I and II biotransformation pathways, Solute Carrier and ATP-binding cassette membrane transport proteins, intestinal, hepatic, renal and brain metabolism and transport, in vitro/in vivo techniques for evaluating drug metabolism and transport, and scale-up of drug metabolism and membrane transport data.

Positron Emission Tomography

This course will introduce students to the modalities used in molecular imaging. Four imaging modalities will be covered. Those are optical imaging, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Single Photon Imaging Technology (SPECT) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET). It is designed to introduce students to the basics of each modality. The students spend time at the radiochemistry laboratory for the production of human use PET radiopharmaceuticals. They are exposed to automated synthesizer, HPLC and other equipment needed to complete the quality control tests required by USP. The students also spend time in MRI camera laboratory and learn the practical aspect of MRI imaging.

Pharmacy Leadership
Scholars Program students only

There exists a critical leadership shortage within the profession of pharmacy. PHM550 is a 1 credit course designed for students enrolled at the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy. The course is scheduled to meet during the fall semester. The primary goal of this course is to provide students identified as the future leaders of our profession with the tools necessary to develop their ability to effectively lead others, inside and outside their profession. Students will be assigned introductory readings in the following areas: identifying one's strengths; people skills, personalities, and networking; relationships and working effectively with others; team-building and team-managing; professionalism and ethics; supervising, managing, and leading; developing a professional practice vision, setting goals, and establishing priorities; and, integrating one's personal life and career. Students keep a reflective journal or complete an assignment for each reading, detailing: what they learned from the reading; the statement, passage or quote that was most profound to them; and an example detailing how they incorporated what they learned into their professional life. Classroom discussions will be student led, facilitated by the course coordinator, and will be based on readings, reflective journal exercises, and cases.

Clinical Research Methods
 

This course will introduce the student to the concepts and analytical foundation underlying evidence-based pharmacy practice and clinical research.  Course content will focus on: concepts of evidence-based practice; fundamentals of research including measurement, reliability, validity, and ethical concerns; an overview of the FDA approval process; clinical research designs; data analysis and presentation; and the structure and evaluation of clinical research proposals and reports.  Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to critically evaluate the medical literature for use in clinical and or/administrative decision making.

Global Health Outreach
 

This course is designed to expose students to issues surrounding global health including what world interdependence means, considerations in treating noncommunicable diseases in low-income countries, pharmacists' role/servant leadership, concerns and regulations regarding medication use and acquisition outside the USA, and opportunities that exist for pharmacists in global health. Students will also be exposed to possible opportunities to participate in global health outreach such as medical mission trips, advanced rotation experiences, and short-term trips.

Clinical Evaluation of New Drugs
 

PHM 607 is a 1-credit hour course offered in the Fall Semester to students in the third professional year of the Doctor of Pharmacy program. The course is intended to build on drug information skills introduced to students in the P2 year and prepare information for presentation to peers and pharmacists on newly approved drugs.

Selected Topics in Infectious Disease

The aim of this course is to provide interested pharmacy practice students a comprehensive introduction to a variety of advanced topics in infectious disease pharmacotherapy. Through didactic and case based learning, interested students will expand upon the knowledge gained in their pharmacotherapeutics courses, to delve more deeply into the challenges caused by global pathogens. This will prepare students for advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) rotations during their fourth year of pharmacy school, as well as for future practice increasingly globalized health care settings. This course will investigate a number of infectious diseases that arise from viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and helminths as well as agents of potential use in bioterrorism.

Practical Oncology
 

Many patients seen in healthcare settings such as community pharmacy, ambulatory care and acute care often come across individuals undergoing active therapies for their cancer diagnosis. Often times these complications are treated in settings out of the direct oversight of their oncologists. This course will look through the lenses of non-oncologists/oncology pharmacists as they treat common complications, presentations and side effects that can routinely be seen in other settings. Topics such as nausea and vomiting, febrile neutropenia and infections, tumor lysis syndrome, hypercalcemia of malignancy and bone health as well as others will be discussed.

Specialty Pharmacy
 

This elective allows students to gain knowledge and expertise in the field of specialty pharmacy. This course will focus on development of clinical and practical knowledge of specialty pharmaceuticals as well as critical thinking and applications of clinical knowledge to solve actual patient problems. It is a pharmacy elective course designed primarily for students interested in expanding their knowledge of specialty pharmaceuticals.

Book Club Discussion
 

This is an in person, small discussion group of one book that involves a health or health care theme and the intersection with health care disparities.  

Cardiology and Critical Care Pharmacotherapy
 

Cardiology and critical care pharmacotherapy is an elective course offered to third year professional pharmacy students. The course will cover the pathophysiology and therapeutics of various disease states encountered in these populations. The course will also address challenges to providing pharmaceutical care to these populations, with a particular focus on selecting the appropriate drug, dosage, and route of administration.

Pharmacy Journal Club

This course is designed to improve students understanding of primary literature, research methodology, statistical analysis, and application. Through a formal journal club presentation and group discussion and evaluation of presentations, students will improve presentation skills and collegial discussion of primary literature.

Supervised Teaching
Instructor permission only
 

Teaching assistants serve various roles in courses throughout pharmacy school. Supervised Teaching allows faculty to recognize students who participate as teaching assistants in their courses as review session holders, content creators, and simulated patients, to name a few responsibilities.

LeaderCORE™ Foundations I

Introductory Spanish for the Healthcare Professions