There are currently 4 Schools of Pharmacy in Florida:

Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy

Nova SouthEastern College of Pharmacy

University of Florida College of Pharmacy

 Palm Beach Atlantic University

Shall I Study Pharmacy?

(From: American Pharmaceutical Association)

2) elimination or reduction of symptoms;

3) arresting or slowing a disease process;

4) prevention of disease;

5) diagnosis of disease; and

6) desired alterations in physiological processes, all with minimum risk to patients. Pharmacists are professionals, uniquely prepared and available, committed to public service and to the achievement of this goal.

Professional Prospects

The practice of pharmacy is a vital part of a complete health care system. The number of people requiring health care services has steadily increased, and this trend will likely continue. Due to many of society's changing social and health issues, men and women in pharmacy will face new challenges, expanded responsibilities, and an ever increasing growth in opportunities. Some of these issues include increases in average life span and the increased incidence of chronic diseases; the increased complexity, number, and sophistication of medications and related products and devices; increased emphasis on primary and preventive health services, home health care, and long term care; and concerns about improving patients' access to health care, controlling its cost, and assuring its quality. Because of the large role that medications and their proper use play throughout these issues, pharmacists will play an important part in the future of health care.

Community Pharmacy and Consultant Pharmacists

Nearly everyone is familiar with community pharmacists and the pharmacy in which they practice. Six out of every ten pharmacists provide care to patients in a community setting. You probably visit the community pharmacist more often than you do any other member of the health team. Pharmacists talk to people when they are healthy and when they are sick, when they are "just browsing" or when they are concerned with an emergency; when they have specific needs as well as when they are seeking advice or information.

Pharmacists are playing an increasing role in the "wellness" movement, especially through counseling about preventive medicine. According to one estimate, pharmacists get more than two billion inquiries a year from their patrons. Pharmacists serve patients and the community by providing information and advice on health, providing medications and associated services, and by referring patients to other sources of help and care, such as physicians, when necessary. Likewise, advances in the use of computers in pharmacy practice now allow pharmacists to spend more time educating patients and maintaining and monitoring patient records. As a result, patients have come to depend on the pharmacist as a health care and information resource of the highest caliber.

Pharmacists, in addition to the variety of tasks performed in and out of the community pharmacy, are specialists in the science and clinical use of medications. They must be knowledgeable about the composition of drugs, their chemical and physical properties, and their manufacture and uses, as well as how to test for purity and strength. Additionally, a pharmacist needs to understand the activity of a drug and how it will work within the body. More and more prescribers rely on pharmacists for information about various drugs, their availability and their activity just as patrons do when they ask about nonprescription medications.

If a pharmacist develops a desire to combine his or her professional talents with the challenge of the fast-moving retail pharmacy business, they will often consider a management position within a chain pharmacy practice or ownership of their own pharmacy. In chain practice, career paths usually begin at the store level with possible subsequent advancement to a position at the district, regional, and. corporate level. Many chain companies have management development programs in marketing operations, legal affairs, third party programs, computerization, and pharmacy affairs.

Independent retail practice offers the opportunity for pharmacists to be "their own boss." The spirit of entrepreneurship and motivation has enabled many pharmacists to successfully own their own pharmacy or, through establishing consultation services, own their own pharmacy practice.

Hospitals and Other Institutional Settings

As society's health care needs have changed and expanded, there has been an increased emphasis on provision of that care through organized health care settings. As a result, an increased number of pharmacists now practice in hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities, neighborhood health centers, and health maintenance organizations.

As members of the health care team composed of physicians and nurses, among others, hospital pharmacists have a unique opportunity for direct involvement with patient care. The knowledge and clinical skills that the contemporary pharmacist possesses make this individual an authoritative source of drug information for physicians, nurses, and patients.

In addition to direct, patient care involvement, pharmacists in hospitals are responsible for systems which control drug distribution and are designed to assure that each patient receives the appropriate medication, in the correct form and dosage, at the correct time. Hospital pharmacists maintain records on each patient, using them not only to fill medication orders but also to screen for drug allergies and adverse drug effects.

Contemporary hospital pharmacy practice is composed of a number of highly specialized areas, including nuclear pharmacy, drug and poison information, and intravenous therapy. In addition, pharmacists provide specialized services in adult medicine, pediatrics, oncology, ambulatory care, and psychiatry. The nature and size of the hospital helps to determine the extent to which these specialized services are needed. Because of the diversity of activities involved in pharmacy departments, there is also an increasing demand for management expertise, including finance and budgeting, personnel administration, systems development, and planning.

Approximately 38,000 registered pharmacists work on a full- or part-time basis in hospitals or nursing homes. As hospital pharmacists continue to become more involved in providing patient-oriented services, the demand for practitioners in this area of pharmacy continues to grow. Recent years have also seen dramatic growth in pharmacy services in health maintenance organizations (HMO's) and related organizations that offer coordinated ambulatory care by a multidisciplinary staff of health professionals, including pharmacists. In this setting, pharmacists provide primary leadership in the development of both clinical and administrative systems which manage and improve the use of medications.

Managed Care Pharmacy

Increasingly, pharmacists are employed in various capacities within managed care organizations (MCOs). Managed care is a system designed to optimize patient care and outcomes and foster quality through greater coordination of medical services. MCOs incorporate pharmaceutical care which strives to improve access to primary and preventive care, and ensure the most appropriate and effective use of medical services in the most cost-effective manner.

The number of individuals enrolled in managed care programs has risen dramatically in recent years. At the end of 1995, it was estimated that more than 130 million individuals received health care services through some form of managed care. As managed care continues to assume a larger role in our health care system, opportunities for pharmacists practicing in these types of settings are expected to grow.

Areas in which managed care pharmacists can play a role include:

Practice Guideline and Protocol Development. Managed care pharmacists often work directly with physicians and other care givers to determine which medical treatments, including which drug therapies, are most effective in enhancing patient outcomes. That can involve regularly reviewing medical literature to determine which medications are the safest and most effective for treating certain diseases and gathering data from the plan's patient population and performing analyses based on that research.

Drug utilization review/drug use evaluation. Managed care pharmacists perform these functions to determine which patients and prescribers are using particular medications. This allows the pharmacist to determine whether some patients and/or prescribers may be inappropriately prescribing or using prescription drugs. With this knowledge in hand, the pharmacist and other care providers can then actively intervene in the patient's care process to assure better outcomes.

Care management programs. Often called "disease management programs," these programs involve having pharmacists, physicians, case managers and other care givers work together to effectively manage and coordinate the overall care of patients who are at high risk of serious complications because of certain disease states. For example, a care management program might identify all diabetic patients within a certain plan population, then place special emphasis on making sure those patients receive regular education and counseling about their disease, including how and when to take their medications. Pharmacists might then interact with the patient and the patient's treating physicians on a regular basis to try to keep the patient as healthy as possible.

These are just a few of the many roles pharmacists can assume in the managed care environment. Other responsibilities can include contracting with local pharmacies (to develop networks to serve plan members); contracting with pharmaceutical manufacturers (to receive rebates on prescription drug products and other value-added services); claims processing (so patient-prescriber data can be transmitted electronically to assure accurate claims payment and provide information to assist with clinical functions such as drug utilization review); and developing and managing the plan's formulary.

The Pharmaceutical Industry

Another area for a career in pharmacy is represented by the pharmaceutical industry which produces chemicals, prescription and nonprescription drugs, and other health products. Pharmacists do such things as marketing, research and product development, quality control, sales, and administration. Many pharmacists have gone on to obtain postgraduate degrees in order to meet the technical demands and scientific duties required in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Pharmacists with an interest in sales and administration can combine this with their technical background in pharmacy by serving as a medical service representative. These representatives call on physicians, dentists, and veterinarians, as well as on other pharmacists to explain the uses and merits of the products their firms produce. Experienced and successful medical service representatives with administrative abilities often rise to supervisory or executive posts in the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmacists are also employed as sales representatives, supervisors, and administrators in wholesale drug firms.

Academic Pharmacy

Over 3,000 full-time faculty members work in the nation's 79 colleges and schools of pharmacy, involved with teaching, research, and public service, as well as participating in patient care in some cases. Others serve as consultants for local, state, national, and international agencies' organizations. Becoming a member of the faculty at a college of pharmacy usually requires a postgraduate degree and/or training (e.g., Ph.D. degree or residency or fellowship training following the professional degree program).

While most pharmacists who complete graduate school exercise the option to teach, there currently exists a shortage of faculty, creating an array of excellent professional opportunities. Clinical pharmacy faculty have significant responsibility for patient care, in addition to their work in teaching and research. These academicians often are called educator/practitioners, and they serve as role models for pharmacy students and residents in many practice settings.

Faculty in disciplines other than clinical pharmacy usually are not directly involved in patient care or clinical research. Instead, the basic sciences are mainly concerned with "bench" research that includes sophisticated instrumentation, analytical methods, and animal models. Pharmacy administration research often uses survey methods and statistical analyses to solve complex problems of drug utilization management, health care delivery, marketing, management, and other practice issues.

To paraphrase one current pharmacy faculty member, "perhaps no other job in pharmacy has such far-reaching effects on the profession as that of an educator. It is in academia that one can excite individuals about pharmacy and lay the groundwork for continuing advances in the field."

Other Specialized Fields in Pharmacy

Pharmacists use their basic educational backgrounds in a host of federal and state positions. At the federal level, pharmacists hold staff and supervisory posts in the United States Public Health Service, the Veterans Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, and in all branches of the armed services. Some of these posts provide commissioned officer status; others come under civil service.

At the state level there are agencies charged with regulating the practice of pharmacy to preserve and protect the public health. These legal boards governing pharmacy practice usually have pharmacists employed as full-time executive officers. Also, one or more inspectors, frequently pharmacists, are employed by each state pharmacy board. As more state health agencies consolidate their purchases, a pharmacist is often engaged as a purchaser of medical and pharmaceutical supplies for the entire state.

Nearly every state has an active pharmaceutical association which employs a full-time executive officer, usually a graduate of a college of pharmacy. Several national professional associations are also guided by pharmacists with interest and special talents in organizational work.

You may know other pharmacists who are engaged in highly specialized tasks. There are pharmacists in advertising, packaging, technical writing, magazine editing, and science reporting. There are pharmacists with legal training serving as patent lawyers or as experts in pharmaceutical law. There are pharmacists in America's space laboratories and aboard ships such as S.S. Hope; others direct large manufacturing firms or specialize in medicinal plant cultivation.

By now, it should be clear to you that this diversity of pharmacy is one of its chief strengths. And, in diversity lies your opportunity. In the United States, over 175,000 pharmacists practice in community or hospital pharmacies, or long-term and ambulatory care facilities. The remainder follow one or another of the special fields you have just reviewed. The prospects for immediate employment and for long-term career growth have never been better. The opportunity for success in any of these fields is wide open for men and women with ability, education, and imagination.

Working Environment

As we said earlier, pharmacy has a special appeal to those who want to serve their community and society. And, as an important member of the health care profession, pharmacists must be prepared to render services at any time they are needed. Your own experience tells you that emergencies do not wait; pharmaceutical service may be required at 2:00 A.M. as well as 2:00 P.M. As a result, pharmacists expect to make their services available to the public at hours other than those which you might think of as "normal" for professional people. Except for the true emergency where time isn't measured for time's sake, the pharmacist's work week probably averages around forty-eight hours. In hospitals and long-term care facilities, pharmacists average forty to forty-four hours a week.

There is great potential for advancement and competitive salaries within the career of pharmacy. Most owners of pharmacies started their careers as a pharmacist working for someone else. Staff pharmacists within a hospital or nursing home, for example, have the potential to become directors of pharmacy services. Medical service representatives have risen within their organization to lead their firms. Distinguished scientists move to major roles in research administration. Civil servants and commissioned officers rise to policy and command positions.

Salaries vary throughout the country, as well as within individual communities. Better prepared, better informed, more skillful, and more experienced pharmacists will naturally command better salaries than those that are not. However, surveys have shown that two years after college the pharmacist has among the highest starting salaries of college graduates in the United States. Future salary progress, of course, depends on ability and experience.

Personal Qualifications

As you think about your place in pharmacy, you must also think about your qualifications to meet pharmacy's demands for judgment, dependability, and conscientious performance. You must be good at detail and willing to check and double check your own work. As with others on the health care team, your decisions and actions involve human life and well-being. Your need for careful attention to your work, your decisions, and the results of your actions cannot be over-emphasized.

Since pharmacists, by law, are entrusted with the proper storage, handling, and dispensing of dangerous and habit-forming drug substances, they must be absolutely scrupulous in handling them. Their ethical standards must be high, and they must use fact and good judgment in answering the questions people ask them.

As experts in drugs and chemicals, it follows that pharmacists need a good education with an emphasis on science and should possess a curiosity and a desire and willingness to learn. The pharmacist needs some background in the principles of management and the ability to maintain the records, legal and otherwise, required for pharmacy practice. Most importantly, pharmacists must enjoy working with people, be comfortable meeting them and be willing to serve them in a variety of circumstances.

Preparation for Study

A doctor of pharmacy degree requires four years of professional study following a minimum of two years of preprofessional study.

A balanced and comprehensive high school education is an important first step in your pursuit of a professional degree in pharmacy. You should discuss your courses carefully with your guidance counselor to assure appropriate preparation for college study.

If you are considering a career in pharmacy, you should write to the pharmacy colleges of your choice and ask for details about entrance requirements. These vary from college to college, so the best way to avoid disappointment is to make sure that high school and preprofessional college courses are carefully planned.

A sound education in math and science is an essential part of preparation for the study of pharmacy. Also, good written and verbal communication skills are important in both the study and practice of pharmacy. Pharmacy curriculum does not concentrate highly on literature, history, government, or social studies so it would be to your benefit to build a strong background in these subjects while you are in high school or during your preprofessional schooling. Foreign languages are not generally required for admission but may be needed later by students who pursue graduate studies. Contrary to popular opinion, the study of Latin in high school, while helpful in many aspects of life, is not essential for admission to pharmacy school.

High school science courses are helpful in preparing students for the many science courses studied in pharmacy college. Biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics are especially desirable. Beyond this, a good student with a strong background in nonscientific college preparatory subjects will be in a favorable position for succeeding in the study of pharmacy. Of course, if you have completed high school and are now enrolled in a community or liberal arts college, you will have credits in, and exposure to, many of the courses discussed above. It is important that preprofessional students arrange their course work to meet the requirements of the college of pharmacy in which they plan to enroll. Early consultation with the dean or admissions officer is important. If your decision to study pharmacy is not yet firm, you can still have your program checked by the pharmacy school; this advice can be helpful when you do apply for admission.

Colleges of pharmacy, in considering applicants for admission, often give attention to the relative position of a student within their class-near the top, in the middle group, or near the bottom. Although colleges of pharmacy are interested in enrolling students who have demonstrated the ability to do good work in school, they are also interested in students who demonstrate potential for good academic work and contribution to the profession.

Many colleges, both preprofessional and professional, require education tests for admission including the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) and/or various college entrance exam scores (i.e. SAT or ACT) as criteria for entrance. The PCAT can be taken either in high school or college. The results are one of several factors usually considered in the admission of each student.

Due to the variations in admission requirements and procedures among the colleges of pharmacy, it is important that you obtain the information which applies to the college you wish to enter. In some cases your high school counselor or college advisor may have the necessary information. Inquiries may be sent directly to the dean of the pharmacy college which you have selected. The schools will be pleased to supply you with details concerning admission, or any other information in which you may be interested.

Pharmaceutical Education

In the fall of 1994, 33,353 men and women were enrolled in the nation's 75 schools and colleges of pharmacy in pursuit of their initial professional pharmacy degree. Of this total, 63 percent were women, and over 11 percent were minority students. Over 27 percent of the applications for the 1994 entry class were submitted by individuals holding a postsecondary degree (associate degree, 5.6 percent; baccalaureate, 21.0 percent; masters degree, 0.9 percent; doctorate, 0.1 percent). Enrollment has increased steadily since 1984.

All pharmacy colleges operate under on of three plans: (1) one year of preprofessional education preceding admission to the professional curriculum; (2) two years of preprofessional education followed by professional studies; (3) an integrated curriculum with all years of study in the professional college. Where preprofessional education is required for admission, the first year or two of study may be taken in any approved junior college or university.

In July 1992, a majority of the nation's schools and colleges of pharmacy voted to move toward awarding the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree as the only professional degree in pharmacy. However, as schools make plans to offer the Pharm.D. degree and modify their curricula accordingly, some will continue to offer the B.S. in Pharmacy during the foreseeable future. Either degree fulfills the degree requirements to take the licensure examination of a state board of pharmacy in order to practice pharmacy. A Pharm.D. degree requires four years of professional study, following a minimum of two years of pre-pharmacy study, for a total of six academic years following high school. Including pre-pharmacy study, the minimum educational program for a B.S. in Pharmacy is five academic years.

Both the B.S. in Pharmacy and the Pharm.D. curricula are designed to produce a scientifically and technically competent pharmacist who can apply this training in such a manner as to provide maximum health care services to patients. Student are provided with the opportunity to gain greater experience in patient centered learning experiences and in working in close cooperative relationships with health practitioners. It is the goal of all pharmacy schools to prepare pharmacists who can assume expanded responsibilities in the care of patients and assure the provision of rational drug therapy.

After graduating from pharmacy school an increasing number of students are seeking residency training in pharmacy practice. Over three hundred pharmacy residency programs are offered in hospitals, community pharmacies and some specialized facilities. These residency programs may be taken in general pharmacy practice, clinical pharmacy practice, or other specialty areas depending upon personal interests and specific career requirements. Completion of a pharmacy residency is sometimes a requirement for employment in hospital pharmacy practice or in clinical faculty at pharmacy schools.

Students also have the opportunity to complete advanced study (graduate work) at many colleges of pharmacy. Graduate study in one of the specialized areas of pharmacy may qualify the student for a master of science (M.S.), or doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. These advanced degree programs require an undergraduate degree at least at the bachelors level prior to enrollment; however, the undergraduate degree need not be in pharmacy. The M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are research degrees and do not qualify the student to be a licensed pharmacy practitioner unless the student has also earned a B.S. in Pharmacy or Pharm.D.

If you examine several pharmacy college catalogs you will notice that courses are similar but not identical. There are no rigid rules on curricula enforced on colleges, but a common core of subjects is found in every college of pharmacy. You will find that certain colleges emphasize certain subjects, and thus place less emphasis on others. Since you will certainly be examining catalogs of colleges that interest you, the following discussion will touch largely on the core of subjects common to most colleges of pharmacy.

Our earlier descriptions of community pharmacy and of the various specialties should have conveyed the idea that the profession of pharmacy blends science, technical art, and human relationships in a unique fashion. Basic to the science in pharmacy are contributions from three broad fields-biology, chemistry, and mathematics, so courses in these basic sciences are required in pharmacy curricula.

Mathematics is an important tool in most scientific courses, so two or more semesters of college mathematics are usually required. In addition, a pharmacist uses math a great deal in dispensing prescriptions, in determining proper drug dosage levels, in preparing formulas of many types, in management procedures, and in certain chemical calculations. Hence, additional instruction is given in the various kinds of weights and measures used in pharmacy, in calculating doses of drugs given to persons of different ages and weights, in figuring the amount of material to use for a solution, and in many other operations including pharmaceutical calculations.

Instruction in physics is usually given because the principles are basic to many pharmaceutical practices. In addition, physics has a close relationship to chemistry; both sciences are needed in order to understand the behavior and properties of matter. The fineness of powdered drugs, the transfer of heat, the behavior of gases, the formation and decay of radioactive isotope - these and other phenomena of pharmacy can be well understood only through knowledge of the principles of physics.

Many medical substances are pure chemicals, so it is easy see why a thorough knowledge of chemistry is important. From simple table salt, to substances so complex that their formulas are not completely known, pharmacists are continually dealing with chemicals. They must know how to handle and store them, as some are dangerous; how to analyze them to determine their purity; and how to dissolve them, combine them, package them, and preserve them-as well as many additional factors involving chemicals. Small wonder then that pharmacy students study the principles of the common divisions of chemistry and finish off this study with several courses in pharmaceutical chemistry, where the principles of basic chemistry are applied in the study of medicinal products.

In addition to chemical medicines, many drugs come from plants and animals. Moreover, the practical use of nearly all medicinal substances is within, or upon, the bodies of humans or animals. Hence, the study of biological sciences, including anatomy, physiology, zoology and biochemistry among others, is important for building a strong foundation of knowledge of natural drugs and their actions within the body.

Courses in English, psychology, and sociology are usually given in the preprofessional years, but some may be scheduled throughout the curriculum. These social sciences provide the student with a better ability to understand people, thereby enabling them to practice more effectively within society.

Professional Courses

The professional curriculum is composed of courses in six major areas of instruction.

Pharmaceutical chemistry, which we have already mentioned, emphasizes the application of chemical sciences to pharmacy. Some of the courses deal with chemicals used as medicines-their use, nature, preparation and preservation. In other courses, attention is given to the processes and tests used to determine the purity and strength of a chemical or its pharmaceutical form. The pharmacy student learns, for example, how to find out if aspirin is pure, or how to determine how much vitamin C is contained in a particular solution or tablet.

Pharmacognosy deals with the nature and sources of "natural drugs"-those obtained from plants or animals, either directly or indirectly. For example, with a drug such as quinine, this study involves the source, the commercial production, the marketing, the chief pure chemicals contained in the drug, and the uses made of the drug and its derivatives.

Pharmacology is concerned with understanding the action of drugs in the body. Attention is given to the effects of various doses of each medicinal substance and to the different ways in which medicine can be introduced into the body. The effects of poisons and the means to overcome them are studied in toxicology. Generally, animal tests are required to learn the strength of drugs. Physicians know a great deal about pharmacology and toxicology; yet, as the expert about drugs, the pharmacist must have this knowledge to an even greater extent.

Education in modern business management is important for graduates who plan to enter community pharmacy and some institution practices. This area is commonly designated pharmacy administration. Instruction frequently includes principles of basic economics, accounting, management, computer applications, marketing, merchandising, and legal phases of the profession of pharmacy. Courses in pharmacy administration are especially helpful to pharmacists who become executives in pharmacies, hospitals, service wholesale houses, or manufacturing.

All colleges of pharmacy offer a variety of courses in pharmacy practice. These courses are designed to give an appreciation of the background and nature of the profession, to familiarize students with the many skilled processes used in pharmacy, to introduce the various forms of medicines, and to teach them how to dispense medication accurately and skillfully. Instruction in pharmacy practice again emphasizes the fact that pharmacy blends science and technology, and that throughout the professional services of the pharmacist there is a continous responsibility both to the patient and the physician.

Instruction in the basic sciences and in the professional areas (except for most of the administration courses) includes some laboratory work. This laboratory work is both traditional and clinical. Laboratory instruction explores various scientific phenomena, as well as studies the clinical application of the principles of pharmaceutical sciences.

Clinical pharmacy is that area within the pharmacy curriculum which deals with patient care, placing an emphasis on drug therapy. Clinical pharmacy seeks to develop a patient-oriented attitude in the student. The education of pharmacists who are able to meet the needs of society can be attained only through a careful blending of theoretical course work and clinical experiences.

The clinical component of the pharmacy curriculum varies from school to school, however, the basic objectives are the same. Some of these objectives are (1) to help students become more aware of the general methods of diagnosis and patient care specifically related to drug therapy, (2) to develop students' communication skills for effective interaction with patients and with practitioners of other health professions, (3) to help students develop a patient awareness in the practice of pharmacy, (4) to enable students to integrate the knowledge acquired in course work prior to clinical exposure, and to apply it to the solution of real problems, and (5) to develop students' awareness of their responsibility for monitoring the drugs taken by patients.

Choice of School

No country in the world has more colleges of pharmacy than the United States, nor does any country have as many different kinds of pharmacy colleges. Some of them are in our largest cities, others are in small towns. A few colleges are independent institutions, while the vast majority are parts of universities, state colleges, municipal institutions of higher education, or of denominational universities. Almost every state has at least one college of pharmacy.

Students who are considering pharmacy frequently ask, "Where can I study pharmacy?" Some also want an answer to, "Which college is the best one?" The first question is answered easily. A list of the 79 schools and colleges of pharmacy may be found on the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Web site, http://www.aacp.org.. The American Council on Pharmaceutical Education periodically examines these colleges to accredit the pharmacy program.

A nonaccredited pharmacy program may be legally recognized by the board of pharmacy in the state in which it is located, but graduates of the college who wish to practice pharmacy in any other state will probably be denied permission to do so.

There is no satisfactory answer to the question, "Which college is the best one?" Due to institutional policy and faculty strength, one college may be unusually strong in administration courses, a second one in chemistry, a third in pharmacology. Or, a college may be good in almost all of the basic and professional fields. One college may offer the student advantages in extracurricular activities, and another may be especially strong in emphasis on ethical values. College A may have a brand new building, but College B in the old building may have superior equipment. College C may have a faculty with an outstanding research or public service reputation.

A better question from the thoughtful prospective pharmacy student is, "Everything considered, what is the best college of pharmacy for me?" You will want to investigate several possible college choices. A visit to one or more colleges of pharmacy is a valuable means for learning, first hand, more about the college as well as more about tuition and other costs involved. As a pharmacy student you will spend a considerable amount of money, and at least three years, at the college of pharmacy. Since education is an investment for a lifetime, visits to colleges in which you are interested are very important.

A visit with the dean, admissions officer or faculty members at the college(s) of pharmacy you are considering will be particularly helpful. If you are currently enrolled in a two or four-year college and are just beginning to explore career options, you should make it a point to talk with the health professions advisor at your campus. These individuals are excellent sources of information.

Alumni and practicing pharmacists who have attended various colleges also can be helpful in giving their impressions of the institutions. Frequently high school counselors, science teachers, and principals can give information about one or more specific colleges.

All colleges publish catalogs and frequently additional literature which will gladly be furnished upon request. It would be to your advantage to request catalogs from the schools in which you are interested to study and compare.

Expenses

"What is all of this going to cost?" is certainly an important question. How much it will cost depends on where you enroll, how far it is from your home town, and the extent to which public dollars are used to support the institution.

One thing should be stressed. Every dollar you spend on your education is a dollar well invested. The returns in direct salary benefits and in other less tangible gains will be far in excess of your initial investment. You should know, also, that it is possible today for nearly every student who meets academic and personal qualifications to get as much education as they desire.

Sources of Financial Aid

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, itself, does not administer any student assistance programs. Most loan and scholarship programs are administered by the financial aid office on each college campus. The aid officers, therefore, are the most reliable sources of current and complete information regarding financial assistance available for students interested in studying pharmacy. The following outline of sources of financial aid only generally discusses the types of programs available. You are advised to write directly to the financial aid office identified in the pharmacy school's catalog for specific information and application forms.