Pharmacy General Information
This article was written by Dr. Jeff Hurlbut and edited/ translated to html by Richard Hayes.

Pharmacy Information

        Metropolitan State College of Denver
     Jeffrey A. Hurlbut  -  Chemistry Department
         Room SI 321A  -  Tele. No. 556-2837

Pharmacists are responsible for compounding and dispensing medications ordered by a physician, dentist, or other authorized prescriber. Pharmacists do much more than "count, pour, lick and stick;" they must have a comprehensive knowledge of drugs, including their uses; composition, chemical and physical properties. Pharmacists must also be familiar with the effects of various drugs on human beings; we were created as immensely complex beings, and pharmacists need to be familiar with our biochemistry. The increasing complexity and variety of prescription drugs has caused prescribing physicians to rely on pharmacists as a source of accurate and unbiased information about these products.

The actual duties of pharmacists depend largely on the type of establishment in which they are employed. Most pharmacists go into community practice; some go into hospital pharmacy; some go into professional sales; some go into veterinary pharmacy; and others work for the FDA, the government, pharmaceutical companies, or pharmacy schools. Employment is readily available.

Presently, five years of college work are needed before one can become a pharmacist. The University of Colorado School of Pharmacy requires two years of pre-professional work at a college

like MSCD followed by three years of professional work at the Health Sciences Center; a B.S. degree in pharmacy is then awarded. Note: 1) The PCAT exam is now a requirement; 2) CUHSC now offers a Pharm. D. degree.

II. Pharmacy Requirements

At least two years of college work at MSCD are required before entrance to the pharmacy school. A GPA of above 3.0 must be maintained, and a C or better must be obtained in all of the required courses. The mean GPA for the 1996 entering class was 3.3, and several MSCD students were accepted. All required courses have to be completed before entrance; organic I must be completed before application. The following are the required courses at MSCD:

COURSE u>MSCD COURSE 

General Chemistry with Lab                 Chemistry 180, 181, 185

Organic Chemistry with Lab                 Chemistry 310, 312L, 311, 313L

General Biology with Lab                   Biology 108, 220

Microbiology with Lab                      Biology 240

Calculus                                   Math 141

English Composition                        English 101, 102

Public Speaking                            Speech 101

14 Semester Hours of General Education: Does not include Vocational, Arts, or PE

6 Semester Hours of Social Studies         Cultural Anthro., History, 
                                           Psych, Sociology

Note: Organic Chemistry is a very critical course, and it must be completed prior to application. Biochemistry, Anatomy and Physiology courses are recommended in addition to the courses listed above. Familiarity with computers is also suggested. The core math and science courses must be taken for a grade within seven years of application. A CLEP score for english composition (not the general exam) will be accepted if it resulted in a 67th percentile or above.

III. APPLICATION

Obtain the application after September 1 - one year before entrance from the following:

University of Colorado Health Sciences Center

Student Academic Services, School of Pharmacy

4200 East Ninth Avenue, Campus Box C238

Denver, CO 80262

Telephone Number: 315-6100

The completed application along with transcripts and money must be received before December 1. An early application is highly recommended. Selection of applicants is based on total GPA, Science GPA, PCAT results, and the application. Competition is keen for the 120-130 spots, and nearly 600 people will apply each year.

This is a popular program. Out of state and foreign applicants are considered. The salaries for pharmacists is between $35,000 and $70,000. There are other popluar programs at the University of Wyoming and at Creighton University in Nebraska. There are ~ 80 programs in the U.S..

IV. Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT)

The PCAT is now a requirement for admission to our Pharmacy School, and it must be taken by October. The exam will cover Verbal Ability, Quantitative Ability, Biology, Chemistry and Reading Comprehension. It is offered twice in the late winter and once in the fall. Obtain information and applications for the PCAT by calling 800-622-3231. 1/1997