School of Pharmacy
School of Pharmacy
Our purpose statement at the LECOM School of Pharmacy is: “we care for our students and ensure their success.” The School of Pharmacy faculty are educators first—many hold advanced degrees in education—and they are committed to providing students with every opportunity to realize their goals of becoming Doctors of Pharmacy.
Pharmacy Pathways
The LECOM School of Pharmacy offers three pathways to the PharmD degree. We have added the four-year distance education pathway to our three-year accelerated pathway in Erie and four-year pathway in Bradenton.
The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) recognized the growing national need for pharmacists and opened the School of Pharmacy in 2002. LECOM believes that new trends in the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum have complementary goals to the total-person, patient-centered care fostered by osteopathic medicine.
The LECOM School of Pharmacy has structured its classroom and experiential curriculum to prepare future pharmacists to provide patient care that ensures optimal therapeutic outcomes.
Why Choose a Career in Pharmacy?
Our purpose statement at the LECOM School of Pharmacy is: “we care for our students and ensure their success.”
The School of Pharmacy faculty are educators first—many hold advanced degrees in education—and they are committed to providing students with every opportunity to realize their goals of becoming Doctors of Pharmacy.
START YOUR PHARMACY CAREER
Three-Year Accelerated Pathway
LECOM’s innovative, year-round curriculum leading to the completion of the professional program in pharmacy in three years instead of four years, enabling LECOM students to enter the job market or residency one year earlier.
MORE ABOUT THE THREE-YEAR ACCELERATED PATHWAY
Four-year Florida Pathway
This pathway begins with emphasis in the pharmaceutical sciences with an introduction to the profession. The core curriculum during the first year teaches the basic sciences, including: anatomy, physiology and biochemistry. This lays a solid foundation for training in clinical sciences during years two and three and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE) in year four. APPE consists of six rotations, six weeks each in community and clinical settings.
MORE ABOUT THE FOUR-YEAR FLORIDA PATHWAY
Distance Education Pathway
A majority of the pathway is taught through online courses using state-of-the-art synchronous and asynchronous technologies where students can learn at home on their computer. Students will be required to come to the Bradenton, FL campus each summer for between one and three weeks in order to fulfill the laboratory, casework, and presentation portion of the curriculum.
MORE ABOUT THE DISTANCE EDUCATION PATHWAY Have Questions about the School of Pharmacy?
Do you have a question that we haven’t answered yet? View our frequently asked questions about the LECOM School of Pharmacy to see if your questions are on our list.
READ PHARMACY'S MOST COMMON FAQ'SThe mission and vision of LECOM School of Pharmacy
The mission for the LECOM School of Pharmacy is to prepare pharmacy professionals committed to providing high-quality, ethical, and empathetic patient-centered pharmaceutical care to serve the needs of a diverse population via three education pathways: Accelerated Pathway, Florida Pathway, and Distance Education Pathway. Through the integration of the sciences with critical thinking skills and effective communication, LECOM will prepare future pharmacists to be strong patient advocates and leaders in their communities, in professional associations, and research activities.
The vision of the LECOM School of Pharmacy is to be the innovative leader in graduating pharmacists who serve as highly skilled clinicians achieving optimal therapeutic outcomes in all aspects of pharmaceutical care.
LECOM School of Pharmacy is committed to a culture that equally values a nurturing and supportive environment, collaborative practices, community service, dedication to the profession of pharmacy, diversity, excellence in scholarship and teaching, honesty, integrity, leadership, life-long learning, professionalism, quality assurance and continuous quality improvement, and a student-centered environment.
LECOM is a single school of pharmacy operating out of two locations situated 1,186 miles apart. Consistent with LECOM’s core value of creating student-centered education, three distinct learning pathways are offered for the PharmD degree providing students the option of choosing a pathway most suited to their learning needs. In Erie, PA, an accelerated three-year pathway is offered enabling students to complete the PharmD degree in three calendar years; in Bradenton, FL, students choose a four-year pathway; or students may study online in the four-year, first professional degree distance education pathway.
All three curricula offer the same spectrum of didactic courses, credit hours, and experiential education and experiences. The full array of supporting services exists at both campuses. Physical facilities at each campus are state-of-the art and of sufficient size to meet all educational and administrative functions.
The School of Pharmacy has established the Center for Drug Information and Research (CDIR). The CDIR’s mission is to provide healthcare professionals, caregivers and patients with independent research, analysis and evidence-based responses to drug information requests. The Center publishes The LECOM Point, which contains independent best-evidence analyses and commentary on a variety of medical and pharmaceutical subjects.