Technical Requirements of a Pharmacist
Applicants for admission to the School of Pharmacy and current students must demonstrate the ability to complete, with or without reasonable accommodations, the entire curriculum and achieve the Pharm.D. degree. In order to achieve the mission of Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy, technical standards describe the essential functions students must demonstrate in order to fulfill the requirements of pharmacy education and thus, are requisites for entrance, continuation, and graduation from the School of Pharmacy. These technical standards encompass functions related to communication; sensory and motor coordination and function; intellectual, conceptual and quantitative abilities; behavioral, social and emotional attributes; and ethical values.
Communication: Students must be able to speak, hear, and observe patients in order to elicit information, accurately describe changes in mood, activity, and posture, and perceive verbal and nonverbal communications. They must be able to record information accurately and clearly, and speak fluent English. Students must be able to communicate quickly, effectively, and efficiently in oral and written English with all members of the healthcare team as well as with patients and their caregivers.
Sensory and Motor Coordination and Function: Students must have sufficient sensory and motor function to allow them to perform basic tasks in the training and practice of pharmacy such as preparation or dispensing of medications, response to emergencies and provision of basic cardiac life support, administration of drugs, observation of patients accurately at a distance and close at hand, and execution of a basic physical examination of a patient. Such tasks require fine and gross muscular coordination, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses.
Intellectual, Conceptual and Quantitative Abilities: Students must be able to learn through a variety of modalities and must be able to use learning techniques and habits that allow mastery of the curriculum. They must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize, and integrate information in order to develop problem solving and critical thinking skills. Students must have the mental capacity to assimilate and learn large volumes of complex information.
Behavioral, Social, and Emotional Attributes: Students must possess sufficient emotional and mental health required for full use of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment and ethical standards, the prompt completion of all patient care responsibilities, and the development of mature, effective, and sensitive relationships with patients and caregivers. Students should have the ability to maintain both a high standard of courtesy and cooperation in dealing with colleagues, patients, and other health care professionals. Students must be able to adapt to situations requiring the precise attainment of set limits, tolerances, or standards as well as to perform a variety of duties, often changing from one task to another of a different nature without loss of efficiency or composure. Students must be able to modify behavior in response to constructive criticism. Personal qualities of empathy, integrity, honesty, concern for others, good interpersonal skills, and motivation are required.
Ethical Values: Students must demonstrate professional demeanor and behavior and must deal in an ethical manner with peers, faculty, staff, and patients. Students must also meet the expected ethical standards set forth by the profession. In order to participate in key components of the curriculum, a student must be able to obtain and maintain a valid Pharmacists Intern License from the SC State Board of Pharmacy and pass requisite criminal background checks and random illegal drug screens required by affiliated clinical institutions. Pharmacist licensure in the state of SC requires that applicants have no past, current, or pending charges involving a felony or any of the laws related to controlled substances, intoxicating liquors or the unlawful sales of dangerous drugs. In addition, an applicant for pharmacist licensure in the state of SC should be of good character and should not be addicted to the use of alcoholic liquors or narcotic drugs as to render him/her unfit to practice pharmacy.
