Career Preparation

The practice of pharmacy is an important part of total health care. Pharmacists dispense drugs and medicines. They also must understand the use, composition and effect of drugs and how they are tested for purity and strength. An understanding of general and organic chemistry is an essential part of being a good pharmacist. Pharmacists also must maintain patient medication profiles and advise physicians on the proper selection and use of medicines. A pharmacist must also do compounding. Compounding is the actual mixing of ingredients to form powders, tablets, capsules, ointments and solutions.

A pharmacist employed in a community pharmacy also may have other duties, such as buying and selling non-pharmaceutical merchandise, hiring and supervising personnel and overseeing the operation of the pharmacy. A pharmacist employed in a hospital or clinic dispenses inpatient and outpatient prescriptions and advises the medical staff on the selection and effects of drugs. Some people put their pharmaceutical training to other uses such as sales, teaching, research or writing.

The average starting salary for a pharmacist is up to $90,000. Employers advertise in trade and daily papers and advise pharmacy schools of vacancies.

Academic Program

Missouri State offers the courses necessary for admission into the second and/or third year classes at the Schools of Pharmacy. The Pharmacy degree is not offered at Missouri State. There are two pharmacy schools in Missouri.

University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy

5005 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO  64110
816-235-1693

UMKC School of Pharmacy admits students as graduating seniors from high school in a regular track which involves one year at Missouri State and five years at UMKC. This program leads to a doctor of pharmacy degree or Pharm.D. The Pharm.D. degree allows the graduates to become not only a registered pharmacist after successfully completing the State Licensure exams, but also a health care professional with expanded opportunities in the provision of pharmacotherapy and the clinical sciences.  The Doctor of Pharmacy program is known as a "1-5" program. This means that 1 year of prerequisites are required before 5 years of pharmacy school. The first year, prerequisite courses may be taken at UMKC or at any other accredited colleges.

Requirements are as follows:

First year of course work:
IDS 110: Intro to University Life
CSC 101 or 111: Computers for Learning
ENG 110 and 210, 220 or 221: Writing I and II
CHM 160, 170 and 175: General Chemistry I and II
MTH 261: Calculus with Analytical Geometry
PHY 123 or 203: Physics I
BIO 121 or 134: General Biology I or General Botany
BIO 122 or BMS 110: General Biology II or Concepts in Biomedical Sciences

+3 hours Behavioral/Social Sciences and Humanities/Fine Arts

St. Louis College of Pharmacy

4588 Parkview Place
St. Louis, MO, 63110-1088
314-367-8700

St. Louis College of Pharmacy  (STLCOP) admits students as graduating seniors from high school, and as of December 2000,  only accepts transfer students into the third year of STLCOP’s program and only in the fall semester. This program leads to a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.  Transfer students will be evaluated on their PCAT score (minimum composite for Fall 2007 is 80), their science grade point average (based on the science courses listed below or their equivalent with a minimum of 3.50 on a 4.00 scale for the Fall of 2007) and their overall grade point average (based on all the courses listed below or their equivalent with a preferred minimum of 3.50 on a 4.00 scale for Fall 2007).   Transfer students must complete the application process to be evaluated.

Requirements for 3rd Year Transfer Students:

First year of course work:
IDS 110: Intro to University Life
ENG 110 and 210, 220 or 221: Writing I and II
CSC 101 or 111: Computers for Learning
CHM 160, 170 and 175: General Chemistry I and II
BIO 121 and 122: Biology I and II and BMS 110: Concepts in Biomedical Sciences
PSY 121: Psychology
SOC 150: Sociology
MTH 261: Calculus with Analytical Geometry

Second year of course work:
BMS 307 and 308: Anatomy and Physiology
CHM 310 and 312: Organic Chemistry I and II
PHY 123 and 124 or 203 and 204: Physics I and II
HST 101 and 102 or HST 103 and 104: World/Western Civilization or World History I and II

Courses

Please consult the Missouri State Catalog online for course descriptions and specific degree requirements, including courses in the Department of Chemistry and the Departments of Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Physics and Mathematics.

Special Opportunities and Services

There are opportunities to participate in the Cooperative Education program, providing valuable experience in an actual pharmacy setting.

For More Information

Pre-Pharmacy Advisor
Department of Chemistry
Missouri State University
901 South National Avenue
Springfield, MO  65897
Office:  417-836-5506
Fax:  417-836-5507
E-mail:  chemistry@missouristate.edu