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University of Alberta Calendar 2023-2024 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Regulations

Return to: Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences  

Admission

See Programs of Study  and General Undergraduate Admission Requirements  for general admission requirements to the University. Specific admission information for the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program is set out in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences .

Professional Standards Expectations for Students and Applicants in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

The University Code of Student Behaviour describes a range of non-academic and academic offences deemed unacceptable and for which a student may be penalized. Refer to the Code of Student Behaviour  and the Code of Applicant Behaviour . Amendments to the Codes occur throughout the year. The official version of the Codes, as amended from time to time is housed on the University Governance website.

Please note: Pharmacy is a regulated health profession that is governed by the Health Professions Act in a manner that protects and serves the public interest. Students selected for admission to pharmacy programs will be required to adhere to the professional code of ethics of the Alberta College of Pharmacy. As such, student conduct during the admissions process, including (but not limited to) any and all communications and interactions with the Faculty before and during admission, are considered part of the admission process and may be considered during admission deliberations. Admission may be denied to applicants who communicate or act in a manner that may be considered inappropriate or unprofessional regardless of academic standing.  Also see Code of Applicant Behaviour .

Academic Standing

Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)

  1. Grades
    1. The means of assessing a student’s progress and determining a student’s grades may vary from one course to another, according to the nature of the course. Factors other than examination results may be used to a variable extent by instructors in determining grades. Students are informed at the beginning of each course how grades are to be determined.
    2. Students must satisfactorily complete all components of all courses.
  2. Reexaminations: See Reexaminations  
    1. ​Students are advised that it is not possible to make a ruling regarding remediation or reexamination until all grades for a year are received and recorded.  
    2. The reexamination mark will replace the original final exam mark. Reexamination results do not alter the student’s class standing.  
    3. Any student who, after reexamination and/or evaluation, fails to meet promotion/graduation requirements, is deemed to have failed the year.
    4. A student who does not take a reexamination within the time period prescribed by the Faculty will not be allowed to continue in the program.
    5. Reexamination procedure:
  1. The Associate Dean Academic and Student Services will specify by course the reexamination required of a failed student for the purposes of meeting promotion/graduation requirements.
  2. All students will take the reexamination as scheduled by June 30.
  1. Promotion and/or Continuation
    1.  Progression in the program is year by year and not by courses completed. Accordingly, all students in a particular year of the program normally should be registered in the same courses in each term (see Graduation.) Students will not normally register in any core (i.e., non-elective) courses from a particular year of the program until they have satisfactorily completed core courses from the previous year of the program. Students accepted into the MBA Combined Degrees program will be permitted to delay entrance into the fourth year by one year with no loss in standing. The duration of the total MBA Combined Degrees program must not exceed six consecutive calendar years from the time of admission to the Pharmacy program
    2. Academic standing is assessed on the basis of
      1.  the pass or failure of individual courses and
      2.  the GPA attained in a given year of the program. In computing the GPA, grades of W and CR/NC, and grades in courses accepted for transfer credit are not included.

Each student’s academic standing will normally be assessed at the end of the regular academic year. Students who are on Academic Warning will be assessed at the end of each term. See Academic Warning .

  1. A student who is awarded First-Class Standing or Satisfactory Standing, as defined below, will normally qualify for promotion: 

First-Class Standing: Typically awarded to an undergraduate student who obtains a GPA of 3.5 or above and passes all courses while enrolled in the minimum full academic course load in that year. Note: First-Class Standing is not awarded in Year 4 given the limited number of graded units taken in that year.  

Satisfactory Standing: Awarded to a student who achieves a GPA of 2.1 or above if no course is failed.  

d. Conditional Standing: Assigned to a student who achieves a GPA of 2.1 or above but has failed one or more courses.

A student who is assigned Conditional Standing will be placed on Academic Warning and must retake and pass all failed courses. Other courses are to be taken, up to a normal course load, as scheduling permits and as approved by the Faculty.

Students on Academic Warning as a result of acquiring Conditional Standing will clear their Academic Warning upon passing the repeated courses and will qualify for promotion if they achieve Satisfactory Standing on the basis of all courses taken during the Year of Study.  

  1.  Required to Withdraw:
    1. Any student failing to obtain a minimum GPA of 2.1 in any academic year is Required to Withdraw from the program.
    2. Students who fail a course a second time will be Required to Withdraw from the program.
    3. Any student who fails to achieve a grade of CR in more than two of the required experiential courses on the first attempt will be Required to Withdraw from the PharmD program.
    4. Students who are Required to Withdraw are not normally readmitted to the program.
    5. Students who fail to provide satisfactory criminal record checks in connection with any practicum placement, or who fail to complete their degree requirements within the five calendar years, may be required to withdraw from the program.  
  2. Probation: Students who have been required to withdraw and who have successfully appealed that decision will be placed on Probation and required to repeat all courses that comprise the failed program year.

To clear probation and qualify for promotion, the student must achieve a C+ minimum grade in all courses taken AND a minimum GPA of 2.7. Students who fail to meet these requirements will be immediately Required to Withdraw and registration will be cancelled.

Only one year of probation is allowed while registered in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.  

  1. Appeals and Grievances: Decisions on academic standing are made by the Faculty Council. Appeals may be made to the Academic Appeals Committee. Certain academic standing decisions made by the Faculty Academic Appeals Committee may be appealed to the General Faculties Council Academic Appeals Committee. Enquiries concerning standing in individual courses should be made to the professor in charge of the course. If the issue is still not resolved, the student may report the matter to the Office of the Dean for enquiry. See Appeals and Grievances  for further information.

The Faculty’s regulations governing academic appeals and grade appeals may be obtained in the Dean’s Office.  

  1. Leave of Absence: Unless enrolled in a combined degree program, students must register in the pharmacy program on a continuous basis to ensure a place in the program. The Faculty does, however, recognize that important life events do occur that may prompt a student to request a Leave of Absence. Students who desire a temporary discontinuation of their program must obtain prior approval for a Leave of Absence by submitting a request to the Student Services Office. A Leave of Absence will not be granted automatically and will be considered only for acceptable reasons (e.g. incapacitating illness, severe domestic affliction). Discontinuance without permission requires the student to seek readmission to the program, which is not guaranteed.

Normally, a Leave of Absence is granted only if all the following conditions are met:

  1. A minimum of one full term must be completed within the degree program before a Leave of Absence is considered
  2. The student has a cumulative GPA of 2.1 in the pharmacy program
  3. The reasons for the absence are considered by the Faculty to be acceptable
  4.  No transferable courses are being completed at another institution during the Leave of Absence period
  5. The leave of absence does not by itself extend the duration of the program beyond the normal limit for completion of the program

Note: An approved Leave of Absence will be granted for a maximum 12-month period of time, and will be granted only once in a student’s academic career within the Faculty.  

Graduation  

(1) Time Limit for Completion of Degree:

Normally, all students must complete their degree requirements within five calendar years from the time of their initial admission. This time limit includes all time during which a student is not in attendance, either for personal reasons [see Leave of Absence] or as a result of suspension or requirement to withdraw. Students should be aware of the need to provide a criminal record check for placement in the Experiential courses that are required for completion of the degree in pharmacy. Failure to provide a clean check can lead to delays or even the inability to fulfill these course requirements. This may lead to an inability to complete the program within the specified five-year period. Any failure or inability to complete the program within five years may be cause for Requirement to Withdraw from the program.  

(2) Academic Performance for Graduation

Students must achieve Satisfactory Academic Standing in their final year of the program; present credit (CR or a minimum University of Alberta grade of D or equivalent) in all program requirements; and present a graduation average of at least 2.1. The graduation average is a cumulative measure of a student’s grade points obtained while registered in the Faculty in all years and terms, including Spring/Summer. It is the quotient of (a) the total number of grade points earned by a student in courses credited to the degree and (b) the total weight of those courses.  

(3) Degree With Distinction

Degrees with Distinction shall be awarded to students who achieve a GPA of 3.5 or higher on all courses taken in the program. 

Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) for Practicing Pharmacists 

  1. Grades
    1. The means of assessing a student’s progress and determining a student’s grades may vary from one course to another, according to the nature of the course. Factors other than examination results may be used to a variable extent by instructors in determining grades. Students are informed at the beginning of each course how grades are to be determined.
    2. Students must satisfactorily complete all components of all courses.
  2. Reexaminations: See Reexaminations  
  3. Promotion and/or Continuation
    1. Academic standing is assessed on the basis of:
      1. Performance in individual courses,
      2. CR in credit/no credit courses,
      3. A minimum letter grade of B- in all courses in which a letter grade is assigned, and
      4. Students must take a minimum of one course in each term unless prior approval is granted by the Director of the PharmD for Practicing Pharmacists program or the Associate Dean Academic and Student Services.
    2. Proof of current licensure as a pharmacist in the jurisdiction(s) where direct patient care experiential placements will be completed (and authorization to administer drugs by injection where legislated) must be provided prior to commencing the first placement and annually.
    3. Satisfactory Standing: Students are in satisfactory standing when they have completed each required course with a minimum letter grade of B- or assigned a grade of CR in credit/no credit courses.
    4. Conditional Standing: Students are placed in this category and placed on Academic Warning when upon a first attempt at a course, the student has not achieved a minimum grade of B- or a grade of CR in credit/non-credit courses. In such cases the student must retake the course involved the next time it is offered. Such students will clear their Academic Warning upon achieving a grade of B- or CR on the second attempt in order to be placed in Satisfactory Standing.
    5. Required to Withdraw:
      1. Students who fail to achieve a minimum grade of B- or a grade of CR in credit/non-credit courses a second time will be Required to Withdraw from the program.
      2. Any student who fails to achieve a grade of CR in more than two of the required experiential courses on the first attempt will be Required to Withdraw from the PharmD program.
      3. Students who are Required to Withdraw are not normally readmitted to the program.
      4. Failure to provide documentation of current licensure as a pharmacist in the jurisdiction(s) where direct patient care experiential placements will be completed (and authorization to administer drugs by injection where legislated) will necessitate withdrawal from the program.
  4. Appeals and Grievances: Decisions on academic standing are made by the Faculty Council. Appeals may be made to the Academic Appeals Committee. Certain academic standing decisions made by the Faculty Academic Appeals Committee may be appealed to the General Faculties Council Academic Appeals Committee. Enquiries concerning standing in individual courses should be made to the professor in charge of the course. If the issue is still not resolved, the student may report the matter to the Office of the Dean for enquiry. See Appeals and Grievances  for further information.
    The Faculty’s regulations governing academic appeals and grade appeals may be obtained in the Dean’s Office.
  5. Leave of Absence: Students must register in one course per term. Students who desire a temporary discontinuation of their program must obtain prior approval for a Leave of Absence by submitting a request to the Student Services Office. A Leave of Absence will not be granted automatically. Note: An approved Leave of Absence will be granted for a maximum 12-month period of time. 

Graduation

  1. Time Limit for Completion of Degree:
    Normally, all students must complete their degree requirements within five years from the time of their initial admission. This time limit includes all time during which a student is not in attendance, either by personal choice or as a result of suspension or requirement to withdraw. This time will not apply to leaves granted by the Faculty to the student for medical or other reasons. Contact the Faculty regarding options for Distance Pathway PharmD studies.
  2. Academic Performance for Graduation
    Students must attain a grade of B- or CR in all courses in the PharmD program, and must satisfactorily complete all components of all courses.

Practicum Intervention Policy

The Dean, or Supervisor acting on behalf of the Dean, may immediately deny assignment of a student to, withdraw a student from, or vary terms, conditions or site of a practicum/clinical placement if the Dean or Supervisor has reasonable grounds to believe that this is necessary in order to protect the Public Interest. Refer to Practicum Intervention Policy  for additional information.

Practicum Policies and Requirements

  1. Registration with Alberta College of Pharmacy The Health Professions Act requires that pharmacy students be registered as students (restricted practitioners) or if holding an undergraduate degree in pharmacy to be on the College’s clinical register in order to practice in the exclusive scope areas of pharmacy to which they are exposed in a clinical placement. All fees and other costs associated with this registration are the responsibility of the student.
  2. Police Information Check: Under The Protection for Persons in Care Act, all students going to any placement site in Alberta are required to complete a Police Information Check (also known as a Criminal Record Check, Security Clearance Check, or Police Clearance), which must include a Vulnerable Sector Check. The Faculty requires this check prior to the start of the first experiential learning course. The placement site will determine the criteria for acceptance/denial of a placement.
    Police Information Checks will be collected at a designated time by the Experiential Education Office of the Faculty. Typically, one Police Information Check will be required for the duration of the program if continuously enrolled. However, students will be required to confirm annually that their Police Information Check remains clear. If there is a change in status, a new Police Information Check is required. The Police Information Check must be dated no earlier than 90 days prior to the date of collection as determined by the Faculty’s Office of Experiential Education.
    Students who have an unclear Police Information Check may be unable to complete required experiential activities and may be required to withdraw from the program.
    Students who have concerns related to their ability to provide a clear Police Information Check should consult with the Faculty. The ultimate responsibility for ensuring that students meet the requirements of placement sites lies with the students. Other background checks may be required by a placement site, such as a child intervention record check. Students will be advised if any additional background checks are required by a placement site. See Requirement for Police Information Checks  for more information on the general requirements concerning Police Information Checks and the fees associated with them.
  3. CPR and First Aid Certification: Students in the Faculty must obtain certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Level C and a certificate in First Aid (Standard or Emergency First Aid) by the end of March (last business day) of first year for the Doctor of Pharmacy(PharmD) program or prior to clinical placements for the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) for Practicing Pharmacists program. Please note that CPR Level C with First Aid meets the requirements for providing injections. All fees and other costs for CPR/First Aid certification are the responsibility of the student. Students must maintain valid certification for both CPR Level C and First Aid until they graduate.
  4. University Infectious Diseases Regulation :​

See University Infectious Diseases Regulation .

N 95 Respirator Fit Testing
Students with potential exposure to airborne infectious agents during clinical placement are required to be fit tested for N 95 respirators, as required by the clinical placement facility. Check with the Faculty office for the procedure to schedule this fit testing.

  1. Procedures: The procedures governing practicums and placement are binding and will be provided in a procedures manual.
  2. Placement: All required practicums are undertaken at Faculty-approved sites. The Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is committed to a regional placement program in which students are normally required to undertake practicums in centres other than Edmonton.
    Access to transportation and accommodation is not considered in making practicum placements. Such access, and the associated costs, are the responsibility of the student.
  3. Site protocols: Students on volunteer or practicum placements are required to follow the administrative procedures and regulations (including dress requirements) of the placement site.
  4. Although special services are provided on campus to assist disabled students, these same services may not be available for off-campus placements.