School of Pharmacy

Improving Patient Care for Tomorrow (ImPaCT Program)

Innovation Curriculum: Transforming Pharmacy with Evidence-Based Problem Solving 

The Innovation Curriculum, winner of the AACP Innovation in Teaching Award, is a thoughtfully designed component of our PharmD program designed to help bridge the gap between research and practice. By equipping graduates with these skills, we’re not only preparing them for success in the pharmacy profession, but empowering them to improve health outcomes in our region and beyond. 

We’ve aligned our program with an evidence-based problem-solving framework, ensuring that students are equipped with the essential skills to: 

• Identify Issues: Recognize and articulate contemporary challenges within pharmacy practice. 

• Analyze with Evidence: Critically evaluate these challenges using evidence-based strategies to uncover their root causes. 

• Innovate Solutions: Develop creative and effective solutions to address identified problems. 

• Plan Implementation: Formulate actionable plans to implement these solutions in professional practice. 

• Communicate Effectively: Convey processes and outcomes persuasively to diverse audiences, including peers, professionals, and the general public. 

The Innovation Curriculum consists of two core components: 

1. Three-Year Longitudinal Didactic Innovation Curriculum: Initiated in the first professional year (P1) and continuing through the third professional year (P3), this curriculum progressively increases in complexity. It focuses on cultivating innovative thinking and advanced problem-solving skills. 

1. Required APPE Rotation: In the fourth year, students apply their acquired skills in real-world settings through a longitudinal project, allowing for practical application and integration of their learning. 

ImPaCT Project 

The ImPaCT Program (Improving Patient Care for Tomorrow) is a scholarly endeavor where students apply their didactic knowledge to address real-world issues in pharmacy. Throughout this experience, students collaborate closely with pharmacist mentors to identify and solve pressing problems within the field. Projects span a wide range of topics, including prospective research, quality improvement, innovation, and community outreach. Students are expected to develop an idea, conduct a literature review for background information, collect data or develop a solution, analyze the data or assess the solution, and draw conclusions based on the outcomes. 

The ImPaCT Program prepares future professionals to thrive in evolving healthcare environments, fosters the development of innovative solutions, and promotes collaboration with the broader community. Notably, approximately 35% of these projects are presented at local, state, or national meetings or are published, underscoring the program's significant impact on advancing pharmacy practice.