These courses are designed to give an appreciation of the background and nature of the profession, to familiarize students with the many skilled processes used in pharmacy, to introduce the various forms of medicines, and to teach them how to dispense medication accurately and skillfully. Instruction in pharmacy practice again emphasizes the fact that pharmacy blends science and technology, and that throughout the professional services of the pharmacist there is a continuous responsibility both to the patient and the physician. This laboratory work is both traditional and clinical. Laboratory instruction explores various scientific phenomena, as well as studies the clinical application of the principles of pharmaceutical sciences. Pharmacy practice is that area within the pharmacy curriculum which deals with patient care, placing an emphasis on drug therapy.
Pharmacy practice seeks to develop a patient-oriented attitude in the student.
The education of pharmacists who are able to meet the needs of society can be attained only through a careful blending of theoretical course work and clinical experiences. The clinical component of the pharmacy curriculum varies from school to school, however, the basic objectives are the same. Some of these objectives are to develop students' communication skills for effective interaction with patients and with practitioners of other health professions, to help students develop a patient awareness in the practice of pharmacy to enable students to integrate the knowledge acquired in course work prior to clinical exposure, and to apply it to the solution of real problems, and to develop students' awareness of their responsibility for monitoring the drugs taken by patients.