ONU’s direct entry (0-6) and 4-year pathway Doctor of Pharmacy programs (PharmD) provide a transformative education, producing some of the nation’s most talented pharmacists. The BS in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences (PMBS) degree prepares students as scientists and researchers for the pharmaceutical, biomedical, and life sciences industries.
We offer a pharmacy education steeped in 138 years of excellence.
0-6 Direct Entry PharmD Program A true direct entry PharmD program, with pharmacy courses and patient care experiences beginning in your first year, unlike any other in the nation! You'll earn a BS in Integrated Health Sciences along the way to earning your PharmD degree. 4-Year PharmD Option For students with an undergraduate degree or pre-pharmacy coursework, the 4-year PharmD program provides a world-class education in a small-town atmosphere. BS in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences (PMBS) Focused on preparing scientists for the pharmaceutical, biomedical, and life sciences industries, four years of laboratory and research experience anchor this cutting edge degree. Graduates are also prepared to apply for graduate school for research or for a professional degree program. You'll spend an entire semester working in a professional scientific research facility getting real-world experience and learning about the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries.
The Raabe (pronounced Ray-Bee) College of Pharmacy prepares leaders and innovators for the profession of pharmacy, and the pharmaceutical and biomedical science industries. Our alumni practice in many different healthcare, pharmacy, industry, and business settings, and are found in boardrooms, C-suites, ICUs, community pharmacies, and research centers across America and throughout the world. A Raabe College education equips students with the knowledge, skills and tools needed in the rapidly evolving fields of pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences, and the soft skills employers demand. The college has outstanding faculty who provide a personalized approach to the education and training of future pharmacists and scientists. Our faculty practice in diverse patient care settings, and our rural location and focus on rural healthcare provides ample opportunities for faculty and students to have an impact on the health of our community. Our faculty’s research provides students the opportunity to sharpen problem-solving skills and develop as clinicians and scientists while studying topics like protecting cardiac muscle during a heart attack, designing anti-cancer medicines, and the impact pharmacists can make on the health and wellness of our community. There is no other program like this in the country! Give us a chance to show you why the Raabe College of Pharmacy is right for you. - Dr. Steve Martin, Dean of the Raabe College of Pharmacy
0-6 Direct Entry PharmD Applicants Unlike the other Ohio Northern undergraduate colleges which feature a rolling admission process, the College of Pharmacy requires an interview as part of the application process. It's recommended that you apply as soon as possible in order to participate in one of our interview days. PharmD Transfer Applicants If you have had some college experience but don’t have the prerequisites for the four-year degree option, you may be able to transfer into the direct entry PharmD program. Four-year PharmD Option Applicants For students with an undergraduate degree or pre-pharmacy coursework, the College of Pharmacy uses the PharmCAS centralized pharmacy application service for admissions. BS in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences (PMBS) Applicants Students are admitted after completing high school using a rolling admission process. Applicants should click APPLY NOW and use the University Application or the Common Application For more information, please contact Bob Trusz (419-772-1051 or r-trusz@onu.edu)
College of Pharmacy students and faculty answer some of the most common questions we receive from prospective students about College of Pharmacy programs.
Become a patient-centered pharmacist or team-focused scientist with real-world experiences that are an integral part of your ONU education.
Experience life as an undergraduate student--athletics, theatre, music, residence life, student organizations and social events--while training to be a pharmacist.
Venture into local rural communities to provide mobile clinics, disease screenings, health education and primary care services.
Engage in cutting-edge research, working side-by-side with your pharmacy professors.
Experience pharmacy in the real-world guided by experienced preceptors. We have relationships with 1,500+ practice sites around the country.
Develop leadership skills by participating in our active student organizations, including 16 that are pharmacy-specific.
The pharmacy profession blends problem-solving skills with people skills. Pharmacists are not just medication experts; they’re the most accessible health care professionals. Students develop expert knowledge while helping people in the community live healthier lives through our Drug and Health Information Center, On-Campus Pharmacy and Mobile Health Clinic. In fact, 100 percent of our students engage in community health outreach clinics, health risk screenings, preventative health services and health education for the public.
Working in retail pharmacy is only one option available to pharmacists. There are dozens more, and ONU alumni are leading the way. Did you know about these? Ambulatory Care Pharmacist; Cardiology Pharmacist; Clinical Care Pharmacist; Community Pharmacist; Compounding Pharmacist; Critical Care Pharmacist; Emergency Medicine Pharmacist; Geriatric Pharmacist; Hospital Pharmacist; Infectious Disease Pharmacist; Nuclear Pharmacist; Oncology Pharmacist; Military Pharmacist; Pediatric Pharmacist; Industry Pharmacist; Pharmacy Informatics; Poison Control Pharmacist; Psychiatric Pharmacist; Research Pharmacist; Veterinary Pharmacist; and more! Below ONU pharmacy alumni share what it takes, and what they love, about the career avenue they chose.
Meet Christopher Westrick, PharmD ‘11, @ Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
“Patients are referred to me for chronic disease education and management for conditions like diabetes, smoking cessation, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and anticoagulation. I can start, stop, or change medicines, and order and evaluate pertinent laboratory values. After a patient establishes with me, I typically see them about once per month until their condition improves, at which point the visits become more spaced out.”
What’s to love: “Helping patients understand their disease states and watching them improve. I have patients tell me ‘nobody has taken time to explain that to me before.’”
Skills needed: communication, relationship building, resourcefulness, willingness to fight for patient rights.
Meet Kara Sosinski, PharmD ‘18, @ Cleveland Clinic
“I optimize electronic health records and pharmacy automation. Typical projects include adding alerts, building scoring systems, tracking inventory, creating medication lists and pars for dispensing cabinets, and regulating cartfills and dispense locations. I work alongside managers, nurses and pharmacists who make requests or are affected by new functionality to ensure that the changes are not disruptive but provide maximum benefit.”
What’s to love: “The teamwork required to complete large projects that affect the entire health system. It’s interesting to receive improvement requests daily and brainstorm ways to make others’ workflow smoother.”
Skills needed: critical thinking, organization, ability to work independently, time management.
Meet Ashley Duty, PharmD ‘12, @ Children’s Mercy Kansas City
“I manage 23 pharmacists working in hematology/oncology and general medicine/surgery for a children’s hospital. I also coordinate our sterile compounding operations. Most drug manufacturers do not make things ready-to-use for pediatrics. Pediatric pharmacists must become experts in choosing the right concentration and dosage form for their patients and making those manipulations. We care for babies who weigh only four pounds up to teenagers who are adult sized.”
What’s to love: “The people who work in pediatrics are compassionate and focused on the care and healing of children.”
Skills needed: empathy, detailed-oriented, strong knowledge of drug information.
Meet Kellie Musch, PharmD ’15, @ OhioHealth Columbus
“I oversee all pharmacy services at seven freestanding emergency departments. My team of pharmacists and technicians supports pharmacy operations with order verification, dispensing, compounding, checking and delivery. Additionally, we work with nurses, advanced care providers and physicians to recommend drug therapy, assist with emergency response, perform medication reconciliation and to independently manage post-discharge culture review to make sure the ‘bug matches the drug.’”
What’s to love: “Making a positive impact on a patient’s life by choosing the right drug for his or her disease, organ function, weight, and age.”
Skills needed: motivation, adaptability, drive, organization, time management.
Recent Achievement: installed as the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) New Practitioners Forum Executive Committee Chair where she leads a forum of 7000+ members with 119 New Practitioner Forum Leaders and 4 executive committee members.
Meet Michael Cox, PharmD ‘00, @ Loxo Oncology
“I am the medical lead on the development of new drugs for children with cancer. I work with clinical research teams at hospitals throughout the world to design and conduct trials, and also with regulatory authorities like the Food and Drug Administration to lead drugs through the approval process. Every day is different as I work with bench top researchers to develop new drugs based on newly discovered targets in the cancer genome, and also with academic collaborators to publish and present data at global scientific conferences.”
What’s to love: “ It’s great to hear how our drugs are changing outcomes for children diagnosed with cancer. While there are setbacks and failures, we learn from those and try again. We never sit and wait, we forge the path forward.”
Skills needed : perseverance, adaptability, innovation, desire to never stop learning.
Meet Kelsey Rife, PharmD ‘12, @ VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, Cleveland
“As clinical program manager, I oversee our pharmacy intern program, chair our Residency Advisory Committee, and serve as a liaison to pharmacy schools on the coordination of training at our facility. I also maintain a clinical practice in gastroenterology/hepatology that is expanding from hepatitis to include the management of post-transplant, inflammatory bowel disease, and other chronic liver disease patients.”
What’s to love: “The diversity and flexibility of my position. I’ve had the chance to lead many novel process improvement projects that have measurable outcomes, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our day-to-day work.”
Skills needed: leadership, organization, time management, communication.
Meet Alison Haas, PharmD ‘12, @ Jackson Center Pharmacy & Wellness Center
“I own and operate an independent community pharmacy. My husband and I started the pharmacy from scratch in a small Ohio town that had been without a pharmacy for five years. On a daily basis, I counsel patients, fill prescriptions, and run pharmacy operations with tasks like bookkeeping, inventory management and payroll. We also offer customers many enhanced services such as adherence packaging, medication synchronization, and immunizations.”
What’s to love: “Nothing can match the opportunity to take care of the friends and neighbors who live in my small community. The relationships I develop with my patients is by far the most rewarding aspect of what I do.”
Skills needed: entrepreneurial spirit, business skills, communication, relationship-building.
Whether you choose to become a pharmacist or biomedical scientist, research opportunities are a great opportunity to learn and grow while in school.
Pharmacy major immerses herself in research, thanks to scholarship support
Researching "imposter phenomenon" as a pharmacy student gave him experience in working on a research team
High School students who will be entering their Junior or Senior year;
During a weeklong pharmacy course, you’ll discover the expanding role pharmacists play in improving patient lives. You will gain insight into the various science disciplines involved in the research and development of pharmaceutical products and patient care. This camp will evolve as you first learn the history of pharmacy and then progress through an enriching set of hands-on experiences that will expose you to a vast array of pharmacy disciplines. With the guidance of experienced ONU faculty and health care leaders in the area, you will learn drug modeling, design and development; work in a compounding lab; venture into the field of pharmacy where you will visit multiple pharmacy settings; perform research on drug information; and learn more about the expanding role of pharmacists in patient care, assessment and counseling. Lastly, through hands-on lab and research experiences, you will learn the steps required to manufacture a product and how to counsel patients on the use of medications. All of this will prepare you to present your final project to ONU faculty and your parents.
Note: the class size is limited to 24 students (no exceptions). Cost for the camp is $495.
Experience counts, and you’ll get plenty of it by venturing out into the region with our award-winning community engagement programs. You’ll come to understand how pharmacists fill health care gaps in rural communities through preventative programs like mobile clinics, health risk assessments, health education and primary care services. By the time you graduate, you’ll have already made a difference. And that’s just the beginning. Learn more.
As the Raabe College of Pharmacy continues to meet the high standards of pharmaceutical education, the college’s experiential programs, which encompass approximately one third of the student’s total curriculum, allow for expansion and direct application of knowledge and skills. The Office of Experiential Education provides a variety of quality opportunities for students in both Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs) and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs). The experiential portion of the curriculum is possible because of preceptors who are enthusiastic about educating future pharmacists. Many preceptors are alumni of the Raabe College. Preceptors provide valuable perspective to students, and often serve as mentors to young student pharmacists as they prepare to enter the profession. If you are interested in becoming a preceptor please contact: experiential@onu.edu
PMBS: Four years of laboratory and research experience anchor this cutting edge degree. You'll spend an entire semester working in a professional scientific research facility getting real-world experience and learning about the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries.
For more information, contact Dr. Soph Chrissobolis, program director (419-772-3954 or s-chrissobolis@onu.edu)
On-time graduation rate, NAPLEX passage rate for graduates, MPJE passage rate for graduates, Residencies (percentage of graduates entering PGY1 residency).
The Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy degree is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
The Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy has been fully accredited by ACPE. The next onsite evaluation of the College of Pharmacy is scheduled for 2023-24.
- Student Complaint Policy and Procedure
MPJE Passage Rate: The most recent year's results for first time takers 74; % passing on the first attempt 89%; National averages 80%:
Caring for the health needs of rural and underserved populations is a specialty in itself. These patients face different health issues than people in cities and towns and to best serve them, rural health care provider should receive specialized training and hands-o experience working with these populations.
The Rural and Underserved Health Scholars Program will prepare you for rural practice by providing opportunities to develop your leadership skills, gain patient care experience and learn research techniques necessary to understand the unique needs of rural and underserved populations.
Upon completion of this multi-year certificate training program, you will be ready to face the challenges of rural practice by complementing your degree with a specialized skill set.
• Seminars – learn about various topics related to rural health, such rural health care and project development.
• Patient experiences – care for patients in rural settings and shadow health care providers who practice in rural settings.
• Research experience – design, implement and evaluate research related to rural and underserved patient populations, in collaboration with faculty members.
• Leadership experience – utilize our tools and guidance to solidify strong leadership skills necessary to enact change in rural and underserved communities.
• Service opportunities – develop and implement service-learning opportunities to address needs and opportunities in a rural, underserved community.
For application questions, please contact Emily Eddy or Michelle Musser.
We prepare pharmacists who improve health, serve others, lead change and advance the profession.
To lead the nation in the preparation of practice-ready pharmacists who serve as primary care providers and team leaders.
We value our family members, faculty, staff, students and alumni through collaboration, community, diversity, excellence, faith, integrity and service.
In the ever-changing world of pharmacy, and with the evolving role of pharmacists as primary care providers and health educators, our duty to the citizens in our community has changed to meet the demands of patients. Since 2010, the Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy has provided health and wellness resources to the community through the outreach efforts of ONU HealthWise, a multidisciplinary team of ONU faculty, students and interdisciplinary health care specialists under the supervision of licensed professionals. Learn more.
With more than a dozen professional, honorary and student government organizations on campus devoted to the pharmacy profession, getting involved outside the classroom is distinctly ONU. By participating in student organizations, you’ll develop leadership skills and a teamwork mindset. You’ll also build your network with pharmacists around the country, and have the chance to travel, attend and present at professional and scientific conferences.
If you are interested in research, you’ll discover opportunities to work side-by-side with ONU professors in a variety of venues, including laboratory, epidemiologic, public health and clinic research projects. Many ONU pharmacy students serve as authors on scientific papers and present research findings at regional and national conferences. High-impact learning experiences like these are distinctly ONU.
All candidates for the Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the Raabe College of Pharmacy must be able to observe:
All candidates for the Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the Raabe College of Pharmacy must be able to:
All candidates for the Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the Raabe College of Pharmacy must have sufficient sensory and motor skills including exteroceptive sense (touch, pain, and temperature), proprioceptive sense (position, pressure, movement, stereognosis, and vibratory), and motor function as well as functional use of the senses of equilibrium needed for diagnostic skills to:
IV. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities
All candidates for the Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the Raabe College of Pharmacy must be able to:
All candidates for the Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the Raabe College of Pharmacy must be able to:
Here are 10 reasons why you should become a pharmacist:
1. You get to help people. Pharmacists help people from all walks of life achieve healthier and more productive lives.
2. It's hands-on. Pharmacists are visible and vital members of the healthcare team, collaborating directly with other healthcare professionals and patients every day.
3. You have choices. From retail to research, pediatrics to poison control, pharmacy offers a variety of career options. You can choose a direction that matches your interests, and you don’t have to stay in one box your entire career.
4. The future looks exciting. New innovations in the pharmacy field like robotics and pharmacogenetics (drug therapy based on people’s genetic makeup) promise to have a transformative impact on healthcare.
5. You earn a great salary. Money isn’t everything, but it’s still nice to work in a well-paid profession. The average pharmacist makes between $100,000-140,000 per year.
6. It’s a stable profession. Pharmacists are always needed—even during economic downturns.
7. Flexible hours. Some pharmacy positions offer flexible schedules or part-time hours so you can manage family responsibilities and achieve work-life balance.
8. It’s a trusted profession. Pharmacists are widely respected for their knowledge and expertise; they’re top-ranked professionals who’ve earned the public’s trust.
9. You’ll never stop learning. As science advances, so will your knowledge. Pharmacists always stay abreast of the latest medical developments.
10. You make a difference. Not many people can go home at the end of every day knowing they’ve made a direct and positive impact on people in their community.
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The College of Pharmacy offers a world-class education in a place where people care about you and go out of their way to help you be successful. In the PharmD pathways you'll take courses in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, health systems, pharmacy practice, patient care and more. In the Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences Bachelor's degree program you'll gain a firm foundation in the core sciences, while building in depth knowledge of genetics, immunology, molecular biology, neuroscience, and more.
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With small class sizes, you will get to know your faculty and they know you. Ask questions, meet one-on-one for guidance and many opportunities for research and networking. Click below for the College of Pharmacy faculty listing.
The opportunities are endless – and they are just waiting for you to grab!
Pharmacy major excels in Northern's collaborative community
Pharmacy major immerses herself in research, thanks to scholarship support