Best Pharmacy School in Florida

Florida is one of the best states in the country to study any subject, especially pharmacy. Thanks to ample resources, ongoing demand for pharmacy services, and various patient populations, learning and practicing pharmacy in the United States is an endlessly dynamic profession.

Pharmacists do more than fill prescriptions, they also educate patients on health conditions, adjust medications where required, order and interpret laboratory tests, administer vaccines, conduct research, and more.

Most Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs, like MD and DO programs, require four years of graduate study. See Best Pharmacy Schools in Texas

A few can be completed in three years, where the curriculum is condensed into a shorter, more rigorous period of study.

After graduation, PharmD students must then pass a few more hurdles to become licensed pharmacists officially.

Studying pharmacy in Florida can be difficult but pharmacy students rank high in their general academics.

For those living in Florida who want to study pharmacy online, we are here to inform you that there are so many great online pharmacy schools available to residents of the Sunshine State.

You can use Pharmacy School Finder’s online pharmacy school database to find the best online pharmacy school for you.

The following list of the best pharmacy schools in the state is taken from the U.S. News national list of pharmacy schools. We will break down their rankings, special programs, research opportunities, alumni accomplishments, and more.

1. Lake Erie College

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy is a private university in the city of Erie. The program can be completed in 4 years, and they offer a degree in Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD).

The purpose statement at the LECOM School of Pharmacy is: “we care for our students and ensure their success.” 

The School of Pharmacy faculty are educators first—many hold advanced degrees in education—and they are committed to providing students with every opportunity to realize their goals of becoming Doctors of Pharmacy.

Pharmacy Pathways

The LECOM School of Pharmacy offers three pathways to the PharmD degree. They have added the four-year distance education pathway to our three-year accelerated pathway in Erie and four-year pathway in Bradenton.

The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) recognized the growing national need for pharmacists and opened the School of Pharmacy in 2002.

LECOM believes that new trends in the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum have complementary goals to the total-person, patient-centered care fostered by osteopathic medicine.

The LECOM School of Pharmacy has structured its classroom and experiential curriculum to prepare future pharmacists to provide patient care that ensures optimal therapeutic outcomes.

Our purpose statement at the LECOM School of Pharmacy is: “we care for our students and ensure their success.”

The School of Pharmacy faculty are educators first—many hold advanced degrees in education—and they are committed to providing students with every opportunity to realize their goals of becoming Doctors of Pharmacy.

2. University of Florida

University of Florida School of Pharmacy is a public university in the city of Gainesville. First year tuition for in-state students is $19,845, and $36,000 for out-of-state students.

The program can be completed in 4 years, and they offer a dual degree program where you can also earn a MBA, M.P.H. or Ph.D.

University of Florida School of Pharmacy does not participate in the Early Assurance Program and does prefer a bachelor’s degree. See University of Florida Acceptance Rate.

About the College:

University of Florida College of Pharmacy is one of the top-rated pharmacy colleges in Florida. The College, which is one of the six schools that comprise the University’s J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center, is also a renowned research center: In 2016 alone, the College received nearly $15 million in federal funding grants.

Program Details:

More than 1,000 students are recently admitted in the College’s Pharm.D. program, which is taught at all three campuses.

The first three years of the curriculum focus on classroom learning although Scholars have the privilege to get clinical experience through rotations that are timed for summers following the end of their first and second years.

The fourth year of the program is entirely experiential. Scholars also have the privilege to go for subjects of personal interest through an eclectic range of electives such as veterinary pharmacy, forensic genetics and travel medicine.

3. Florida A&M

Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences is a public university in the city of Tallahassee.

About the College:

Florida A&M University’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is not only a center for professional training but also a nexus for important research that has received more than $29 million in contracts and grants from the National Institutes for Health and other agencies.

The College accommodates a Center for Health Equity that studies solutions for eliminating health disparities in underserved populations.

Program Details:

The Pharm.D. program at the College is a six-year program that students enter as undergraduates. Scholars can also transfer into the program at the commencement of the professional curriculum component in Year 3.

Scholars attend classes at either the Tallahassee or Crestville campus; lectures are simultaneously transmitted from the Tallahassee campus in real time.

The first three years of the professional curriculum focus on classroom work. In the fourth year, Scholars rotate through different clinical placements in health care facilities and pharmacies throughout the community.

The College also partners with St Vincent’s HealthCare to offer a more intensive one-year postgraduate fellowship program.

Why Should I Apply for an ACPE Accredited Pharm. D. Program?

Well, for beginners an ACPE program adds credibility to your degree as graduation from an ACPE accredited pharmacy school is well recognized all across the nation.

An accredited school maintains the standards of education established by ACPE, so you are assured of receiving education that is relevant and of high quality. Your accredited degree also helps you find a job sooner as employers pay more credence to it.

Program Length

Completing a Pharm. D. program as a standalone degree will take you 4 years. However, before you enroll for the program you will require at least two to four years of undergraduate study to complete the pre-pharmacy curriculum requirements. So, in actuality, it will take six to eight years of college study to complete your pharmacy education.

Tuition

The cost of pharmacy education in Florida will greatly be different depending on the school you choose to study. Your in-state or out-of-state status too will affect your tuition costs.

The tuition costs of pharmacy schools in the state range between $79,618.72, on the lower side and $154,147.72 on the higher end. Before you enroll, verify what is inclusive of the tuition costs.

4. Larkin University

Larkin University College of Pharmacy is a private university in the city of Miami. First year tuition for in-state students is $46,402, and $46,402 for out-of-state students.

The program can be completed in 3-4 years, and they offer a dual degree program where you can also earn a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD).

Larkin University College of Pharmacy does not participate in the Early Assurance Program and does not require a bachelor’s degree.

5. Nova Southeastern University

Nova Southeastern University College of Pharmacy is a private university in the city of Fort Lauderdale. First year tuition for in-state students is $32,737, and $37,409 for out-of-state Scholars.

The program can be completed in 4 years, and they offer a dual degree program where you can also earn a MBA or M.P.H. Nova Southeastern University College of Pharmacy take part in the Early Assurance Program and does not require a bachelor’s degree.

About the College:

Nova Southeastern University is one of the few institutions in the U.S. to grant both allopathic and osteopathic medical degrees.

This innovative, interdisciplinary approach to the acquisition of clinical skills also carries over its College of Pharmacy’s Pharm.D. program.

Program Details:

 As is the case with other Pharm.D. programs in Florida, Nova’s Pharm.D. curriculum consists of three years of basic pharmacological sciences interspersed with summertime clinical experiences.

In the fourth and final year of the program, students complete seven or eight six-week clinical rotations in the following fields: internal medicine, ambulatory care, advanced hospital care, and community pharmacy.

Students will not be allowed to participate in these advanced clinical rotations unless they have demonstrated a satisfactory level of competence in classwork and previous pharmacy practice experiences.

6. Palm Beach Atlantic

Palm Beach Atlantic University Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy is a private university in the city of West Palm Beach. First year tuition for all students is $38,480.

The program can be completed in 2-3 years, and they offer a dual degree program where you can also earn a MBA. Palm Beach Atlantic University Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy participates in the Early Assurance Program and does not require a bachelor’s degree.

About the College:

Though Palm Beach Atlantic University is a Christian institution of higher learning, its Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy welcomes students from all religious backgrounds.

The University’s “Workshop” offering is a unique community service program that endeavors to teach students their professional path is as much a calling as a career choice.

Program Details:

The School keeps class sizes small so that students can benefit from personalized attention. Applicants must apply through the Pharmacy College Application Service, and the Pharmacy College Admissions Test is required.

The Pharm.D. program is a traditional four-year curriculum in which the first three years are mostly devoted to coursework, and the last year consists of clinical rotations.

Motivated students have the opportunity to enroll in the concurrent Pharm.D./MBA program or to complete extra coursework during their first year of Pharm.D. classes and earn a Bachelor of Science degree in medicinal chemistry.

7. University of South Florida

University of South Florida College of Pharmacy is a public university in the city of Tampa. First year tuition for in-state students is $16,610, and $34,355 for out-of-state students.

The program can be completed in 4 years, and they offer a dual degree program where you can also earn a MBA, M.P.H. or M.S. University of South Florida College of Pharmacy does not participate in the Early Assurance Program and does prefer a bachelor’s degree.

Ranking Score: 87.49%

Location: Tampa

Accreditation: ACPE

Program Length: 4 Years

About the College: University of South Florida’s College of Pharmacy is a relatively new school with big ambitions.

The College was founded in 2011 and aspires to become a leading center for interprofessional excellence in the fields of pharmacological leadership, geriatrics, personalized medicine and pharmacy informatics.

Program Details: The size of incoming Pharm.D. classes is restricted to 100 so that students can benefit from mentoring relationships with faculty members.

The deadline for applying through the Early Decision program is September 4; the regular application deadline is February 1. Candidates submit applications through the Pharmacy College Application Service.

The University’s Pharm.D. curriculum is a traditional four-year program, but undergraduate honors students at the University have the option to apply to a seven-year accelerated Pharm.D. program. Clinical rotations take place at an assortment of hospitals, clinics and pharmacies throughout central Florida.

Number Of Enrolled Students: 3,638

Number of Pharmacy Professors/Faculty – 345

Average First Year Tuition: $29,953

Out of State Tuition First Year – $38,230

Average Pharmacist Salary: $121,530

Number of in Graduates (2017) – 825

Florida Pharmacy Schools Admission Requirements

Getting into a PharmD program comes with many choices. In Florida for example, there is a traditional 3-4 program, and 4 year PharmD program and even dual degree programs (Ph.D., M.P.H, and MBA) who are currently accepting applications.

Pharmacy schools in Florida that offer the accredited PharmD program can take anywhere from 3-4 years.

Because there are so many different schools in the state that offer the degree, there are a few different considerations for potential PharmD candidates to consider.

Although each school awards successful students the same degree name, each school is different in terms of feel, faculty, colleagues, and opportunities.

Practical considerations like tuition, admissions requirements and location should also weigh into the decision.

Find all the information you need to make the right decision for you and your prior education, and view each pharmD school profile.

Number of schools with Dual Degree programs: 6

Public/State Pharmacy Schools in Florida:3

Private Pharmacy Schools in Florida: 3

Florida Pharmacy School Applicants (estimated): 2,933

Schools Requiring B.S Degree: 2

Number of Pharmacy Schools: 6

Course requirements and Admission requirements are different for every school. If you know you want to attend a pharmacy school in Florida but aren’t sure if you’ve taken the necessary classes, you’re in luck. Below are the general course requirements for the 6 PharmD programs in Florida.

Conclusion

This post emphasized on the best pharmacy schools located in Florida. The aim of this post is to provide the right information that will guide prospective students of pharmacy in taking the right decision when selecting the pharmacy school that will be affordable and fit for them, to avoid making costly mistakes. You can drop your message in the comment section if you have any.

Last Updated on June 4, 2023 by Admin