Department of Pharmacy Practice

Shanna O’Connor, Department Head
Department of Pharmacy Practice
Avera Health and Science Center 133, Box 2202C
605-688-2100 or 605-688-6197

Faculty

Professors

James Clem, Daniel Hansen, William Hayes, Dennis Hedge, Jodi Heins, Thaddaus Hellwig, Wendy Jensen Bender, John Kappes, Brad Laible, Michael Lemon, Kimberly Messerschmidt, Brittney Meyer, Stacy Peters, Joey Strain

Associate Professors

Jordan Baye, Joe Berendse, Jeremy Daniel, Amy Heiberger, Kyle LaPorte, Kari Taggart, Deidra Van Gilder

Assistant Professors

Scout Forbes-Hurd, Alex Middendorf, Emily Van Klompenburg, Brianna Jansma Vant Hul 

Emeritus

Debra Farver, Janet Fischer, David Helgeland, Brian Kaatz, Kimberly Messerschmidt, Jane Mort, James E. Powers

Overview

The Department of Pharmacy Practice builds on the fundamentals of pharmaceutical sciences so that students gain the knowledge and expertise to become skilled pharmacy practitioners once they complete the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree program. The department provides instruction for some of the courses leading up to the B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences degree and is responsible for the majority of the curriculum in the last two years of the professional program (P3 and P4) leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. The faculty members have practice sites in a wide array of pharmacy practice specialties and at a variety of locations providing students with a wealth of learning opportunities.

Department Objectives

• To educate students in the various aspects of pharmacy practice, utilizing the principles of patient focused care, problem-based learning, and critical thinking.
• To work closely with the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences to deliver a quality program leading to the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in pharmaceutical sciences and the professional Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree.
• To excel in the University tripartite mission of teaching/advising; research, scholarship, and creative activity; and service (assigned professional and general).
• To prepare pharmacy graduates capable of providing high quality patient-centered and population-based pharmacist care to the people of South Dakota, the region, the nation, and the world.

Programs

Graduate Programs*

• Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)

* Graduate degrees are offered in collaboration with the Graduate School. For details, see the Graduate Catalog.

Facilities and Services

The Department of Pharmacy Practice is located in the Avera Health and Science Center and at Avera Metro Center in Sioux Falls. The department provides service and outreach, including medication education to numerous healthcare organizations, health care professionals, and the general public throughout the state. The faculty is also involved in numerous research endeavors including collaborations on clinical trials of new medications and medication use, development of new and innovative pharmacy care delivery strategies, and study of innovative teaching approaches to improve the delivery of the pharmacy curriculum.