6 Best Accredited Pharmacy Schools in Illinois

When it comes to finding a school or university to pursue pharmaceutical studies in the state of Illinois, prospective students have a lot of options.

In the state of Illinois, there are six universities that offer various programs for people interested in becoming a certified pharmacy technician or pharmacist.

Chicago State University, Midwestern University, Roosevelt University, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and the University of Illinois at Chicago are the six schools that offer programs.

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Top Pharmacy Schools in Illinois

See below for the list of accredited institutions that offer pharmacy programs in Illinois;

1. SIUE School of Pharmacy

An academic division of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, located in Edwardsville, Illinois, in the United States, is the SIUE School of Pharmacy. It was one of six pharmacy schools in Illinois to open in 2005, and it’s the only one outside the Chicago metro area.

The Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacy Practice make up the SIUE School of Pharmacy, which was founded in 2005. Together, these departments have a faculty of 42 people, the majority of whom have doctoral degrees.

Only the professional practice Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree is available at the moment. Following a two-year pre-pharmacy study requirement, this program is a four-year course of study.  The program consists of three academic years spent at the Edwardsville campus and one whole year of “on-the-job” training at a local clinical facility.

Related: Best 7 accredited pharmacy schools in Pennsylvania

The institution has more than 300 students while only accepting roughly 80 new students annually. The Center, a division of the Department of Pharmacy Practice, provides Central and Southern Illinois with medication information and wellness services. Its name honors the School’s multi-year funding from the Express Scripts Foundation.

Address:  200 University Park Dr, Edwardsville, IL 62025, United States

Contact: +1 618-650-5150

2. UIC College of Pharmacy

In its long history, the College of Pharmacy at the University of Illinois at Chicago has gone by several names and resided in numerous places.

But the university has always been at the vanguard of the rapidly evolving field of pharmacy, from its modest origins in rented halls in Downtown Chicago to its current position as a world-renowned teaching and research institution with campuses in both Chicago and Rockford, Illinois.

To enhance the understanding of pharmacy practitioners across the United States, the American Pharmaceutical Association now known as the American Pharmacists Association was established in 1852. Creating a standardized school system for pharmacy practitioners at the time still known as druggists was one of their many high ambitions.

The following year, a group of Chicago druggists established a society to provide more formal training options in addition to apprenticeships, which at the time made up the majority of education. The Chicago College of Pharmacy, the forerunner to the UIC College of Pharmacy, was established on September 12, 1859, after the committee completed and notarized the charter.

At the time, the College didn’t have a physical location. The venues for the talks were either the lecturer’s facilities or halls reserved specifically for the lectures. The College nevertheless conferred its first cohort of graduates in 1861. There were two students in the class.

Address: 833 S Wood St, Chicago, IL 60612, United States

Contact: +1 312-996-7240

3. Roosevelt University College of Pharmacy

With state-of-the-art medical equipment and highly qualified faculty and staff, Roosevelt University provides a patient-centered and innovative learning experience to approximately 68 students in each class. The college of pharmacy is located in Schaumburg, Illinois, and is surrounded by research hospitals, pharmacies, and Fortune 500 pharmaceutical companies, making it easy for pharmacy students to complete clinical rotations.

Three Years to Get Your PharmD. You’ll be prepared to join the medical field and advance social justice through patient care if you have a doctorate in pharmacy from Roosevelt University. Study close to renowned medical facilities, neighborhood pharmacies, and significant pharmaceutical firms in Schaumburg, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

You can complete the Roosevelt PharmD degree in three years, which allows you to continue postgraduate study or join the job market one year earlier than with conventional programs. You’ll develop genuine relationships with your lecturers in Roosevelt’s tiny classes. Utilize group projects and hands-on exercises to hone your abilities.

At Roosevelt, you can collaborate with the knowledgeable faculty to publish biological research. You’ll undergo clinical rotations while being instructed by professors who are experts in their professions.

Address: 1400 N Roosevelt Blvd, Schaumburg, IL 60173, United States

Contact: +1 847-330-4500

4. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine

The College of Pharmacy, the newest college within RFUMS, graduated its first class in 2015. Students learn from, with, and about one another in a team-based approach to education at the college, which shares the university’s commitment to interprofessional education.

Their graduates understand and value their colleagues’ roles in the delivery of health care, and they embrace the practice of patient-centered care. Their PharmD program is designed to prepare you for a wide range of pharmacy careers, such as research, industry, public health, hospitals, academia, and community pharmacy, to name a few. Their small class size allows for more individualized mentorship from their practitioner faculty.

Students in COP’s experiential curriculum are placed in healthcare settings early in their training, giving them even more opportunities to learn by doing. As evidenced by their high first-time pass rates on the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination, this intensive preparation is the foundation upon which students build successful careers in pharmacy (NAPLEX).

While residency is not required for pharmacist licensure, more COP students each year choose to further their careers by pursuing specialized postgraduate training in areas such as emergency medicine and community pharmacy practice.

Address: 3333 N Green Bay Rd, North Chicago, IL 60064, United States

Contact: +1 847-578-3000

5. Midwestern University Chicago

Pharmacists are among the most important people in modern medicine. A well-trained pharmacist has no more important responsibility for the delivery and management of drug therapies, or for medication education. Pharmacists play critical roles in the healthcare cycle, such as planning drug therapies, determining dosages and schedules, and educating and counseling patients on proper use and potential side effects.

You will be trained in all aspects of drug preparation and information at the Midwestern University Colleges of Pharmacy. Expert faculty will teach you how to prepare and mix thousands of drugs and drug types, as well as how to help patients understand when, how, and why to take those medications. You will become a valuable resource for both healthcare professionals and patients in a variety of settings, including local clinics, major pharmacy chains, hospitals, and other specialized healthcare facilities.

Students at the College pursue the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. Students complete required courses emphasizing basic and pharmaceutical sciences, social and administrative sciences, pharmacy practice, elective professional courses, and clinical/experiential education on a year-round basis.

CPG trains and certifies competent and motivated pharmacists to provide pharmaceutical care in a variety of community and institutional settings.

Check also: 4 Accredited Pharmacy Schools in North Carolina

CPG’s admission standards outline the nonacademic abilities considered necessary for students to achieve the level of competence required by the faculty and the pharmacy-accrediting agency, ACPE, in order to obtain the Pharm.D. degree.

Address: Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL 60515, United States

Contact: +1 630-515-6171

6. Chicago State University

Chicago State University (CSU) has a history of more than 150 years and is affiliated with AASCU and TMCF. It serves over 3,100 students annually and offers 56 programs in health science, arts, business, teaching, pharmacy, and many others.

CSU-COP is one of the most promising pharmacy colleges in Chicago, dedicated to imparting knowledge with the goal of meeting citizens’ healthcare needs. You can only enroll in the 4-year Doctor of Pharmacy program in the fall if you have completed a 2-year pre-pharmacy course at CSU or another college.

Each of the four years of study is divided into two terms. Core pharmacy studies, elective courses, and 41-credit hours of introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiences make up the professional curriculum at the college of pharmacy. Graduates will be fully prepared to enter the pharmacy profession and practice in a variety of settings.

Address: 9501 S King Dr, Chicago, IL 60628, United States

Contact: +1 773-995-2000

Conclusion on the Pharmacy Schools in Illinois

Illinois has six accredited pharmacy schools, and if you’re looking for the best pharmacy schools in Illinois. Pharmacists gather data to determine a patient’s medication-related health problems and health-related needs.

Pharmacists collaborate with other healthcare professionals to ensure optimal medication therapy and patient outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  1. Is a PharmD the same as a doctor?

A PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) is a professional doctorate degree that typically takes four years to complete. A PharmD program differs from a PhD program in that a PhD prepares you for a career in academia and research, with a dissertation as the capstone.

  1. In Illinois, how many pharmacy schools are there?

six schools

Accreditation of the Illinois State Pharmacy School

There are currently six ACPE-accredited schools in the state of Illinois that offer the PharmD.

  1. How long does it take to become an Illinois pharmacist?

This four-year undergraduate degree includes both PharmD program prerequisite and PharmD courses.

Students can finish the BSPS and PharmD programs in seven years instead of eight, with the final year of the BS overlapping with the first year of the PharmD program.

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