Experiential learning makes up nearly a third of our PharmD curriculum and equips students with the practical knowledge and skills required for safe and effective pharmacy practice.  

Our experiential education opportunities are course-based and structured to ensure that students are exposed to diverse practice settings within an educational model that is relevant, consistent, and aligned with professional requirements and expectations. Students have opportunities to learn with pharmacists and other health care practitioners across a variety of experiential sites.  

Our program works with over 1,000 pharmacy preceptors locally, nationally, and internationally. Many of our preceptors are alumni of our program and are recognized leaders in the profession. On graduation, our students complete over 40 weeks of hands-on learning rotations.  

These rotations allowed students to develop and enhance their patient care and clinical problem-solving skills. Early Practice Experience (EPE) rotations focus on developing foundational skills in pharmacy practice, while Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotations assist students in the transition from pharmacy learner to skilled practitioner. 

Direct Patient Care (DPC): 

  • courses that are designed to strengthen and integrate students’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the provision of patient care in diverse settings.

Non-direct Patient Care (NDPC)

  • courses allow insight into the structure and functions of various areas of pharmacy practice within the health care system and awareness of pharmacists' various roles.

Transformative learning opportunities: Discovery Pharmacy 

Based in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and part of U of T’s on-campus health care ecosystem, Discovery Pharmacy is a fully accredited pharmacy with a medication dispensary and pharmacy-based services, including medication consultations, opioid overdose prevention training, and other services. Pharmacists and students undertake research projects to evaluate and improve their services and the broader profession, including evaluating a student-led vaccination clinic and a student-led naloxone training program. 
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International Rotations

In 2022-23, more than 20 PharmD students completed international experiential education rotations. We have educational collaborations with other leading universities including.

  • University College of London (U.K.) 
  • Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (Germany) 
  • Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong) 
  • Ritsumeikan University (Japan)
  • Universite Paris Cite (France) 
  • University of North Carolina (U.S)  
  • University of Pittsburgh (U.S) 
  • University at Buffalo – SUNY (U.S)
  • University of Pittsburgh (U.S) 
  • University at Buffalo – SUNY (U.S)
  • University of Tennessee (U.S)

Students on Rotation

Paris Exchange Students

New student exchange program links Paris and Toronto's pharmacy schools

The Paris-Toronto Faculties of Pharmacy Fund offers students from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and University of Paris-Cité opportunities for international research exchanges, aligned with their professional interests.
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PharmD students at LSE

Pharmacy students present original research at international conference

Research during fourth-year rotation leads to presentations at Workshop on Corruption and Conflict of Interest in Healthcare in London, England.
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DRx Pop-up Clinic

Discovery Pharmacy’s pop-up flu clinics integrate cutting-edge vaccination research and training

A partnership between the Discovery Pharmacy and researchers at the faculty to implement an evidence-based system to manage needle fear improved vaccination experiences for both patients and health care providers in pop-up clinics.
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PharmD student on rotation

Student-created tool helps Canadian parents safely provide medications to children

‘Simple’ task during Vithya Sivakumaran’s APPE rotation provides important lesson in the impact of community pharmacy on patient safety.
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