School of Pharmacy Office of Experiential Education

Welcome to the Office of Experiential Education at the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy. Experiential Education, commonly referred to as Pharmacy Practice Experiences (PPEs), constitutes a significant portion of the pharmacy curriculum, comprising more than 30% of the curricular hours. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the accrediting body for schools and colleges of pharmacy across the United States, mandates the participation of student pharmacists in both Introductory (IPPE) and Advanced (APPE) Pharmacy Practice Experiences as part of the professional program leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree. ACPE guidelines prescribe that Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences must involve actual practice experiences in both community and institutional settings, should begin early in the curriculum, should be interfaced with the didactic and laboratory course work and should continue in a progressive manner leading to entry into the Advanced (specialized) Pharmacy PracticeExperiences in the final year of the curriculum.

The Office of Experiential Education (OEE) is a division of the Dean’s office, managed by the directors of the IPPE and APPE programs, and overseen by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The faculty and staff within the Office of Experiential Education are responsible for the oversight and management of all experiential components of the pharmacy curriculum including experiential course structure and design, curricular development, preceptor and experiential site relations and preceptor and practice site development.

In accordance with ACPE standards and guidelines, Pharmacy Practice Experiences at the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy are designed to provide students with opportunities for active learning through exposure to actual pharmacy practice settings throughout the course of the curriculum, thus providing them the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom and pharmacy skills laboratory to real-life pharmacy practice situations. In general, PPEs serve to: a) develop, refine and reinforce a student’s knowledge and mechanical skills through on-site application of classroom and laboratory content, b) provide students with opportunities for direct patient interaction and patient care, professional problem solving and decision making, c) provide students with opportunities for professional communication development, d) promote and develop professional maturation and growth of the student throughout the continuum of experiences, and e) introduce students to concepts for healthcare improvement and change.

This website contains useful information about the Pharmacy Practice Experience Programs at the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy and is designed as a resource to assist KU student pharmacists, KU affiliated preceptors and KU faculty administrators. To access student and preceptor resources and to obtain more information about the experiential program please proceed to OEE log In.