• Program Description
• Materials Provided
• Schedule for completion
• Examinations
• Campus Session
• Payment of Tuition
• Faculty
• Enrollment Forms

Program Description

The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Purdue University offers a Certificate Program in Nuclear Pharmacy. The goal of the certificate program is to provide fundamental information to post-graduate pharmacists that will serve as a foundation for attaining competency as practitioners in nuclear pharmacy. In addition, the program provides the didactic training necessary to fulfill the NRC guidelines for training of nuclear pharmacists. Under special circumstances, undergraduate pharmacy students may also enroll in the program. The certificate program follows the guidelines for nuclear pharmacy training prepared by nuclear pharmacists in the American Pharmacists Association, Section on Nuclear Pharmacy Practice.

There are two distinct phases of the certificate program. The first phase utilizes self-study concepts with lectures on DVDs and correlated reading assignments to be completed while receiving concomitant experience in a nuclear pharmacy. The nuclear pharmacy preceptor at the practice site serves as the clinical instructor and mentor for the pharmacist in training. The DVD portion is self-paced. Successful completion of a significant part of the didactic phase qualifies the trainee to attend a six-day training session at Purdue. While on campus, the trainee participates in laboratory exercises and lectures designed to emphasize material pertinent to day-to-day clinical practice. The on-campus session allows the trainee the opportunity for personal interaction with instructors and with other trainees, which enhances the overall learning process. Following completion of both the on and off campus portions of the program, certification is awarded to those trainees who have demonstrated their knowledge and competence by examination in each of the key areas addressed by the program.

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Materials Provided

Upon enrollment, the pharmacist is provided with the shipment of DVDs and a workbook for the entire self-study portion of the program. A packet of information providing a detailed description of the course and instructions for the new trainee is also included. The workbook contains lecture notes for each disc allowing the trainee the ability to take notes. The pharmacy preceptor also receives the information packet along with a variety of exams to be administered as the trainee progresses through the program. A laboratory/lecture workbook specific to the components of the on-campus portion is provided for the trainees when attending the campus session.

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Schedule for completion

The most effective learning experience is achieved when the trainee spends about two hours a day viewing DVDs and taking notes in the nuclear pharmacy so that the trainee can address immediate questions to the preceptor. This method has been encouraged by regulatory agencies. By watching 10 hours of video a week, the trainee completes the entire distance segment of the course in about fourteen weeks. Given the importance of correlating the material on the videotape with actual practice experience, and in order to be adequately prepared for the on-campus session, the trainee must be enrolled at least one month prior to the on-campus session that they will attend. The trainee must complete the material through the first four video exams prior to coming to the on-campus session.

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Examinations

Examinations are employed to assure mastery of knowledge and skills for both phases of the program. There are eight exams for the self-study portion divided to cover several videotaped lessons each on related subject matter. Upon enrollment into the program, the exams are available online to be administered as the trainee progresses through the material. The closed-book exams are either twenty-five or fifty questions long with a mixture of multiple-choice, short answer, math problems, and fill-in-the-blank type of questions. The exams are submitted online to the Division of Nuclear Pharmacy where they are graded and returned to the trainee with explanations of concepts missed. The trainee is also encouraged to discuss these areas with their preceptor. The trainee must score 70% or better to pass each exam. If the trainee fails to score 70%, they will be asked to review the corresponding video section and retake an exam over this material. The first five exams must be completed prior to attending the on-campus session.

While on-campus, the material covered is evaluated using three 30 to 35 point quizzes and a 100 point final exam given on the last Friday of the program. These tests cover material discussed in both the lab and lecture portions of the on-campus session. The trainee must score 70% or better to pass each exam. If the trainee fails to score 70% on the quizzes and exams during the campus session, they will be asked to review the material and a second exam will be given.

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Campus Session

After completing a significant portion of the self-study portion of the program, the trainee is eligible to attend one of the three campus sessions offered each year. The campus session is devoted to laboratory and lecture sessions that elucidate principles of nuclear pharmacy practice. We are dedicated to using the on-campus sessions as a forum for expanding the practical, hands-on type of information designed to enhance clinical practice. The campus session provides the trainee with the benefit of direct interaction with faculty members who are experts in a wide variety of areas related to nuclear pharmacy practice. In addition, we have found that the opportunity to interact with other trainees through the exchange of ideas and experiences is an invaluable tool in the learning process. As a result, we believe that the on-campus session is a unique and essential part of our training program.

Trainees are expected to arrive on Sunday prior to the start of the campus session in which they are enrolled. Trainees usually fly into the Indianapolis International Airport, which is serviced by most major airlines. A convenient shuttle service is available for transport from the Indianapolis airport which will transport them to West Lafayette. Students will stay at the Hilton Garden Inn. The Hilton Garden Inn is conveniently located within a short shuttle ride of our lecture and laboratory classrooms and a variety of eating establishments. Housing arrangements are made for the duration of the campus session with checkout scheduled on the second Friday of the session after completion of the final exam.

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Payment of Tuition

The total cost of this program is $7010.00 which includes both the off-campus DVDs and on-campus portions of the program. This fee can be divided into two payments, one for the videotape portion, payable at registration ($3720.00) and one for the campus portion payable before the campus session begins ($3290.00) Payments can be made by check or money order. Flexible payment options for tuition fees are offered to accommodate both trainees and employers. For more information about available options, contact Kara Weatherman at kdwman@pharmacy.purdue.edu (765-496-1815). Each trainee's account must be paid in full prior to the awarding of the final certificate of completion.

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Faculty

Mark A. Green, Ph.D.  Professor and Head, Division of Nuclear Pharmacy
Stanley Shaw, Ph.D.  Professor Emeritus, Nuclear Pharmacy
Kara Duncan Weatherman, Pharm.D., BCNP  Assistant Professor of Nuclear Pharmacy

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Schedule for the Nuclear Pharmacy Certificate Program

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Enrollment Forms

• Nuclear Pharmacy Certificate Program Standard Enrollment Form

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