Pediatrics Degree Option Program (PDOP)

Pediatrics is a heterogeneous field composed of patients ranging from newborn infants to adolescents. It is estimated that approximately 24% of the U.S. population is less than 18 years of age. Evidence suggests that many pharmacists report filling a prescription for a pediatric patient on a daily basis. Furthermore, parents often seek the advice of pharmacists regarding over-the-counter medications for this population. Children are at significant risk for medication errors, including medication dosing errors, compared to other populations. Pharmacists can play a vital role in preventing medication errors in this population.

The Pediatric Degree Option Program (PDOP) was approved in 2010 with the first graduate in 2011. The PDOP developed to provide students with additional skills and experiences in the pediatric population to translate into the health-system setting, community setting, and other areas of pharmacy practice. In addition, the PDOP will provide a foundation for students interested in advanced training experiences through post-graduate residencies and fellowships. 

The OU College of Pharmacy has several faculty clinicians trained in pediatrics. In addition, we are fortunate to have several adjunct preceptors participate in the didactic and experiential programs with the PDOP. These practitioners maintain active practice sites in acute care and ambulatory care settings. While most professional programs lack any trained practitioners in this specialty, the OU College of Pharmacy can provide both didactic and experiential training within this area of study. 

Fall of P2 Year (Date announced at the beginning of the Fall semester each year)

https://redcap.link/pharmacycommonapp

• Didactic courses:
  • PHAR 7411: Pediatric Pharmacy Explorations [1 credit hour]
  • PHAR 7573: Pharmacotherapy Considerations in Pediatrics [3 credit hours]
  • PHAR 7990: Independent Study for Self-Directed Learning [3 credit hours]
• Experiential courses [Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) Rotations]: 
  • PHAR 7090: Clinical Research Practicum [4 credit hours]—1 required rotation
  • PHAR 7064: Pediatric Practicum [4 credit hours]—2 required rotations (Students will be given the opportunity to select from a variety of practice areas)

• Community/independent pharmacy: Activities may include:
  • Dispensing medications
  • Compounding: Many kids discharged on >1 commercially available or extemporaneously compounded prescription
  • Counseling: Parent and/or child
  • Immunizations:  Depending on state legislation
• Health-system pharmacy operations: Activities may include
  • Order verification
  • Dispensing medications: Intravenous, enteral, topical, etc.
  • Compounding: Sterile compounding & non-sterile compounding
  • Management of medications throughout health-system
• Research-focused positions in pediatrics: Activities may include 
  • Industry positions with pharmaceutical industry focused on drug development 
  • Federally funded positions with FDA focused on drug development
  • Investigator-initiated clinical trials 
• Direct patient care positions in pediatrics in health-system settings: 
  • Ambulatory care clinic: asthma, diabetes, cardiology, HIV, transplant, general pediatrics, psychiatry, cystic fibrosis/pulmonology
  • Health-system setting (in-patient): emergency department, PICU/CICU, NICU, cardiology, pulmonology, solid organ transplant, oncology/stem cell transplant, endocrinology, general pediatrics
• Other: 
  • Poison control centers
  • Medication safety organizations 

Pete Johnson, Pharm.D., BCPPS, FPPA, FCCM, FASHP
Professor and President’s Associate Presidential Professor
PDOP Director
OU College of Pharmacy
peter-johnson@ou.edu