Candidates are admitted subject to, and are bound by, all academic, disciplinary and other regulations of the University of Ottawa and the undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program, as well as any amendments thereto, for the full duration of their academic studies in this program.

As future pharmacists, graduates of the undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy program will be responsible for the physical safety, psychological health and well-being of their patients. Students enrolled in the PharmD program are committed to the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct, in accordance with the values of the University of Ottawa, the Faculty of Medicine, and the values of the profession of pharmacy, as set out in the Principles of Professionalism for the Profession of Pharmacy of the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA), and the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP) Code of Ethics.

Even if a student demonstrates a sufficient level of clinical knowledge and skills, certain deficiencies in professionalism may result in the failure of a course or placement. All students enrolled in the PharmD program are expected to adhere to the professional standards of the Faculty of Medicine and to behave in a professional manner in all courses and placements, as well as outside the classroom and in clinical settings, when clearly identifiable as pharmacy students. Any unprofessional conduct in a formal setting or official communication will be brought to the attention of the PharmD Program Director (or delegate), which may result in punitive academic measures or remedial action. These may include internal probation, failure of a course or placement, or dismissal from the PharmD program, as recommended by the program director.

French language competency is a requirement of the undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy program. All PharmD courses are conducted in French. Participation in courses, writing assignments or projects, answers to exam questions, as well as oral presentations must all be done in French.

Undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy students must be enrolled on a full-time basis and take the full course load stipulated by the program. Any exceptions must be approved by the program director. During this period of full-time study, enrolment in other academic or professional programs is prohibited. Due to the heavy course load in the undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy program, enrolment in additional courses outside the program is strongly discouraged. Any student wishing to enroll in a course outside the program must submit an application for approval by the program director prior to enrolment.

The undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy program was structured using a spiral learning design that allows a logical progression of students’ clinical knowledge, skills and competencies over the course of their academic career. As such, pharmacy students must follow the course sequence as it was designed.
It is not possible for a student in the undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy program to withdraw from one or more courses without prior written permission from the program director.

Transfer requests will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and only if they are from a Canadian university offering a pharmacy program in French. These transfer requests will be considered in consultation with the program director, provided that space is available and that all of the following criteria are met.

The applicant:

• must be enrolled as a full-time student in an undergraduate PharmD program in a Canadian university offering an accredited program in French comparable to that offered at the University of Ottawa;
• must apply at least one year prior to the desired transfer year;
• must be in good academic standing and have an overall satisfactory record at the home university;
• must meet the admission criteria, undergo an admission interview and meet the eligibility requirements of the University of Ottawa’s PharmD program;
• must not be on a leave of absence from the home university.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the University of Ottawa receives, along with the transfer request, all necessary documentation from the home university.

The learning methods used in the PharmD program require students’ active participation to ensure the smooth running of each session and promote knowledge retention and essential skills development.

Participation in the learning activities is therefore expected of all students enrolled in the undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy program. Adequate participation in PharmD learning activities will also be considered in the evaluation of professionalism. Irregular attendance or lack of effort may result in dismissal from the program.

In-person participation during all clinical placements is also mandatory. In the event of an unauthorized absence, the student will be required to make up all missed time.

A leave of absence is a formal temporary interruption of study. A request for a leave of absence must be submitted to the program director. In case of illness, a medical certificate is required. Other documents may also be required in certain situations. Except in the case of a request for a leave of absence to complete a combined doctoral program (PharmD / PhD), the leave will not exceed three years. The length of the leave could delay the date of graduation.

While the Faculty of Medicine recognizes that its trainees are learning their professional responsibilities as pharmacists, it expects all of its trainees to demonstrate that they have the knowledge, skills, attitudes and capacities needed to be responsible for the physical safety, psychological health and well-being of their patients. They are also expected to demonstrate care, integrity, respect and trust at all times in their interactions with each other, with representatives of the Faculty of Medicine and during their placement with patients, clinical preceptors, other staff members, and members of the public.

A student in good standing within the program:

• is enroled for the current academic year or term;
• has paid tuition fees for the current term;
• has met the ongoing internal requirements of the Office of Risk Management (immunization, mask fitting, CPR course and criminal record

Prior to the practicum

Only those students in good standing (within the program) who demonstrate that they can act with care, respect, integrity and trust, and who possess the knowledge, skills, attitudes and capacities needed to be responsible for the physical safety, psychological health and well-being of patients will be given a practicum placement.

If a student has not demonstrated the ability to comply with the ethical standards set forth in the Principles of Professionalism for the Profession of Pharmacy of the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) AND the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP) Code of Ethics, or if the Faculty has reasonable cause to believe that the applicant may endanger the physical safety, psychological health or well-being of patients, the program director may deny the student a placement.

In the absence of the program director, the decision to deny a practicum placement must be made by the Director of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences or the Dean. The student must be informed in writing of this decision and the reasons for it within five working days of the date of the decision.

A student active on the academic concern list (this is an internal designation within the PharmD program overseen by the program director):

• has failed a course and not yet passed the supplemental examination;
• has failed a course and not yet completed remedial activities;
• has deferred and not yet taken an examination;
• has a cumulative grade point average of less than 5.0;
• is currently being monitored by the Faculty Wellness Office;
• is deemed as being in difficulty by the program director.

To promote success, any student on the academic concern list will have their practicum settings limited to those led by a clinical professor of the University of Ottawa’s PharmD program. Any exception must be approved only by the PharmD Program Director.

During the Practicum

A student will be immediately withdrawn from the practicum placement if they endanger the physical safety, psychological health or well-being of patients, or if they demonstrate a lack of care, respect, integrity or trust. This decision can be made by the program director or delegate. The student must be informed in writing of this decision and the reasons for it, normally within five working days of the withdrawal from the practicum. In the event of such a decision, the student will only be placed in another practicum by the program director (or delegate) when the student demonstrates that they:

1. no longer pose a risk to patients;
2. are capable of acting with care, respect, integrity and trust; and
3. have the knowledge, skills, attitudes and capacities needed to be responsible for the physical safety, psychological health and well-being of patients.

Denial or withdrawal from the practicum

In the event that a student is denied or withdrawn from the practicum under this regulation, a committee consisting of three professors chosen by the Director of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences will review the case.

1. The committee must meet within ten working days of the written notification to the student of the decision to deny a practicum.
2. The committee may make one of three decisions:
   1. it may uphold the denial of a practicum placement;
   2. it may identify conditions that the student must satisfy before being placed in a practicum; or 
   3. it may authorize the placement of the student in another practicum.
3. The student can make a written submission to the committee and may request to
   appear before it.
4. The committee must provide the reasons for its decision in writing.
5. If the committee upholds its decision to bar the student from the practicum, a grade of F is recorded on the student’s transcript and the student is withdrawn from the program.
6. If the committee identifies conditions that the student must satisfy before being placed in a practicum, a grade of NS will be recorded on the student’s transcript for the practicum.

To receive credit for a course, the student must obtain an overall grade in the course of C or higher (after any supplemental examinations or remedial activities) or the non-numerical equivalent (Pass, Satisfactory). All grades below C or the non-numerical equivalent (Failure, Not Satisfactory) are failing grades for PharmD program courses.

PharmD program courses may have a theory component, a clinical component (cross-cutting clinical skills) and mandatory components (e.g., certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation).

To earn a passing grade in a PharmD program course, a student:

• must obtain a grade of 60% or higher in the theory component of the course
• must obtain a grade of 70% or higher in the assessment of all cross-cutting clinical skills of the course
• must have successfully completed all mandatory components of the course.

All three of these requirements must be met in order to receive a passing grade. In addition, to receive academic credits, a student must not be absent for more than 20% of the duration of a clinical placement. The overall course grade will be calculated according to the weighting described in the course syllabus and will be reported using the University of Ottawa’s official grading system.

A student who obtains a grade of less than 60% in the theory component of a course or a grade of less than 70% in the assessment of all cross-cutting clinical skills of a course, or both, will receive a grade of Not Satisfactory (NS).

The grade of NS results in the right to a supplemental examination, mandatory remedial activities, or both, under certain conditions. Students who do not successfully complete the mandatory components of a course will receive a grade of NS for the course and will be excluded from clinical placements until the mandatory components are successfully completed.

The success committee is responsible for evaluating the academic record of all students in the undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy program, making a recommendation for promotion to the next academic year, and recommending specific remedial activities as needed.

A student who obtains a grade of less than 60% in the theory component of a course is eligible to write a supplemental examination for that course. The grade obtained on the supplemental exam replaces the final examination grade for the theory component of the course. Only the overall grade calculated after the supplemental exam will appear on the transcript and is used in calculating averages. However, a note on the transcript will indicate that this grade was obtained as a result of a supplemental exam.

Students are allowed a total maximum of two supplemental examinations in one (1) academic year.

If the grade for the theory component remains less than 60% after the supplemental exam or if the student refuses to take the supplemental exam, an overall grade of F will be assigned for the course and the student will not receive credit for the course.

The success committee will review the case of any student who obtains a grade of less than 70% in the assessment of all cross-cutting clinical skills of a course.

The success committee and the course professor evaluate the student’s record to suggest specific remedial activities. Once the remediation has been completed and evaluated, the grade obtained for each remedial activity replaces the grade for the relevant cross-cutting clinical skill. Only the overall grade calculated after remediation will appear on the transcript and is used in calculating averages. However, a note on the transcript will indicate that this grade was obtained as a result of a supplemental exam.

Students may complete remedial activities for a maximum of 2 courses per academic year.

If the grade remains less than 70% in the assessment of all cross-cutting clinical skills after remediation or if the student refuses to participate in remedial activities, an overall grade of F will be assigned for the course and the student will not receive credit for the course.

In the event of a failure of both the theory component and all cross-cutting clinical skills of a course, the student would need to satisfy the conditions described above for the supplemental examination and remedial activities. If the grade for the theory component remains less than 60% after the supplemental exam, or if the student refuses to take the supplemental exam, or if the grade for all cross-cutting clinical skills of a course remains less than 70% after remedial activities or if the student refuses to participate in remedial activities, an overall grade of F will be assigned for the course and the student will not receive credit for the course.

The success committee will review the case of any student who obtains a grade of F in
a course and may recommend to the program director any remedial measures or sanctions up to and including a repeat of the academic year or dismissal from the program.

Repeating a placement

A student who obtains a grade of NS in a placement will be allowed to repeat that placement. The grade obtained on the repeat of a placement replaces the overall grade for the placement. Only the grade obtained after the repeat of the placement will appear on the transcript and is used in calculating averages. However, a note on the transcript will indicate that this grade was obtained as a result of repeating the placement.

In the event of a failed first or second year placement, the student is expected to repeat the placement during the same Spring-Summer term, between June and August. In the event of a failed fourth year placement, the student will be required to repeat the placement in the Spring-Summer term following the failure. The timing of a repeat placement is determined by the program director.

An absence exceeding 20% of the duration of a clinical placement will require the student to repeat the placement prior to graduation. If this is not feasible, the student may have to repeat the year.

In 4th year, a student who misses more than 20% of two clinical placements will be required to repeat the 4th year.
Students with a grade of NS are allowed a maximum total of one (1) repeat placement in one (1) academic year.

The program director, in consultation with the success committee, will review the case of any student who achieves a grade point average for the year of less than 5.0 under the University of Ottawa’s official grading system.

A student who obtains a grade of F in a course will be required to repeat the year or withdraw from the program as determined by the program director in consultation with the success committee.

A student who repeats an academic year will not be eligible to take a supplemental exam or to complete remedial activities. Consequently, a student who is currently repeating an academic year and who obtains a grade of less than 60% for the theory component of a course or a grade of less than 70% for all cross-cutting clinical skills of a course or a grade of less than C (60%) or the non-numerical equivalent (Failure, Not Satisfactory) on the final evaluation of a practicum will be required to withdraw from the program. The
reset of grades applies to the courses in the repeat year only.

A pharmacy student is eligible for only one (1) repeat of one (1) academic year.

To successfully complete the undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy program, the student must be promoted at the end of each academic year. To pass from one year to the next, students must complete all course credits for the year in question and must have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 5.0 or higher.

To obtain the undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy degree, students must:

• Complete the total number of credits required in the program
• Have a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 5.0 or higher
• Achieve the expected level for cross-cutting skills
• Register and apply for their degree, according to the guidelines in place

A student enrolled in the undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy program must complete all degree requirements within seven (7) years from the initial registration date. A student who does not complete all degree requirements within this time frame will be withdrawn from the program. A student who wishes to return to the program must submit a new application for admission and will be subject to the admission requirements in force at that time.