The use of veterinary clinics for the education of pharmacy students

The pharmacies of rural communities often include veterinary products; however, many pharmacists have little knowledge about animal diseases and the pharmacokinetics of drugs in animals. The Colorado State University at Fort Collins has developed an elective one-week rotation for pharmacy students through the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The four objectives of the program are: (1) to observe the various aspects of veterinary medicine and its use in different animal species; (2) to work with the student of veterinary medicine to plan and evaluate a drug therapy course; (3) to understand species variance in absorption, metabolism, and elimination of drugs; and (4) to plan and evaluate a course of therapy for an assigned animal, using the Problem Oriented Medical Record (POMR) format.