Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy Justice

Four-Year Degree Plan (120 Credit Hours)

Dual Focus: Clinical Pharmacy & Legal Justice in Healthcare

Prefix: JUST (Justice Studies) | Transfer Equivalency: UHCR (University of Houston Course Reference)

Year 1: Foundational Sciences & Legal Principles

Semester 1 (15 Credits)

JUST 1010 – Introduction to Pharmacy and Justice Systems (3 cr)

UHCR 1301 – Overview of pharmacy’s role in healthcare and intersection with law enforcement, courts, and regulatory bodies. Historical evolution of medical jurisprudence.

JUST 1100 – Fundamentals of Human Anatomy & Physiology I (4 cr)

UHCR 1401 – Cellular systems, integumentary, skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems with emphasis on drug action sites.

JUST 1200 – Principles of Medication Calculations I (3 cr)

UHCR 1310 – Metric system, dosage conversions, weight-based calculations (mg/kg), and pediatric dosing.

JUST 1300 – Legal Reasoning & Tort Law Basics (3 cr)

UHCR 1320 – Elements of negligence, duty of care, standard of care, and introduction to medical malpractice.

Elective 1 – College Algebra or Statistics (2 cr)

UHCR 1330 – Applied math for health sciences and legal data interpretation.

Semester 2 (15 Credits)

JUST 1400 – Medication Administration & Routes (3 cr)

UHCR 1340 – Oral, parenteral, transdermal, inhalation; safety protocols, needle types, and site rotation.

JUST 1500 – Human Anatomy & Physiology II (4 cr)

UHCR 1402 – Cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, hepatic, and endocrine systems; organ function in drug metabolism.

JUST 1600 – Introduction to Pharmacy Equipment & Drug Organization (2 cr)

UHCR 1350 – Pharmacy tools (counters, compounding hoods), labeling, categorization (controlled vs. non-controlled).

JUST 1700 – Food and Drug Administration (FDA) & Regulatory Framework (3 cr)

UHCR 1360 – FDA approval pathways, labeling laws, controlled substances classification (DEA Schedules).

Elective 2 – Academic Writing for Health Sciences (3 cr)

UHCR 1370 – Research writing, legal briefs, and scientific communication.

Year 2: Clinical Applications & Legal Liability

Semester 3 (15 Credits)

JUST 2100 – Intravenous Therapy & Fluid Management (4 cr)

UHCR 2410 – IV infusion rates (mL/hr, drops/min), compatibility, and solutions: Normal Saline (NaCl), Lactated Ringer’s, dextrose blends.

JUST 2200 – Medication Labeling, Brand vs. Generic (3 cr)

UHCR 2320 – USP standards, auxiliary labels, look-alike/sound-alike (LASA) drugs, and interchangeability.

JUST 2300 – Anesthesia Drugs & Medical Gases (3 cr)

UHCR 2330 – Volatile anesthetics (sevoflurane, isoflurane), nitrous oxide, propofol, neuromuscular blockers.

JUST 2400 – Emergency Pharmacotherapeutics: Hypothermia & Critical Care (3 cr)

UHCR 2340 – Drugs for cold exposure (vasopressors, warmed IV fluids), rewarming protocols, and resuscitation agents.

Elective 3 – Nutrition & Caloric Management in Disease (2 cr)

UHCR 2350 – Weight-loss pharmacotherapy, BMR, enteral/parenteral nutrition, drug-nutrient interactions.

Semester 4 (15 Credits)

JUST 2500 – Pharmacy Drug Cart Assembly: Hepatic & Critical Care (3 cr)

UHCR 2360 – Designing liver transplant carts: antibiotics, immunosuppressants, reversal agents (N-acetylcysteine), and monitoring tools.

JUST 2600 – Pexis Drug Cart & Emergency Crash Cart Integration (2 cr)

UHCR 2370 – Rapid-response cart assembly: ACLS drugs (epinephrine, amiodarone), pediatric dosing drawers, expiration tracking.

JUST 2700 – Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medications & Self-Care Law (3 cr)

UHCR 2380 – Legal responsibilities in OTC counseling, misuse, and liability in pharmacy advice.

JUST 2800 – Medical Device & Product Liability Law (3 cr)

UHCR 2390 – FDA Class I/II/III devices, failure liability, recalls, preemption doctrine, and litigation trends.

JUST 2900 – Medication Inventory & Quality Control Procedures (4 cr)

UHCR 2400 – FIFO, shelf-life management, temperature logs, barcoding, and USP <797> compliance.

Year 3: Advanced Practice & Legal Systems

Semester 5 (15 Credits)

JUST 3100 – Advanced Medication Calculations & High-Alert Drugs (4 cr)

UHCR 3410 – Heparin, insulin, titratable drips, TPN calculations, pediatric weight-based infusions.

JUST 3200 – Pharmacy Technician Roles & Legal Supervision (3 cr)

UHCR 3320 – Scope of practice, delegation laws, tech-check-tech models, and federal/state regulations.

JUST 3300 – Medication Audits & Pharmacy Compliance (3 cr)

UHCR 3330 – DEA audits, prescription monitoring programs (PMPs), internal controls, and HIPAA compliance.

JUST 3400 – Pandemic Response & Emergency Medication Protocols (3 cr)

UHCR 3340 – Strategic stockpiling (antivirals, PPE), EUA (Emergency Use Authorization), and crisis standards of care.

Elective 4 – Ethics in Healthcare & Law (2 cr)

UHCR 3350 – Informed consent, end-of-life decisions, and pharmaceutical ethics.

Semester 6 (15 Credits)

JUST 3500 – Pharmacokinetics & Courtroom Testimony (4 cr)

UHCR 3360 – Half-life, bioavailability, and expert witness preparation in malpractice cases involving drug clearance errors.

JUST 3600 – Drug Recalls: Legal & Clinical Response (3 cr)

UHCR 3370 – FDA Class I/II/III recalls, pharmacy notification chains, patient outreach, and liability mitigation.

JUST 3700 – Medication Errors & Malpractice Defense (4 cr)

UHCR 3380 – Root cause analysis, incident reporting (MedWatch), negligence claims, and settlement strategies.

JUST 3800 – Forensic Pharmacy: Drugs in Legal Investigations (4 cr)

UHCR 3390 – Toxicology reports, post-mortem drug distribution, prescription fraud, and digital pharmacy records.

Year 4: Integration, Practice & Capstone

Semester 7 (15 Credits)

JUST 4100 – Clinical Internship: Pharmacy & Legal Compliance (6 cr)

UHCR 4410 – 240-hour supervised internship in hospital pharmacy, outpatient clinic, or FDA-regulated facility. Focus: IV prep, audits, labeling, tech supervision, and documentation under legal standards.

JUST 4200 – Seminar: Law & Medicine in Court Proceedings (3 cr)

UHCR 4320 – Mock trials, depositions, discovery process, and preparing pharmacy records as evidence.

JUST 4300 – Regulatory Affairs & Healthcare Policy (3 cr)

UHCR 4330 – HIPAA, Affordable Care Act implications, CMS regulations, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

JUST 4400 – Advanced Drug Organization & Facility Design (3 cr)

UHCR 4340 – Workflow optimization, hazardous drug handling (USP <800>), and 503A/503B compounding regulations.

Semester 8 (15 Credits)

JUST 4500 – Capstone: Integrated Case Analysis (4 cr)

UHCR 4350 – Students analyze a simulated malpractice case involving a medication error, IV compounding issue, and device failure. Deliver written report and oral presentation to a mock tribunal.

JUST 4600 – Seminar: Emerging Issues in Pharmacy Law (3 cr)

UHCR 4360 – Psychedelic-assisted therapy, AI in prescribing, cannabis legalization, and telepharmacy regulations.

JUST 4700 – Internship Follow-Up & Professional Licensure Prep (3 cr)

UHCR 4370 – NCLEX-PN/PTCB/MPJE exam review, resume building, and ethics certification.

JUST 4800 – Senior Thesis: Pharmacy Innovation & Legal Impact (5 cr)

UHCR 4380 – Original research on topics such as "OTC Misuse and Legislative Reform" or "AI-Driven IV Error Prevention Systems."

Program Highlights

Dual Competency: Graduates are proficient in clinical pharmacy operations and medical legal frameworks, positioning them for roles in hospital compliance, pharmaceutical law, risk management, or regulatory affairs.

Hands-On Labs: Simulated pharmacy labs include IV compounding stations, crash cart drills, and mock depositions.

Transfer Pathway: All JUST courses map to University of Houston (UH) equivalents via articulation agreement, ensuring seamless transfer into UH’s graduate health law or pharmacy programs.

Licensure-Ready: Prepares students for Pharmacy Technician Certification (PTCB) and foundational knowledge for law school (LSAT track advisory available).

Degree Outcome:

Graduates emerge as Justice-Ready Pharmacy Professionals—equipped to prevent medication errors, advocate for patient safety, and navigate the courtroom when pharmaceutical negligence arises. Whether in hospital corridors or federal courtrooms, they speak both the language of medicine and the law.