Catalog 2016–2017

M.S. in Clinical Psychopharmacology

This is content from the Catalog 2016–2017 back issue. Please visit the current catalog for current information.

Program Director: Supakit Wongwiwatthanaukit, Pharm.D. Ph.D.

Program Coordinator: Judi Steinman, Ph.D.
Email: steinman@hawaii.edu

Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy
200 W. Kāwili Street
Hilo, HI 96720
Fax: (808) 932-7138
Email: pharmacy@hawaii.edu

Program Description

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy (UH Hilo DKICP) Master of Science in Clinical Psychopharmacology (MSCP) is a two-year educational and experiential program through which students pursue the Master of Science degree. UH Hilo’s DKICP MSCP program prepares the student for professional advancement to become a clinical psychopharmacologist. During the two years at UH Hilo DKICP, students will complete a total of 34 semester hours of credit (all required).

The DKICP MSCP program was granted American Psychological Association (APA) designation in December 2015.

Mission Statement

The mission of the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy MSCP Program is the traditional mission of academic healthcare—education, research, and service with emphasis on patient care. More specifically, the MSCP mission is:

  • To educate clinical psychology practitioners and leaders.
  • To provide community service, including quality patient care.

The MSCP program is part of the DKICP. The MSCP program is designed to provide didactic and experiential training for licensed psychologists to integrate the medical approach to their patients with mental and behavioral disorders. The program trains clinical psychologists to become competent, skilled Prescribing Psychologists.

The didactic training utilizes online teaching methods, which include live online review sessions and extended workshops with DKICP and other faculty. The curriculum also requires supervised practicum training, which incorporates didactic training with clinical experience. Capstone courses provide integration of prescribing experience and didactic training with clinical faculty.

The MSCP program is designed to address core competencies/knowledge areas through different courses as follows:

Content Knowledge Areas

  • Integrating clinical psychopharmacology with the practice of psychology

    • PHPS 604 Adv Psychopharmacology I (2)
    • PHPS 605 Adv Psychopharmacology II (2)
    • PHPS 607 Psychopharmacology Practicum (2)

  • Neuroscience

    • PHPS 450 Biochem I - Biomolecules (3)
    • PHPS 450 Biochem I - Biomolecules (3)
    • PHPS 606 Human Physiology (3)
    • PHPS 602 Integrated Pharmacotherapy II (5)

  • Nervous system pathology

    • PHPS 606 Human Physiology (3)
    • PHPS 602 Integrated Pharmacotherapy II (5)

  • Physiology and pathophysiology

    • PHPS 606 Human Physiology (3)
    • PHPS 601 Integrated Pharmacotherapy I (7)
    • PHPS 602 Integrated Pharmacotherapy II (5)
    • PHPS 603 Integrated Pharmacotherapy III (4)

  • Biopsychosocial and pharmacologic assessment and monitoring

    • PHPS 604 Adv Psychopharmacology I (2)
    • PHPS 605 Adv Psychopharmacology II (2)
    • PHPS 607 Psychopharmacology Practicum (2)

  • Differential diagnosis

    • PHPS 602 Integrated Pharmacotherapy II (5)
    • PHPS 604 Adv Psychopharmacology I (2)
    • PHPS 605 Adv Psychopharmacology II (2)
    • PHPS 607 Psychopharmacology Practicum (2)

  • Pharmacology

    • PHPS 601 Integrated Pharmacotherapy I (7)
    • PHPS 602 Integrated Pharmacotherapy II (5)
    • PHPS 603 Integrated Pharmacotherapy III (4)

  • Clinical Psychopharmacology

    • PHPS 604 Adv Psychopharmacology I (2)
    • PHPS 605 Adv Psychopharmacology II (2)
    • PHPS 607 Psychopharmacology Practicum (2)

  • Research

    • PHPS 605 Adv Psychopharmacology II (2)

  • Professional, legal, ethical, and interprofessional issues

    • PHPS 608 Law and Pharmacotherapy (2)

In addition to these areas, MSCP graduates are expected to demonstrate competency in professional behavior, clinical skills and medical knowledge that can be applied to safe and effective management of patient care.

The MSCP program is geared toward clinical psychologists who are actively engaged in their profession. The training is rigorous and challenging, focusing on medically-oriented instruction. The MSCP staff and faculty understand the demands of studying and working simultaneously and offer flexible scheduling to meet students’ needs. The MSCP program implements the development of critical thinking skills in clinical psychopharmacology through tiered program learning outcomes http://pharmacy.uhh.hawaii.edu/academics/MSCP/learnOutcomes.php

Program requirements meet or exceed those outlined in the APA Recommended Postdoctoral Education and Training Program in Psychopharmacology for Prescriptive Authority (See https://www.apa.org/about/policy/rxp-model-curriculum.pdf). The vision, mission and goals of the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy may be found at http://pharmacy.uhh.hawaii.edu/dean/vision_and_mission.php

Program Learning Outcomes

The program will prepare students to treat patients in need of a combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for mental disorders. The program will have an impact on prescribing habits for mental health disorders, helping to improve patient care for Hawaiʻi residents and military personnel and their families.

Student Learning Outcomes

Each learning outcome addresses at least one of the following eleven content areas:

  1. Integrating clinical psychopharmacology with the practice of psychology;
  2. Neuroscience;
  3. Nervous system pathology;
  4. Physiology and pathophysiology;
  5. Biopsychosocial and pharmacologic assessment and monitoring;
  6. Differential diagnosis;
  7. Pharmacology;
  8. Clinical psychopharmacology;
  9. Research;
  10. Professional, legal, ethical, and inter-professional issues;
  11. Clinical practice.

Upon completing the MSCP program, successful students will be able to:

  1. define, identify and recognize key concepts of terminology in all content areas;
  2. review and explain at a high level of proficiency, both orally and in writing, the most current theories of the pathophysiology, etiology, signs and symptoms underlying mental health disorders and their psychopharmacologic treatment;
  3. choose the appropriate diagnosis and effectively apply psychopharmacological knowledge to resolve clinical psychopathological cases using “Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Planning” (SOAP) notes and case presentations, and differentiate mental disorders that are drug-induced or caused by somatic disease;
  4. analyze, interpret, integrate and evaluate pharmacologically-based clinical findings in psychological settings through literature review, class presentations and written analysis.

Prospects for Graduates

Graduates of the MSCP program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo will be able to seek employment as clinical psychologists with a specialty in psychopharmacology in a variety of professional settings. Their professional duties may include, but are not limited to advising health care professionals on the prescription of psychotropic medications, advising patients on drug interactions, side effects and risk factors, and prescribing psychotropic medications in those locales in which prescribing authority for psychologists has been authorized. There currently is a shortage of prescribing professionals with expertise specifically in psychopharmacology in the military, in rural settings in Hawaiʻi, other parts of the country and the Pacific region.

Admission Requirements

Each applicant must hold a baccalaureate degree and a graduate (PhD or PsyD) degree in psychology from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or its equivalent from a recognized non-U.S. institution of higher learning. The standards of the degree in question must be equivalent in scholarship requirements to those maintained in the undergraduate program at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo.

The applicant must have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or the equivalent from the last 60 semester credits (or equivalent) in the undergraduate degree completed, or must hold a graduate degree with a GPA of 3.0 or better in his/her graduate program.

Applicants must hold a current state license as a psychologist and maintain state licensure. Applicants must also practice as a health services provider psychologist as defined by state law, where applicable, or as defined by the APA (See https://www.apa.org/education/grad/rxp-designation-criteria.pdf).

More information on admissions can be found here: http://pharmacy.uhh.hawaii.edu/academics/mscp/admissions.php

Degree requirements

Degree requirements for the MSCP comply with UH Hilo Graduate study requirements. Those requirements that are specific to the MSCP are elaborated below.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

The applicant must have a GPA of 3.0 or the equivalent from the last 60 semester credits (or equivalent) in the undergraduate degree completed, or must hold a graduate degree with a GPA of 3.0 or better in his/her graduate program. Under special circumstances, a GPA of 2.75 or higher will be considered based on the applicant’s other qualifications and subject to the petition process noted above.

The principal requirements for the MSCP degree are successfully passing every didactic course with a minimum of a grade of B and received a grade of P in the practicum. Students must participate in the clinical practicum for a minimum of 400 hours, see a minimum of 100 separate patients, and at the final evaluation must receive from their clinical supervisor a minimum of meeting the expected level of performance in all 15 clinical learning outcomes described in the course syllabus.

Note

Prerequisites are subject to change at the end of each application cycle. In addition, meeting the minimum qualification requirements does not guarantee admission.

Curriculum (34 credits)

  1. Fall Year 1:
    • PHPS 450 Biochem I - Biomolecules (3)
    • PHPS 451 Biochem II - Metabolism (3)
    • PHPS 606 Human Physiology (3)
  2. Spring Year 1:
    • PHPS 601 Integrated Pharmacotherapy I (7)
  3. Summer Year 1:
    • PHPS 602 Integrated Pharmacotherapy II (5)
  4. Fall Year 2:
    • PHPS 603 Integrated Pharmacotherapy III (4)
    • PHPS 604 Adv Psychopharmacology I (2)
    • PHPS 607 Psychopharmacology Practicum (2)
  5. Spring Year 2:
    • PHPS 605 Adv Psychopharmacology II (2)
    • PHPS 608 Law and Pharmacotherapy (2)
    • PHPS 607 Psychopharmacology Practicum (2)
  6. Summer Year 2:
    • PHPS 607 Psychopharmacology Practicum (2) 1

1 Note: Credits for the Practicum are granted at its completion.