Mailing Address: Skaggs Research Building #581, 30 South 2000 East, SLC, UT 84112
Office Hours: 8:30am - 5:00pm, Monday - Friday
Website: https://pharmacy.utah.edu/pharmacotherapy
Email: Linda.OConnor@pharm.utah.edu
Department Chair: Daniel M. Witt, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS
Graduate Director: Nathorn Chaiyakunapruk, PharmD, PhD
Graduate Advisor: Linda O'Connor
Contact for Prospective Students: Linda O'Connor, Linda.OConnor@pharm.utah.edu
Mission Statement
"We educate and empower pharmacists and scientists to optimize medication outcomes advancing community health and well-being through innovative research and person-centered care."
Overview
The Department of Pharmacotherapy advances healthcare by ensuring optimal drug therapy outcomes through its integrated commitments to teaching excellence, innovative research, and service. As a core department within the University of Utah College of Pharmacy, it provides leadership in pharmacotherapy outcomes research, health-system pharmacy administration training, and the clinical education of future pharmacists. The department is distinguished by its strong federally and internationally funded research portfolio, high-quality graduate programs marked by individualized mentorship, and nationally recognized centers such as the Pharmacotherapy Outcomes Research Center and the Utah Poison Control Center. With a collaborative, student-centered culture and a sustained focus on impactful scholarship, interprofessional engagement, and community-serving clinical expertise, the department plays a vital role in the university's academic and healthcare missions.
Types of Degrees
Master of Science
Doctor of Philosophy
Graduate Programs
The Department of Pharmacotherapy offers a rigorous PhD program in Pharmacotherapy Outcomes Research that prepares students to become independent scholars in clinical, economic, and policy-focused medication outcomes. PhD students develop core competencies in health economics, epidemiology, research design, and statistics through close mentorship, small-cohort training, and individualized research plans. The program provides extensive hands-on research opportunities across nationally recognized centers - including the Pharmacotherapy Outcomes Research Center, Utah Poison Control Center, and the DeCIPHER collaborative - giving students access to rich datasets, interdisciplinary expertise, and collaborative research environments. Students progress through structured coursework, mentored research, and regular committee guidance, benefitting from a supportive, collegial culture and a strong record of career placement in academia, industry, and clinical and health-system research roles.