This course provides the algebraic and functional foundation required for quantitative coursework in the pharmacy curriculum. Students develop fluency with algebraic expressions, equations and inequalities, and the major function families — polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric — with graphing, modeling, and problem-solving emphasized throughout. Wherever possible, topics are anchored in pharmaceutical and biomedical contexts (dosage and concentration calculations, first-order drug elimination and half-life, pH and buffer chemistry, dilution and compounding, and dose-response modeling) so that the mathematics is learned as a working tool for the health sciences rather than in isolation. The course concludes with an introduction to limits and rates of change, bridging directly into Calculus I and, later, pharmacokinetics.

The syllabus below reflects a standard, current structure for an entry-level pharmacy/pre-pharmacy precalculus course. Bracketed items are placeholders for instructors to customize to their institution, term, and local curriculum requirements.