MIPA Donates $100,000 for Pharmacy School Renovations

Mississippi Independent Pharmacies Association board of directors
Photo courtesy UM Communications

The Mississippi Independent Pharmacies Association has pledged $100,000 to support the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy’s Faser Capital Initiative.

The initiative supports the most recent renovation of Faser Hall, one of the pharmacy school’s main buildings. A state-of-the-art skills laboratory for students is among the primary upgrades. “The generosity of MIPA’s board of directors just leaves me speechless,” said David D. Allen, the school’s dean. “Their gift is a strong statement of their support for this renovation project. We are extremely thankful to the board and all MIPA members.”

MIPA serves to provide a unified voice for independent pharmacists in public-policy discussions. Formed in 2002, the association promotes independent, community pharmacies at state and national levels.

The organization’s members were eager to give back to the school, said Robert Dozier, MIPA executive director.

“We felt like we needed to give back to an institution that has given us so much,” Dozier said. “Our members feel very strongly about Ole Miss and the pharmacy school – they want to help the school and its students in any way they can.”

Many board members said that the pharmacy school has greatly influenced their lives. “Our degrees at Ole Miss have provided us an excellent opportunity to make a good living and take our profession to another level,” said Brent Smith, MIPA board member and owner of Chaney’s Pharmacy in Oxford. “We looked at this opportunity as an investment in our profession. MIPA greatly appreciates the efforts of Dean Allen in his interest and outreach to independent pharmacy.”

Jerry Morgan, MIPA board member and owner of Okolona Drug Co., said he agrees. “The School of Pharmacy gave us an opportunity to get out into the retail world and attain the results that we have,” Morgan said. “Pharmacy has been good to all of us on the board of MIPA – we’ve done well in our careers.”

Morgan said he is proud of the relationship between MIPA and the school. Bailey Melton, MIPA board chairman and pharmacist at Ashland Drug, echoed the sentiment. “We appreciate the support that we get from the school,” Melton said. “We hope to continue a strong working relationship in the future.”

Dozier pointed to the school’s leadership as motivation for the organization’s support. “We are very excited about Dean Allen and the work he has done since he has been onboard,” Dozier said. “They feel confident in his ability and leadership.”

To join MIPA in making a gift, send a check with Faser Capital Initiative noted in the memo line to the University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655. For more information, contact development director Raina McClure at rmcclure@olemiss.edu.

Courtesy of Erin Garrett, Ole Miss News Desk