UM Pharmacy School Earns Reaccreditation

The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education has renewed the accreditation for the Doctor of Pharmacy professional program at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy for the maximum eight years.

ACPE is the national accreditation agency of professional pharmacy degree programs and providers of continuing pharmacy education. 

The full accreditation through 2028 recognizes the school’s high standard of education, said David D. Allen, UM pharmacy dean.

“Our reaccreditation status speaks to the tremendous effort and dedication of our faculty, staff, students, alumni and all of our stakeholders,” Allen said. “Our positive feedback and outcome confirms the exceptional quality of the school’s curriculum and practice experiences as we prepare our future health care leaders.”

The school underwent a curriculum transformation for its Pharm.D. program that was implemented in fall 2018. Student pharmacists are in a modular, integrated curriculum based on major body systems that is focused on patient-centered care.

Outside the classroom, student pharmacists engage in various experiential learning experiences that include interprofessional activities with nursing, law and other health care programs, clinical rotations, and service-learning opportunities. 

The School of Pharmacy also recently ranked in the top 25 nationally in the 2020 U.S. News and World Report survey of best pharmacy schools, and in the top 20 for external research funding, according to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.

“While the accomplishments of the School of Pharmacy are many, accreditation is one that validates the quality of their programs, processes and faculty,” said Noel Wilkin, UM provost and executive vice chancellor and professor of pharmacy administration. “This also demonstrates their commitment to a thorough self-study and evaluation of everything that they do. 

“The true beneficiaries of this accomplishment are the students, as it assures them that the program meets all the necessary standards.”

By Whitney Tarpy