CUW’s pharmacy program receives full accreditation

Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW), Mequon, learned July 2 that its Doctor of Pharmacy Program in its School of Pharmacy has been awarded full accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). The decision was supported by a positive ACPE site visit in March.

Concordia University Wisconsin School of Pharmacy Professor Dr. Elizabeth Musil, left, and student Janelle Juul mix chemicals in one of the school’s clinical research labs. Juul is one of 67 students who graduated from the pharmacy school in May. (Concordia University Wisconsin Marketing Department)

The achievement is “a culmination of more than five years of CUW’s visionary leadership, as well as countless hours of work by faculty, staff, administrators, preceptors and students” as well as “generous support from community partners,” according to a CUW news release.

“We are very thankful to all our practice site partners, preceptors and donors,” said Dr. Dean Arneson, dean of the CUW School of Pharmacy. “The amount of time and support from so many in the region is the reason for our success.”

Full accreditation, which evaluates 30 different standards, demonstrates academic and professional excellence in pharmacy and servant leadership and “is the next big step into the validation of our program,” Arneson said. “It means the qualifications of a good program have been met.”

The first CUW School of Pharmacy class — 67 students — graduated in May, and some 70 percent of them are expected to work in Wisconsin, which has a shortage of pharmacists.

CUW’s $12 million School of Pharmacy building — which features state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories — opened in fall 2011. For more information about the school, click here.

Founded in 1881, Concordia University Wisconsin offers 60 undergraduate majors, 14 master’s degree programs and doctoral degrees in physical therapy and nursing practice as well as pharmacy. It is one of 10 campuses in the Synod’s Concordia University System.

Posted July 8, 2014