About the School

Mastering Medicines to Maximize Health

This common purpose drives the spectrum of activity at the UCSF School of Pharmacy.

Whether moving forward an agenda of drug-related science or guiding young PhD scientists-in-the making, whether giving patients specialized pharmacy care or preparing a new generation of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) clinicians, the School is focused on preserving and improving the quality of human life.

• As the nation's top-ranked pharmacy school, it is succeeding.
• As the oldest school of pharmacy in the West, it has a long history of accomplishment in science, patient care, and in training tomorrow's PhD researchers and PharmD clinicians.
• As pioneers on the frontiers of everything from the biology of drug dosing to the application of computers in drug design, the School's faculty members are used to leading the way.

Today, the UCSF School of Pharmacy is working to create a future where sophisticated and tailored medicines subdue disease and sustain lifelong health effectively, efficiently, cost-effectively.

To this end, the School is:

• Studying molecules that are involved in both normal and disease-related biological processes with the goal of disrupting the steps that lead to disease
• Investigating how our unique genetic profiles affect our responses to drugs, and how we can use this information to better treat people with medicines and design new and vastly more effective medicines with fewer side effects
• Researching the economic, social, behavioral, and public policy issues that affect drug use and health care delivery -- everything from the best way to help people stop smoking tobacco, to the cost of drugs for the elderly -- all with the goal of improving pharmaceutical care
• Training a new PharmD as the consummate clinician prepared to pursue a broad range of careers in pharmaceutical science, pharmaceutical health policy and management, as well as direct patient care
• Preparing young scientists in fields that will hasten drug discovery -- including the fields of chemistry and chemical biology, pharmacogenomics, and biological and medical informatics
• Serving on national committees and boards that influence the direction of research and health care delivery, especially as it relates to medications
• Empowering people with the information they need to make the best personal choices about medications.

The UCSF School of Pharmacy is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.

The UCSF School of Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, which is the national agency for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy and providers of continuing pharmacy education.

More About the School

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