UCSF School of Pharmacy ranks #1

The UCSF School of Pharmacy continues to rank #1 among Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree programs in the United States according to results of a survey conducted in 2007 and published online on March 26, 2008 by U.S. News & World Report.

"Our success in rankings such as these has a lot to do with the fact that we don't rest on past achievements. We press ahead. Our goal is to educate pharmacists who will be innovative health care providers and advocates for the patients they serve. So in many ways, this ranking reflects the leadership of our graduates," said Mary Anne Koda-Kimble, PharmD, dean of the School.

As an example, she explains, the UCSF chapter of the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) received the Chapter of the Year Award for achievement during the 2006-2007 academic year.

The UCSF School of Pharmacy is known worldwide for its leadership in pharmacy education. In the 1960s, the School was the first to train pharmacists as drug therapy specialists and not simply drug dispensers. This philosophical and academic shift positioned pharmacists as "clinical pharmacists" who, as active members of the health care team, began to work side by side with physicians and nurses to provide direct care to patients and consultation to patients' families.

In 1998, the School launched a 3-pathway PharmD curriculum that gives students, who are all clinically trained, the opportunity to further explore pharmaceutical care, pharmaceutical science, and pharmaceutical health policy and management in more detail. "In order for pharmacists to be leaders in the best, safe, effective use of medicines, pharmacy school curricula must be farsighted and continually refreshed," explained Koda-Kimble. UCSF School of Pharmacy graduates are now being recruited for not only clinical pharmacist positions but positions in pharmacy research, policy, and management.

The U.S. News and World Report survey of pharmacy schools was conducted in the fall 2007 for the 2008 rankings of PharmD programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Fifty-five percent of accredited programs surveyed responded. Survey subjects included deans, other administrators, and/or faculty in pharmacy programs. The report is available online and in hard copy and is entitled America's Best Graduate Schools, 2009 Edition.

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• [America's Best Graduate Schools, 2009 Edition, Pharmacy Ranked 2008, U.S. News & World Report][link defunct]
• UCSF School of Pharmacy PharmD Degree Program