Pharmacy School Gets Reaccreditation

By Kukla Vera on August 5, 2009 8:06 AM

R. Pete Vanderveen, dean of the USC School of Pharmacy, announced the actions of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education pertaining to the accreditation of the school’s Pharm.D. program.

“I’m pleased to report that we have received the full six-year term of accreditation. This status was based on a formal review of our school after an exhaustive self-study and a three-day site visit back in January,” Vanderveen said. “These results are excellent and attest to the exemplary quality of our program.”

The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the accrediting body for pharmacy schools nationwide. The USC School of Pharmacy received full accreditation through June 30, 2015.

In preparation for the review by the council, associate dean of student affairs and curriculum Fred Weissman prepared thousands of pages of materials to address each of the 30 rigorous standards that were reviewed by the accreditation team. Input for the self-study was collected from faculty, students, staff, alumni, preceptors, school boards and other groups.

“We are very grateful to the leadership and tireless work that associate dean Weissman provided for this review,” Vanderveen said. “And, of course, his efforts and the efforts of the entire faculty were critical factors in the exemplary ranking.”

The school successfully met all 30 standards that the evaluation team uses to review Pharm.D. programs. The standards focus on school mission, planning, evaluation procedures, organization, curriculum, student issues, faculty and staff, and facilities and resources. Of note, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education has cited the school’s curricular design as a model of best practices in pharmacy education and will use it as an example for schools nationwide.

Other news from the School of Pharmacy involves recent appointments and promotions announced by Vanderveen.

Sarah Hamm-Alvarez, the Gavin S. Herbert Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences, has been appointed the new associate dean for research affairs. Hamm-Alvarez is also the chair of the school’s Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Kathleen Johnson, holder of the William A. and Josephine A. Heeres Chair in Community Pharmacy, has been promoted to professor. Johnson is the chair of the Titus Family Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Economics & Policy.

Vanderveen also announced the promotion of Tien Ng to associate professor. Other recent School of Pharmacy promotions include Joel Hay to professor, Clay Wang to associate professor and Jason Doctor to associate professor. Ng, Hay and Doctor are in the Titus Family Department; Wang is in the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

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