Contact: Heather Woolwine
843.792.7669
woolwinh@musc.edu
June 26, 2007
CHARLESTON -- The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) awarded SCCP Candidate status, which means that it has passed a critical second step in an accreditation three-step process. Achieving candidate status provides graduates the same rights and privileges as those from a program that has completed the accreditation process. The final accreditation step will occur after the first class of students graduates in 2010.
"This is an important step for the college," said Joseph DiPiro, PharmD, SCCP executive dean. "It means that our graduates can become licensed pharmacists when they graduate. It shows that ACPE, the accreditation agency, believes that we can meet all the standards for the doctor of pharmacy program. Our faculty, staff and students have worked very hard to achieve this."
SCCP, which combines the MUSC and University of South Carolina colleges of pharmacy, had to undergo accreditation as a new program when the colleges merged.
MUSC and USC have existing accredited programs that will graduate classes in 2008 and 2009.
Currently, SCCP has 380 students enrolled between MUSC and USC campuses.
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 10,000 employees, including 1,300 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.3 billion. MUSC operates a 600-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit www.musc.edu or www.muschealth.com.
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