Wegmans School of Pharmacy Earns Full Re-Accreditation
The Wegmans School of Pharmacy at St. John Fisher University recently received re-accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).
The School earned a full eight years of accreditation from the Council, which is the national agency for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy and providers of continuing pharmacy education. Recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, ACPE sets the standards for the education of pharmacists to prepare them for the delivery of pharmacist-provided patient care. The accreditation process included a self-study that began in spring 2022, as well as a site visit in spring 2024.
“We are proud to earn full eight-year ACPE re-accreditation,” said Dr. Christine Birnie, dean of the School. “This accreditation is a testament to the dedication of our faculty and staff to maintaining excellence in our program and their commitment to our mission of producing high performing graduates for the pharmacy profession.”
As the only pharmacy school in the Rochester area, the School was established in 2006 and offers a Doctor of Pharmacy program rooted in the mission of preparing pharmacists for lives of intellectual, professional, and civic integrity. Made possible by a $5 million donation by the late Robert B. Wegman, then chairman of Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., the School now has more than 300 students and more than 30 faculty. With the launch of a fully online pathway in 2020, the School has begun to extend its reputation across the nation, a point that is reflected in the composition of its current students, who represent more than 25 states across the country.
“The creation of the Wegmans School of Pharmacy was a transformational milestone in the University’s history, affirming our commitment to shape and positively impact the health care landscape in the greater Rochester region,” said President Gerard J. Rooney. “Since its founding, the School has built a reputation for preparing pharmacists for lives of intellectual, professional, and civic integrity. Accreditation serves as confirmation that the School is living out its mission and meeting critical health care needs in our communities, and increasingly, across the nation.”
In addition to classroom and laboratory learning, 30 percent of the School’s curriculum includes experiential education components. Students participate in clinical rotations in their geographic regions, in a breadth of pharmacy settings, including community and health systems. Students also have the opportunity to engage in medical mission and service trips to Guatemala, Tanzania and India, among other places.
Since its opening, the School has graduated more than 1,000 students, who consistently perform above average on state-wide and national licensure exams.
“Accreditation is a robust process that can affirm a program, school, or institution’s commitment to excellence,” said Dr. Kevin Railey, Fisher’s provost. “We are proud that through this process, the ACPE recognized what we know: the Wegmans School of Pharmacy provides its students with cutting-edge educational opportunities while advancing the profession of pharmacy and positively impacting the health care landscape in the community.”