The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) recently granted the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Doctor of Pharmacy program, located in Suwanee, Georgia, eight years of continued accreditation. The accreditation term was extended through June 30, 2028, which represents a customary eight-year cycle, according to ACPE. The accreditation decision was made at the ACPE board of directors meeting held July 29 – August 1, 2020.
Shawn Spencer, RPh, PhD, dean and chief academic officer of the PCOM School of Pharmacy, said, “ACPE safeguards quality in pharmacy education by verifying accreditation standards are met within the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program. The faculty, staff, students, preceptors and administrators within the School of Pharmacy have all worked together to ensure programmatic excellence which helped us achieve continued accreditation status in light of more rigorous ACPE standards.”
According to ACPE, the decision was made based on an onsite evaluation held March 10 – 12, 2020, the School of Pharmacy’s self-study, along with additional communications with the school. ACPE is not scheduled to conduct another site visit at PCOM until the 2027-28 academic year, however monitoring of the School of Pharmacy’s accreditation status will occur regularly.
PCOM Provost Kenneth Veit, DO, MBA, said, “We are extremely proud of the tremendous effort put forth by the PCOM School of Pharmacy community to maintain a quality program and to earn continuing accreditation from ACPE. I congratulate Dean Spencer and all involved for meeting each of ACPE’s accreditation standards and thereby garnering continuing accreditation status for the next eight years.”
Founded in 2010, the PCOM School of Pharmacy is a four-year Doctor of Pharmacy program consisting of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Department of Pharmacy Practice. Students enrolled in the PharmD program have the option of enhancing their credentials by pursuing a concentration or a dual degree program. Concentration areas include acute care pharmacy, ambulatory care pharmacy and managed care pharmacy. PharmD students also may pursue one of three online graduate business programs offered in partnership with Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
The school’s vision is to be recognized “as a national leader in educating doctors of pharmacy who influence and impact health.” The mission of the School of Pharmacy is to “promote the health and well-being of diverse communities in society by training student learners to become collaborative healthcare team members, advocates and leaders in pharmacy.”
The SOP achieves its mission through “advancement of contemporary pharmacy practice, interprofessional education, patient-centered care, innovative research, a commitment to service, and lifelong personal and professional development.”
