Nesbitt School of Pharmacy

The Nesbitt School of Pharmacy is the home for the two-year Pre-pharmacy Guaranteed Seat program and the four-year professional program. Students who successfully complete the Pre-pharmacy Guaranteed Seat program matriculate directly into the accredited program leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree. The School also accepts a limited number of Wilkes and other students into this professional program.

The School of Pharmacy offers a program of professional study leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. The purpose of the program is to prepare graduates for successful pharmacy practice in the health care environment of the twenty-first century.

Dean: Jonathan Ference

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs: Dr. Jennifer Malinowski

Associate Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs: Dr. Julie Olenak
Associate Dean of Experiential Education: Ms. Holt-Macey
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences: Dr. Marie Roke-Thomas, Chair
Interim Director of Experiential Programs: Dr Kristina Powers

Department of Pharmacy Practice: Dr. Thomas Franko, Chair

Faculty

Professors: Bolesta, Olenak, Roke-Thomas, VanWert
Associate Professors: J. Ference, K. Ference, Franko, Malinowski, Manning, McManus, Pezzino,Trombetta
Assistant Professors: Gruver, Kieck, Lewis, Mabry, Mahato, Warunek
Instructors: Holt-Macey, Powers
Professor Emeriti: Kibbe, Witczak

Associate Professor Emeriti: Jacobs
Dean Emeriti: Graham

The U.S. health care system has been undergoing rapid, even dramatic, change. This transformation is expected by most observers to continue for some time. Those individuals and organizations responsible for the delivery of pharmaceutical care have not been and will not be sheltered from the forces of change. It becomes necessary, therefore, to provide new practitioners with the necessary knowledge base and skills required in a transformed health care system.

With the rapid transformation of health care delivery, a strong foundation in the basic sciences (e.g., pharmaceutics, pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, anatomy and physiology) remains essential, while clinical knowledge (e.g., therapeutics, pharmacokinetics, pathophysiology) and skills (e.g., physical assessment, patient counseling, clinical decision-making) become even more important. Successful practice will demand an improved understanding of the social sciences (e.g., psychology, sociology, economics, health, policy, management). Most importantly, the future pharmacy practitioner must have outstanding interpersonal skills. Among these are the abilities to communicate effectively and to function in a team environment.

Our vision is to develop meaningful interprofessional education (IPE) activities where all students participate in both experiential and didactic settings. Through IPE, students understand the roles and responsibilities of health care professionals that are essential to patient care, gain first-hand experience in interdisciplinary collaboration, and develop their own individual professional identity as part of a larger team. These competencies are designed so that graduating students are trained to work as a team in optimizing patient health and outcomes. The goal of the IPE curriculum is to provide students with a set of skills and attitudes necessary to practice in an interprofessional environment.

While knowledge and skills are essential, we also ensure that our students develop as responsible citizens with highly professional demeanor who advocate, serve, care, and lead.

The School of Pharmacy offers a program of professional study leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. The purpose of the program is to prepare graduates for a successful, lifelong career providing contemporary, patient-centered care in a variety of healthcare settings.

The U.S. healthcare system continues to undergo rapid change. The role of pharmacists and medication therapy in the healthcare system is evolving. We strive to prepare graduates who have the knowledge and skills to engage in innovative practice today and the desire for lifelong learning that will prepare them for what comes in the future.

We instill a strong foundation of knowledge in the basic sciences (e.g., pharmaceutics, pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, anatomy and physiology), clinical sciences (e.g., therapeutics, pharmacokinetics, pathophysiology), and social sciences (e.g., psychology, sociology, economics, health, policy, management) while honing the skills that are needed to provide optimal care for patients (e.g., physical assessment, patient counseling, clinical decision-making).

While knowledge and skills are essential, we also ensure that our students develop as responsible citizens with highly professional demeanors who advocate, serve, care, and lead.