Husson pharmacy school receives accreditation OK
6/30/09 | 8 comments

Husson pharmacy school receives accreditation OK


By Judy Harrison
BDN Staff

BANGOR, Maine — Husson University received Monday notification of “pre-candidacy” status from the national Accreditation Council on Pharmacy Education.

“This means we will matriculate our first class of [doctor of pharmacy] students this September and we will be on our way,” said Rod Larson, dean of Husson’s School of Pharmacy.

The university, formerly Husson College, began accepting pre-pharmacy undergraduates in 2007. The accrediting council requires that the dean, faculty, curriculum, facilities and many of the practice sites be in place before “pre-candidacy” status can be awarded, the university said in a press release. Husson has met these stan-dards and has assembled a full class of students.

“Husson has already enrolled 100 pre-pharmacy students and has tuition deposits for close to 60 doctoral students pending this approval,” Husson President William Beardsley said Monday. “We have the faculty, staff, facilities and students and, now, the official authorization to begin. Most of our entering class — 72 percent — is from Maine, although we have deposits from across the nation.

“Most of our clinical experiential sites are in Maine,” he said. “We believe Maine students studying and practicing right here will work here, and there is a significant unmet need for pharmacists, particularly in rural, small-town Maine. This is what Husson is all about.”

Husson has developed several tracks for moving from high school graduation into the doctor of pharmacy program, according to Julie Green, Husson spokeswoman. Students may enroll in the university’s pre-pharmacy-chemistry major or pre-pharmacy-biology major and then transfer into the doctoral program after two, three or four years of study if and when they meet all entry requirements. Students with extensive science backgrounds and-or science degrees at other colleges and universities across the country also may apply directly to the program.

In addition, the university has signed a compact with the University of New Brunswick that follows a similar pattern. Several of the Canadian student practice sites will be located in Canada.

“The pre-pharmacy program at Husson gives talented Maine students an accelerated, affordable special opportunity and reflects Husson’s mission of serving Maine youth,” Julie Ogden, pharmacy director of admissions, said.

The Husson School of Pharmacy is on track to graduate its first class in 2013, according to Green.

The pharmacy school at the University of New England in Biddeford also was notified Monday by the ACPE that it had received pre-candidacy status.

jharrison@bangordailynews.net

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Comments
8 comments on this item
On 6/30/09 at 12:37 AM, cm1113 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

At least one school in the area is going in the right direction.

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On 6/30/09 at 7:11 AM, PabMainer wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Great news for Husson and for the area with the notice of accreditation for their pharmacy school....congratulations to all who have worked and planned for this to come to reality....

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On 6/30/09 at 8:23 AM, greentoad wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

And many thanks to the community who have supported the School of Pharmacy. This school will have a major impact on the local economy and rural parts of the state. We now have another viable option for Maine grads to earn a substantial wage while staying in the State. Congrats, indeed.

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On 6/30/09 at 10:43 AM, MayorMcheesy wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

now we just need that law school

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On 6/30/09 at 7:19 PM, MaineGuy50 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

MayorMcheesy -- Oh good lord, a law school? There are currently far too many lawyers in this country tripping over their own feet; and keep in mind, passing the bar is much easier than passing the CPA exam. Lawyer friends of mine have often remarked how the legal profession has allowed itself to veer away from what is right and just; leaving behind ethics and the constituion of our great country and of our states. Two famous and excellent quotes come to mind: "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers" and "Lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut."

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On 6/30/09 at 7:28 PM, MaineGuy50 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Husson's school of Pharmacy is great news for this state in terms of the educational arena. However, and it's to be expected, most of the graduates will leave Maine and seek jobs in other states. You can have the best educational system there is but if we as a state don't start bringing industries and business into the state, all those graduates will turn their back on Maine -- and only come back as tourists! I guess what we all need to be doing now is to educated the gubanatorial candidates -- I wonder if they're all educated or just degreed, big difference you know!

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On 6/30/09 at 8:10 PM, greentoad wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

That is a rather pessimistic sentiment, MaineGuy50. The Pharmacist shortage in Maine (one of the most high-needs states in the union) actually means that Pharmacists make equal if not more money to stay in state and in home towns. In the county there are large signing bonuses. What this means is that the kid from The County who gets his Pharm.D can go back north to his hometown and make a six figure salary. I think you'll see the bulk of the students graduating from Husson have a deep connection with and a desire to work in the rural parts of the state. Stay home, go far indeed.

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On 6/30/09 at 9:14 PM, Woody1 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Maine all ready has a law school, at USM. And if you're tripping over lawyers, change your route. There's also a shortage of lawyers in the state.

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