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WesternU / College of Pharmacy / About the College

About the College

Our Brand Promise: Create. Care. Connect.

CREATE

  • Develop and deliver curricular innovations to prepare leaders who will excel in a dynamic profession.
  • Engage in research and scholarship that advances the practice and science of pharmacy.

CARE

  • Produce graduates to abide by the highest ethical and professional standards of pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical sciences.
  • Support an inclusive environment and community that establishes a culture of well-being and commitment to service.

CONNECT

  • Recruit and retain students, postdoctoral trainees, staff, and faculty from diverse backgrounds and provide opportunities for advancement and professional success.
  • Enhance strategic partnerships and promote external recognition of accomplishments to strengthen the local and global impact of the college.

Message from the Dean

The WesternU College of Pharmacy is an exciting place to visit and an exciting place to learn. Explore our academic programs, learn about our outstanding faculty and read about our many accomplishments. Whether you are a prospective student, a proud member of our alumni, part of our network of affiliated health care institutions, a future employee, or simply someone who wants to learn more about the College, welcome.

Sunil Prabhu, BPharm, PhD, FAACP, has been named the new dean of the College of Pharmacy

WesternU is a graduate university for the health professions that is committed to preparing graduates, in a learner-centered academic and professional environment, who will serve the health care needs of society for today and for the future.

We accomplish this through the delivery of an innovative curriculum by a team of dedicated faculty and professional staff who promote independent and group learning, problem-solving, and continuous self assessment.

With these tools our graduates are prepared as lifelong learners who will always be able to provide the best in contemporary care.

Sunil Prabhu, BPharm, PhD
Professor, Dean
  • Motto, Vision, Mission

    Motto

    Create. Care. Connect.

    Vision

    • To be leaders in pharmacy education, practice, and research.

    Mission

    • To develop leaders in patient care and research within a culture of excellence and inclusivity, who will advance health care through innovative pharmacy education and practice, advocacy, interprofessional collaboration, scholarship, and service.
  • Accreditation

    The WesternU College of Pharmacy is fully accredited through June 2029 by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) to offer the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program. ACPE is the sole accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit professional degree programs in pharmacy and is located at 135 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 4100, Chicago, IL 60603-4810. They can be contacted at (312) 664-3575, Fax (312) 664-4652, or at their website: www.acpe-accredit.org.

  • About the Pharmacy Profession

    The practice of pharmacy has evolved from a historical emphasis on the preparation and distribution of drug products to new activities and responsibilities that focus on the rational, safe and cost-effective use of drugs. Just as it is generally assumed that physicians are primarily involved in providing medical care and nurses in providing nursing care, pharmacists are the primary providers of pharmaceutical care. The mission of the pharmacy profession, therefore, is to meet the pharmaceutical care needs of the public. Pharmaceutical care is patient-centered, outcome-oriented, contemporary pharmacy practice that requires the pharmacist to work in concert with the patient and the patient’s other health care providers to promote health, prevent disease, and assess, monitor, initiate and modify medication use so that pharmacotherapy is safe and effective. The provision of pharmaceutical care to patients requires an understanding of the chemistry of drug entities, the delivery characteristics of dosage formulations, the disposition of drugs within the body, the physiologic and pharmacologic outcome of drugs’ interactions with the human body and the social systems in which medications are used. As a pharmacist you will be able to care for your patients in many important ways:

    • Participate in the planning and implementation of effective drug therapy.
    • Monitor and evaluate drug therapy to identify and solve patient-specific drug therapy problems.
    • Evaluate clinical literature.
    • Prepare medications.
    • Select the drug product dosage form.
    • Calculate the dose and determine the dosing schedule.
    • Educate and counsel patients, and;
    • Work with other health care providers and the patient to promote health and prevent disease.
  • Four medical students in white coats sit around a table with laptops, engaging in a study session. A presentation on cardiac myocytes is displayed on a screen in the background.

    Interprofessional Education

    Interprofessional Practice and Education (IPE) provides an integrated, interdisciplinary, discussion-based approach to learning. IPE occurs when students from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes. Once students understand how to work interprofessionally, they are ready to enter the workplace as a member of the collaborative practice team. This is a key step in moving health systems from fragmentation to a position of strength.

    The College of Pharmacy’s Proud History

    The College of Pharmacy welcomed its charter class into the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program in the Fall of 1996. The WesternU College of Pharmacy was the fourth college of pharmacy to be established in the state of California and prepares students in a humanistic, interdisciplinary tradition to become competent, qualified professionals. Graduates of WesternU’s College of Pharmacy complement other health care team members by offering their expertise in comprehensive drug therapy management.