State's First Public Pharmacy School Set to Open

Massachusetts just gained its first and only public pharmacy school.

The University of Massachusetts (UMass) Lowell School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is planning to enroll students in its 4-year PharmD program and 2-year pre-pharmacy program in fall 2017, according to a school statement.

The pharmacy school will encompass the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, which will focus on drug discovery and development, and the Department of Pharmacy Practice, which will explore specializations of the clinical science of pharmacy. These 2 departments will teach students pursuing PharmD, MS, and PhD programs, according to the school.

Mehdi Boroujerdi, PhD, was appointed as founding dean and will spearhead the development of the Doctor of Pharmacy program. The school’s statement notes Dr. Boroujerdi will help move along the pre-accreditation process by the American Council for Pharmacy Education.

“I am delighted that [Dr.] Boroujerdi is sharing his expertise with UMass Lowell as we establish our School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, an important initiative for the university,” wrote Shortie McKinney, dean of the university's College of Health Sciences, in a school statement.

McKinney told The Lowell Sun tuition costs have not yet been finalized.