School of Pharmacy Ranks No. 5 Nationally in Research Funding

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy tops off a stellar year with a No. 5 ranking among pharmacy schools for total extramural funding awarded for research, according to a report compiled by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.

During fiscal year 2008, the School of Pharmacy garnered more than $16 million in total extramural funding, including $6.09 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health for a No. 19 ranking in that category. All these funds are garnered for specific research projects.

“The faculty of the School of Pharmacy continue to be very successful in garnering research funds to support their varied research endeavors,” said Charles D. Hufford, associate dean for research and graduate programs.

The University of California at San Francisco took the top spot with $27.6 million, followed by the universities of North Carolina, Utah and Kansas. UM is the only Southeastern Conference school in the Top 15.

Also included in the $16 million is funding from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Agriculture, Health Resources and Services Administration, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Receiving extramural funds from agencies such as NIH is vital to the accomplishment of the research mission and critical to the national reputation of the university and School of Pharmacy, said UM pharmacy dean Barbara G. Wells. The awards garnered are highly competitive and are used to gauge a pharmacy school’s research program, she said.

The success of the research program compliments an already solid doctoral educational program for pharmacists. The school reports an average pass rate (on first attempt) exceeding 98 percent, and four of the last seven graduating doctor of pharmacy classes had a 100 percent pass rate on the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination.

“These statistics document the impressive success of the School of Pharmacy in accomplishing our educational and research missions,” Wells said. “The credit for these achievements goes to dedicated and highly expert faculty and to our competitive students, all of whom are committed to improving the health and quality of life of citizens. These accomplishments attest to the quality and value of pharmacy education at the University of Mississippi.”

For more information on pharmacy education and research at UM, go to http://www.pharmacy.olemiss.edu/ .