The Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy has been awarded a full, eight-year continued accreditation by the American Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). The continued accreditation term extends through June 30, 2029. This significant accomplishment is an expression of confidence in the Nesbitt School’s faculty and staff, student-pharmacists and alumni; the quality of the school’s classroom and experiential curriculum; and the impact the school has on the communities it serves.
The full reaccreditation follows a nearly two-year process that culminated with a virtual site visit in Oct. 2020 in which pharmacy students, faculty and staff met with evaluators.
“Since it was established more than 30 years ago, the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy has been a source of pride for us at Wilkes University,” said Wilkes President, Greg Cant. “Now more than ever, as health care professionals are in increased demand, this continuation of our accreditation ensures that we can continue to educate future pharmacists for years to come.”
ACPE accreditation is public recognition that a professional degree program leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree is judged to meet established qualifications and education standards through initial and subsequent periodic evaluations. The essential purpose of the accreditation process is to provide a professional judgment of the quality of a college or school of pharmacy’s professional program and to encourage continued improvement thereof.
Dean of the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy Scott Stolte stated, “I am very pleased but not surprised by reaccreditation result. Our Nesbitt School family, what we call our ‘pharmily,’ is truly outstanding in many ways. It feels rewarding to all of us to have our accreditation organization, ACPE, acknowledge our excellence with a full accreditation term. I am grateful to Dr. Jennifer Malinowski for leading this effort.”
Graduates from the Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy consistently achieve pass rates that exceeds the national average on the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) and the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE).
Wilkes Pharm.D. graduates who took the NAPLEX for the first time between May and August 2020 earned a 94 percent pass rate. The MPJE pass rate for Wilkes pharmacy graduates taking the Pennsylvania exam for the first time was 100 percent. In addition, over a third of students obtain post-graduate residency and fellowship positions.
Wilkes student-pharmacists are regularly recognized for their work not only in the classroom, but in the community. Student organizations within the Nesbitt School offer Medicare information sessions and help connect patients to free medication therapy management services. They also host numerous community outreach events on naloxone use, proper medication disposal and stigma reduction. An annual opioid awareness walk, a weekly radio show on the Wilkes radio station and other community initiatives help increase public awareness of prescription-medication misuse, a key factor in the opioid epidemic.
Most recently, Wilkes pharmacy students have been working to administer COVID-19 vaccinations at community pharmacies and local health systems and conduct COVID-19 testing as part of a semester-long assurance testing program at the University.
“Our Nesbitt School of Pharmacy immediately responded to the pandemic, training our students on how to administer vaccines and deploying them within the community,” said Terese Wignot, interim provost and senior vice president. “The continuation of our accreditation is evidence of this commitment to academic excellence and the health care profession.”
Founded in 1996, the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy is the region’s only school of pharmacy. The school develops pharmacists who will provide high-quality health care and make meaningful contributions to the science and practice of pharmacy. The school awards the doctor of pharmacy degree, the primary, entry-level pharmacy practice degree in the United States. For more information about the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy visit, www.wilkes.edu/pharmacy.
