FDU Pharmacy School Authorized to Enroll First Class

Medco School of Pharmacy has received precandidate accreditation status from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, which authorizes the university to enroll its first class this fall, the university announced Tuesday.

The pharmacy school received ACPE approval on June 26 based on an on-site evaluation conducted May 7 to 9, the school said.

The school's classrooms and labs will be located on the first floor of an office building at 230 Park Ave. in Florham Park near Punch Bowl Road.

“It’s a colossal accomplishment,” Ruth Nemire, founding dean of FDU’s Medco School of Pharmacy, said in a news release. “The ACPE precandidate status enables us to welcome our first class. It also verifies that there is confidence in the vision and innovative approach to health professions education that defines FDU’s pharmacy program. We are excited to unveil a dynamic curriculum incorporating technology, a global perspective, and multiple master's degree options.”

The inaugural class will have about 85 students. The Medco School of Pharmacy .

“We congratulate Dean Nemire, Executive Associate Dean Mike Avaltroni and the entire faculty and staff of the Medco School of Pharmacy on this important achievement,” University Provost Christopher Capuano said. “The School of Pharmacy will provide our students with an innovative curriculum in a dynamic environment for interactive learning while utilizing the valuable resources of the pharmaceutical companies located in New Jersey."

The next steps in the accreditation process include reaching candidate status after another site visit by ACPE in the spring of 2013, and then becoming eligible for full accreditation after the first class graduates. Once accreditation is granted, it applies retroactively to classes in progress and to students who finished the program.