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The new UNT System College of Pharmacy has been granted accreditation status by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) which allows admission of the inaugural class of Doctor of Pharmacy students in August of 2013.

The ACPE is an accreditation body that reports to the U.S. Department of Education.

The accreditation status termed pre-candidate is the first of three steps leading to full accreditation by the ACPE. The next step, candidate status, is expected in a year or so. The college is eligible for candidate accreditation status after it has been operating for at least a year. A new college of pharmacy is not eligible for full accreditation until its first class has graduated.

The College of Pharmacy is the first college of pharmacy in Texas on an academic health science center campus, and the fifth school/college at the UNT Health Science Center. It joins the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, the School of Public Health, the School of Health Professions and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

The four-year pharmacy program involves three years of classroom, laboratory and early clinical experiences, and a fourth year of advanced clinical experiences leading to a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree. After passing a licensing exam, pharmacists can be involved in a variety of healthcare roles or continue their education in residency programs.

"We believe that teamwork among health care professionals is crucial for making health care better," said Myron "Mike" Jacobson, Ph.D., Dean of the System College of Pharmacy. "The availability of pharmacists and their detailed knowledge of therapy are among the reasons they are important members of the health care team."

"This new model of health care delivery based on a team model is key to creating a higher level of care for patients and their families," said Michael Williams, D.O., M.D., and Interim President of the UNT Health Science Center. "Achieving accreditation status demonstrates that the teamwork concept is essential to providing solutions for our community’s health both today and tomorrow."

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