University of the Incarnate Word

05/02/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 05/02/2024 13:57

UIW Feik School of Pharmacy Receives Reaffirmation of Accreditation

The UIW Feik School of Pharmacy (FSOP) is proud to announce that the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) granted the school a reaffirmation of accreditation for a maximum term of eight years. FSOP recently welcomed and hosted the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the national agency for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy. ACPE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the national agency for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy.

Reaccreditation was earned after two preparational years of dedicated work to building a self-study report that demonstrated how the institution meets the Council's 25 standards that warrant re-accreditation.

These standards involve items such as preparation to provide exceptional practice and care, offering beneficial financial resources, creating an efficient academic environment and other aspects that are essential to providing a successful education in pharmacy.

FSOP established its Self-Study Committee and began its work in January 2022, with subcommittees in place by March 2022. 100% of FSOP's faculty and staff were involved in the research and writing process of FSOP's case for accreditation. Community partners, preceptors and alumni also worked with FSOP to evaluate and respond to the content of each of the 25 standards.

According to ACPE's website, the self-study report is meant to "include qualitative and quantitative information on both faculty and student achievements and on educational outcomes, which demonstrate the program's success in attaining its objectives."

"This was a very busy process," said Dr. David Maize, dean of FSOP. "When we first started, FSOP personnel and I met every other week to go over the 25 standards that we had. We met three times a week for about two months to make the final draft."

The final version of the report was successfully submitted to ACPE on Sept. 22, 2023. After careful evaluation and a successful site visit by ACPE in 2024, FSOP earned its re-accreditation.

Without this accreditation, pharmacy schools can't continue their program and students are not allowed to take their licensure exam. FSOP's re-accreditation will allow the school to continue educating future generations of aspiring pharmacists.

In addition to receiving institutional accreditation, the Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE) Program and the Pharmacy Technician Program also received accreditation.

"These achievements bring together a lot of hard work," noted Maize. "It shows that we are moving ahead and are properly positioned to provide excellent pharmacy education. It makes me so very proud that we have received these three accreditations that help to ensure the excellence in education that we provide to the pharmacy students and pharmacists of our community."

Click here to learn more about UIW's Fiek School of Pharmacy.