School of Pharmacy Celebrates 100-Year History

Duquesne University’s School of Pharmacy will celebrate its centennial with special events on April 4-5. Former Pittsburgh Steelers legend Rocky Bleier will serve as the keynote speaker for the April 4 event. The school is only one of approximately 50 U.S. pharmacy schools to reach the 100-year mark.
 
With a focus on providing quality care to patients and conducting cutting-edge research, the renowned school has been an innovative leader in pharmacy education and leadership, preparing students for the many changes in the field over the decades.
 
“We are excited to be celebrating our 100th anniversary,” said School of Pharmacy Dean Dr. James Drennen. “As the pharmaceutical industry and the practice of pharmacy have grown, the School of Pharmacy has grown with them, advancing programs and improving classroom, faculty and research facilities to help students reach their bigger goals.”
 
Duquesne pharmacy school graduates and students have been a fixture in the western Pennsylvania region for decades, participating in community programs such as the annual Health and Wellness Fair in downtown Pittsburgh. The school has provided thousands of health screenings and immunizations to individuals living in underserved areas, continuing its commitment to health equity. 
 
“Duquesne has a long history of helping to meet community needs and we actively look for opportunities where our students can play a role to improve the health of the region,” Drennen said. “We are also thankful for our alumni, who make a difference in a variety of health settings both in the region and beyond.” 
 
Groundbreaking research inside the school’s labs has also been a hallmark for Duquesne. For example, the school’s Nanomedicine Manufacturing Lab (NML) was the first lab to create pain nanomedicine for trauma and surgical pain, which could lead to reducing the use of opioids for recovery. The NML also developed the first oxygen carrier with clinical grade imaging agents for real-time tracking during organ/limb preservation, which may reduce organ rejection and lead to improving transplantation success. 
 
Since its founding in 1925, the school has been renowned for its innovative programs that help meet the needs of students and the greater community alike. It was one of the first schools in the nation to offer an online Doctor of Pharmacy Program.

 More recently, the school developed a partnership with CVS to educate the next generation of pharmacists. The partnership comes at an opportune time, as the Health Resources and Services Administration projects there will be a shortage of nearly 5,000 pharmacists over the next 15 years, according to Total Pharmacy Journal.

Duquesne University

Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and horizon-expanding education. A campus of nearly 8,200 graduate and undergraduate students, Duquesne prepares students by having them work alongside faculty to discover and reach their goals. The University's academic programs, community service and commitment to equity and opportunity in the Pittsburgh region have earned national acclaim.

It's time for bigger goals. Follow Duquesne University on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.
www.duq.edu