A Message From the Dean

To Prospective Students:

Welcome to the College of Pharmacy at the University of Georgia. It is my distinct pleasure to introduce you to the Pharmacy Profession. Pharmacy is the health care profession responsible for dispensing medicines, educating patients about their medications and working with clinicians to promote the effective use of drugs. With the unprecedented advances in drug discovery, together with the exciting new interdisciplinary approaches to scientific discovery, it is sometimes difficult to predict the future of pharmacy in the 21st century. One thing is certain, however--there has never been a more dynamic and exciting time for Pharmacy.

The role of the pharmacist has been expanding to where the pharmacist is a key member of the patient-care team responsible for drug therapy decisions, selection of drug products, providing expert drug information, monitoring and assessing patient adherence and compliance, detecting adverse drug reactions, assessing outcomes of drug therapy, together with various management responsibilities related to drug utilization and drug formularies. Pharmacists are also taking an increasingly active role in the area of prevention and wellness. This is an area that will become more important over time as our knowledge of environmental and genetic risks for disease expands.

Today's Pharmacy student is educated and trained to take advantage of the new and evolving practice roles. UGA's Pharmacy curriculum offers a solid foundation in core pharmacy competencies, and, in addition, provides students with skills including disease and wellness patient management, population management and epidemiology, pharmacoeconomics, outcomes measurement, and health services research.

Many career opportunities are available in community and institutional pharmacy, government service, industry, teaching, and research; and new opportunities are continuously emerging. Whatever path you choose, it is certain that Pharmacy will provide you with many career opportunities as well as professional and personal satisfaction.

I urge you to read our Bulletin to become familiar with the College's programs and take advantage of all that UGA has to offer. I hope that you will choose to apply online to our College in preparation for a rewarding career in Pharmacy.

Svein Řie, Cand.Pharm., Ph.D.
Dean