History, Mission, & Values

History of MUSC Pharmacy

MUSC Pharmacy has been around since the Chester Arthur administration, just three years after Thomas Edison was credited with inventing the first light bulb.

By faculty resolution, resulting in an amendment to the charter in 1881, the Medical College created a Department of Pharmacy that was the first of its kind in the Deep South. The School of Pharmacy admitted its first students in 1882, discontinued after two years, then resumed on a permanent basis in 1894, offering the degree of graduate in pharmacy (Ph.G.).

The program leading to a degree of bachelor of science in pharmacy began in 1936. The doctor of pharmacy degree program began in 1973 and a PhD program in pharmaceutical sciences was initiated in 1982 (the latter administered through the MUSC College of Graduate Studies in collaboration with the University of South Carolina). 

In 2004, with the approval of the MUSC and USC boards of trustees, the MUSC College of Pharmacy integrated with the USC College of Pharmacy to form a joint program through the South Carolina College of Pharmacy, which matriculated its first class in 2006. In 2015, the MUSC Board of Trustees approved an initiative for the MUSC College of Pharmacy once again to pursue individual accreditation. 

Today, the College of Pharmacy on MUSC campus boasts a student body of more than 300 students in the PharmD program. Students may also pursue a PharmD/Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences or Outcomes Research or a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences through the College of Graduate Studies. The College also offers a joint PharmD/MBA degree with The Citadel Graduate College.

In addition, the MUSC Medical Center and College of Pharmacy Residency Program offers one of the largest and most respected pharmacy residency programs in the country with 12 specialty tracks and typically 20 residents.

Our Mission

The mission of the MUSC College of Pharmacy is to lead pharmacy education, scientific discovery, and patient care in South Carolina and globally.

Our Core Values

• Compassion
• Collaboration
• Respect
• Integrity
• Innovation
• Excellence 

Our Vision

Improving lives through innovative education, research, and patient care.

Our Goals