Mercer University’s Doctor of Pharmacy Program is ranked among the top 6 pharmacy programs among private universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. The College offers doctoral degrees in pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and pharmaceutical sciences (Ph.D.). Located in the vibrant Atlanta metropolitan area, Mercer University College of Pharmacy is one of the most diverse pharmacy schools in the nation. We offer students a robust educational experience through an expansive network of healthcare providers. With a legacy of caring for more than a century, we prepare our students to lead the pharmacy profession and face the future challenges of a dynamic healthcare environment. 

Videos

Key Faculty

• Dr. Brian Crabtree, Dean of the College of Pharmacy
• Dr. Candace Barnett, Executive Associate Dean and Distinguished Chair of Pharmacy Administration

• Dr. Gina Ryan, Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives, Interim Chair of Pharmacy Practice, Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Director of Interprofessional Education

• Dr. Nader Moniri, Associate Dean for Research; Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences

• Dr. C. Lea Bonner, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs; Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
• Dr. Ajay Banga, Chair and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Co-Director of the Center for Drug Delivery Research and the T. P. Haines Endowed Chair in Transdermal Delivery Systems
• Dr. Kathryn Momary, Vice Chair of Administration and Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences

• Dr. Christine Klein, Vice Chair of Experiential Education and Clinical Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice

• Dr. Martin D'Souza, Director of Graduate Program; Director of the Clinical Laboratory; Co-Director of the Center for Drug Delivery Research; Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
  
• Dr. Johnathan Hamrick, Director of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences; Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
• Dr. Lori Syed, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice; Director of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences

Recognition & Awards

• For the PharmD Class of 2018, 35 students applied for an ASHP-accredited PGY1 residency and 22 students (62.9%) matched. Three members of the class were selected to complete a fellowship in the areas of the pharmaceutical industry or managed care settings. In all, 65.8% of students who sought post-graduate training will be pursuing additional education through residency or fellowship. 
• Four alumni were designated as early commit to a PGY2 residency program while another eight alumni went through the match process, of which seven (87.5%) matched with a PGY2 program. 
• SNPhA President Melissa Milfort and Vice President Jacarmen James, both P3s, won first place for the 2018 Kroger National Clinical Skills Competition, where they competed in a two-part competition against 44 teams from pharmacy schools across the country.
• For the third consecutive year, Mercer's Gamma Psi Chapter of the Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity has ranked as the Top Collegiate Chapter in the Nation. The fraternity was judged on participation in Kappa Psi regional and national events, member academics, and community outreach. 

• Research funding data released in July 2018 from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) show excellent growth and progress by the college of Pharmacy. The College rose 12 positions to 51st among all U.S. colleges/schools of pharmacy in total competitive external research funding with $1.7 million fiscal year 2017. Among R2 research universities, the category that includes Mercer University, the College of Pharmacy is first of 13 schools, and among R2 research universities to which the University aspires to in its strategic plan, the College ranks 7th of 13 institutions.  
• Jill Augustine, MPH, PharmD 2012, PhD and Director of Assessment and Assistant Professor, received an honorable mention in teh Innovations in Teaching category for her poster, "Objective, Structured Management Exams (OSMEs): An Innovative Way to Learn Business and Management Skills at the July 2018 annual meeting of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). 
• Drs. Augustine, Maria Thurston, and Lea Bonner presented a panel discussion on their assessment program of the College's Professional Development Network. Their assessment received the prestigious AACP Award for Excellence in Assessment. 
 
• Dr. Martin D'Souza, Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, received a $464,658 grant over three years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to support further development of a possible first ever gonorrhea vaccine. Dr. D'Souza also has designed a spray-dried particulate vaccine for ovarian cancer, which also was funded by the NIH. This vaccine is expected enter Phase I trials in early 2019 and will be the first ovarian cancer vaccine to reach clinical trials. Dr. D'Souza is working with the Houston, Texas based Kiromic Biopharma, which will oversee the trials of the capsulated vaccine at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Research and Labs

• Center for Clinical Research / Institute for Advanced Medical Research
• Center for Clinical Outcomes Research and Education
• Center for Drug Delivery Research
• Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
• Clinical Laboratory
• Cell Culture Laboratory
• Mucosal Proteomics Laboratory
• Analytical Development and Stability Testing Laboratory
• Nanosphere Technology Laboratory
• Biochemistry/Cell Biology Laboratory
• Laboratory of Receptor Pharmacology
• Drug Delivery Laboratory
• Transdermal Delivery Laboratory
• Isotope Laboratory
• Cancer Nanomedicine Laboratory
• Pharmacology Laboratory
• Clinical Translational Laboratory
• Center for Drug Design

More information about research at Mercer’s College of Pharmacy is available online at http://pharmacy.mercer.edu/research/. 

Tuition & Other Financial Information:

Doctor of Pharmacy for 2018 - 2019
Tuition per Semester: $36,318
Technology/Facilities Fee: $300

Incoming Pharmacy students with a PharmCAS-calculated cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.75 or higher are automatically eligible for a Dean’s Merit Scholarship ($7,500 for 2017-2018). Incoming Pharmacy students with a PharmCAS-calculated cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.50 - 3.74 are automatically eligible for a Dean's Scholarship ($5,000 for 2017-2018). These scholarships are renewable as long as the student maintains their GPA at the level required for the scholarship.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the student need-analysis system is used to determine a student’s financial need. For the Doctor of Pharmacy Program, most students who have completed 72 or more undergraduate hours prior to enrollment are eligible for a total of $33,000 in Stafford Loans per year. Additionally, Graduate PLUS loans may be obtained up to the cost of attendance. Total Cost of Education includes tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, personal expenses, and travel expenses.

School History

Mercer University's College of Pharmacy seeks to prepare its professional and post-graduate students to effectively contribute to and improve health care through excellence in patient-centered care and research. The College of Pharmacy had its beginnings in 1903 as an independent college in Atlanta and was first known as the Southern College of Pharmacy.

In 1938 the College was transferred from private ownership to a Board of  Trustees and was operated on this basis until July 1959. At that time, a merger with Mercer University was completed, and the Southern School of Pharmacy became a part of this Baptist-affiliated institution.  

In September 1981, the Southern School of Pharmacy became the first  pharmacy school in the Southeast and fifth in the nation to offer the  Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) as its sole professional degree. The University's first Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree was launched by the College of Pharmacy in 1988. Graduate students in the Ph.D. Program specialize in areas of pharmacology, pharmaceutics, toxicology, or medicinal chemistry. A dual Pharm.D./Ph.D. Program began in 1993, allowing highly qualified students to obtain both degrees in a shortened period of time. Students in the Pharm.D./Ph.D. Program are able to specialize in an additional area of experimental pharmacotherapeutics.

On July 1, 2006, the Southern School of Pharmacy changed its name to  the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. This name change characterized the College as a nationally recognized institution and provided the infrastructure to add future health science programs. In January 2008, the College began enrolling students in the Physician Assistant Program. In January 2010, the College started the first residency program in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy in the state of Georgia. The College began enrolling students into the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program in August 2010.

In July 2013, the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences name changed to the College of Pharmacy as the College of Health Professions formed to include the departments of Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, and Public Health and their programs.

With an enrollment of more than 600 students and a distinguished faculty of basic scientists and clinicians, the College houses seven centers focusing on research, teaching, and learning. The College’s motto, “A Tradition of Excellence – A Legacy of Caring,” frames its philosophy of providing excellent academic programs in an environment where every student matters and every person counts. 

Throughout  its long history, the College has developed a tradition of excellence  and a reputation for producing outstanding leaders throughout the U.S. and in several foreign countries.