New Texas pharmacy school to open in 2015

The University of Texas at Tyler recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new pharmacy school scheduled to open in the fall of 2015.

The Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy anticipates serving students who are now being turned away from other Texas pharmacy schools.

"There are more than a 1000 students turned away from pharmacy schools in Tyler and Texas every year. Many of them go out of state and pay high tuition costs," UT Tyler President Rodney Mabry told KETK TV. "We should have a doubling of size in our chemistry program and biology program as a result of adding this pharmacy college."

UT Tyler has selected Lane Brunner as the pharmacy school’s dean. Brunner previously served as professor and chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences at California Northstate University College of Pharmacy. He was also founding dean of the Regis University School of Pharmacy in Denver.

"There is a huge need for pharmacists in East Texas and this school will help meet that need and it will also allow students to come here then go elsewhere in the state," said UT Tyler Pharmacy School Dean Brunner. "I became very fascinated with the region as well as how the university approaches education."

According to the Texas Workforce Commission, Texas will have 1,005 annual openings for pharmacists between 2010 through 2020, but pharmacy schools in the state will only produce 895 graduates per year.