Classifieds Cars Communities Health Homes Jobs Law Shopping Visitors
 
   HOME   NEWS   SPORTS   BUSINESS   OPINIONS   HAPPENINGS   PEOPLE   LIVING   OUTDOORS   WEATHER

 HOME »
How safe do you think our port is?


Would closure of local military bases affect your life for better or worse?


Do you agree/disagree with the plan to bring a container port to the Corpus Christi area?


Do you think that Proposition 12 has helped or hurt the South Texas economy?

 
       · EDUCATION/MEDICAL


FIFTH IN STATE:The Irma Rangel School of Pharmacy will be the fifth pharmacy school in Texas. Groundbreaking for the $4 million construction project took place last March. At least one professor for the school has already been hired. Contributed photo


Irma Rangel

The school was named after longtime state Rep. Irma Rangel, who died in March.

Rangel Pharmacy School

Growing university gets a new school A&M’s pharmacy program premieres in fall of 2005

By Icess Fernandez/Caller-Times

The Irma Rangel School of Pharmacy at Texas A&M University-Kingsville is set to open its doors next year.

University officials anticipate the school to open in fall 2005 but applications to enroll in the school’s program are currently being accepted.

Indra Reddy, who will start Feb. 2 as the dean of the new pharmacy school, and one adjunct associate professor, Kevin Purcell, have already been hired, and university officials expect the first class to be about 75 students. They anticipate enrollment eventually to grow to 100 students per graduating class.

Mauro Castro, associate dean at the school, said that along with expanding opportunities at the university, the pharmacy school would help increase the number of pharmacists in the area.

David Gonzales, Texas Pharmacy Association spokesman, agreed.

"The pharmacy school in Kingsville will not only help the people in South Texas, it will also help people all over the state because we are importers of pharmacists," he said.

According to the Texas Workforce Commission, about 870 new pharmacists would have to graduate each year to the fill the need for pharmacists by 2009.

About 365 students graduate each year from the state’s four pharmacy colleges and schools. The school in Kingsville will be the fifth pharmacy school in the state.

Ron Garza, a Texas Pharmacy Association director and local pharmacist, said the shortage of pharmacists has handicapped health in South Texas.

"Pharmacists are the most accessible health care professional there is," he said. "It is a much-needed school and it’s a perfect school for South Texas. As a result of that, health care in South Texas will improve dramatically."

Contact Icess Fernandez at 886-3748 or fernandezi@caller.com
© 2005 Texas Scripps Newspapers, L.P. A Scripps Howard newspaper. All Rights Reserved. Site users are subject to our User Agreement. Read our privacy policy. Questions? Comments? Contact us.