WCU’s pharmacy school opens today

Mississippi’s second pharmacy school opened here on the Gulf Coast. Classes began today at William Carey’s School of Pharmacy in Biloxi.

For now, the 58 students will be meeting in temporary locations, awaiting the October scheduled opening of the $7 million three-story pharmacy building. Baptist-affiliated William Carey will offer an accelerated pharmacy course with students finishing in three academic years instead of the traditional four.

Classes will meet year-round in four terms of ten weeks each. School of Pharmacy Dean Dr. Michael Malloy said, “The Gulf Coast embraced the fact that we can have a professional school and a school of pharmacy. In fact, we’ve just about filled our class without even doing any marketing. What I get a sense is that the people here don’t want to drive four hours. They don’t wanna go out of state.”

Dr. Malloy tells News 25 with a new pharmacy school in the area, the goal is to work with existing health care practitioners and upgrade healthcare on the Coast.