25 August 2008
The Victorian College of Pharmacy, a faculty of Monash University, has embraced its modern position and focus announcing a change of name to the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Faculty Dean Professor Bill Charman said the name change, along with the Parkville campus's $45 million redevelopment and new research building, represented an exciting and bold step forward.
"The new name clearly articulates our vision as an eminent Australian faculty with a breadth of expertise that enables us to deliver on all aspects of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences."
The name change comes two years after the 125 year anniversary of the Victorian College of Pharmacy.
To maintain a tangible link to its past, the faculty retains the name of its alumni arm, the Victorian College of Pharmacy Foundation.
"Having proudly honoured our past achievements, there was a need to better communicate the faculty's present day position and future focus -- pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences."
Originally the school of the Pharmaceutical Society of Victoria, the Victorian College of Pharmacy merged with Monash University in 1992.
The faculty now delivers a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the area of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences to more than 1200 students. Students benefit from innovative advances in teaching practices and technologies.
Academic and research staff at the faculty collaborate with leading national and international partners including pharma and biotech companies, research institutes and universities.
The faculty receives substantial research support from the pharmaceutical industry, government and funding agencies such as the ARC, NHMRC, NIH (USA), WHO and philanthropic trusts such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Professor Charman said the establishment of the Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation in 2002 and the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences in January 2008 has provided a means for academic and commercial partners to leverage the scientific expertise and state-of-the-art instrumentation available at the faculty.
He said the new Centre for Medicine Use and Safety was another important part of the faculty's research profile and was focussed in the area of pharmacy practice research.
"The faculty has terrific staff with excellent teaching and research outcomes." said Professor Charman. "Our new name better reflects the faculty's distinct position within the healthcare, pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors."
For further information and interviews contact Shaunnagh O'Loughlin, Media and Communications on +61 3 9903 4843 or Professor Bill Charman on + 61 3 9903 9502.
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