“To provide the means of instruction by the establishment
of a school of pharmacy in which shall be taught those branches
of knowledge essential to the education of an apothecary; to
invite a spirit of pharmaceutical investigation and research
…”
The original objectives, drafted in 1821, based on the traditional
roles of the academy -- teaching, research, and service.
The proud legacy of University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
(USP) began when 68 Philadelphia apothecaries met in Carpenters'
Hall in 1821 to establish improved scientific standards and to
train more competent apprentices and students. These visionaries
sought to enhance their vocation as well as protect public welfare.
A year later, they organized and incorporated the Philadelphia
College of Pharmacy (PCP), the first college of pharmacy in the
nation. Thus, education in the profession of pharmacy in the U.S.
was born.
The college began to grow in enrollment, curriculum, and stature.
Although matriculation was originally limited to men, the college
became co-educational in 1876. The college initially emphasized
the biological and chemical sciences as mainstays of the curriculum
in pharmacy, but later instituted separate curricula in three
other areas: bacteriology, biology, and chemistry.
In 1921, the name of the institution was changed to Philadelphia
College of Pharmacy and Science, with State authorization to grant
not only the baccalaureate degree but also the master's and doctorate
in all four disciplines.
As the world of science continuously made advancements throughout
the decades, the college evolved and expanded its curriculum to
prepare students for the new wave of scientific breakthroughs.
The college also enhanced the role of the humanities and social
sciences in its science-based curricula. Primarily a commuter
campus through its early days, the institution began to transform
into one in which residential life and extracurricular activities
played a larger role in student development.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania approved the institution's application
for university status in February 1997. In recognition of the
broad spectrum of new health and science programs introduced by
the institution, the college changed its name to reflect the broader
range of academic opportunities offered to its students. On July
1, 1998, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science officially
unveiled its new identity as University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.
For over 185 years, USP has responded to and anticipated industry growth and changes in market forces. USP's newest college, the Mayes College of Healthcare Business and Policy, was established in September 2007 to offer undergraduate and graduate students a unique integrated academic experience that will meet the evolving business, policy, and healthcare needs of the nation. Students in the new college will benefit from the region’s rich life sciences economy, including the extensive network of healthcare, regulatory, pharmaceutical, and biotech industries. USP now comprises five colleges:
USP has launched the careers of many innovative and pioneering
individuals in the field of health care, including the founders
of six of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies:
- Dr. Eli Lilly (Class of 1907) and his father, Josiah K. Lilly
(Class of 1882) - Eli Lilly and Company
- Gerald F. Rorer (Class of 1931) - founder of Rorer Pharmaceuticals,
which is now Aventis Pharmaceuticals
- William R. Warner (Class of 1856), founder of Warner-Lambert
Company, Inc., which merged with Pfizer Inc.
- Robert L. McNeil, Jr. (Class of 1938) and his grandfather,
Robert McNeil (Class of 1876) - founder of McNeil Laboratories
Inc., which was split into two separate corporations: McNeil
Consumer Products Company (now McNeil Nutritionals) and McNeil
Pharmaceutical (now part of Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc.).
- John Wyeth (Class of 1854), founder of John Wyeth & Brother,
which is now part of Wyeth
- Silas M. Burroughs (Class of 1877) and Sir Henry S. Wellcome
(Class of 1874), founders in England of Burroughs Wellcome and
Company, which is now part of GlaxoSmithKline
USP alumni have made significant contributions in fields beyond
pharmacy, from pioneering the use of X-rays (Martin Wilbert, Pharmacy
- 1890) to motor oil additives (Vincent J. Cease, Pharmacy - 1956)
to rechargeable batteries (Paul J. Nigrey, Chemistry -1970). USP
alumni have also contributed to the inventions of well-known products,
including:
- Hires root beer extract
- Photocopy toner and electrographic inks
- Polyurethanes
- Silicone-based adhesives
- Water repellency treatments
- Gas discharge laser development
- Plant growth regulators
Numerous modern-era alumni have made contributions in nearly
every aspect of pharmacy, science, and health sciences. Some of
our alumni’s remarkable discoveries that have had a global
impact include:
- Invention of medical ultrasound gels that allow expectant
parents to get their first glimpse of their unborn child (Martin
Buchalter, Pharmacy - 1955)
- Development of advanced time-release formula, found in many
over-the-counter and prescription medications (Dr. Gerald P.
Polli, Pharmacy - 1956)
- An arthritis drug that may hold the key to preventing and
possibly curing cancer (Dr. Philip Needleman, Pharmacy 1960,
M.S. Pharmacology - 1962)
- Design of a portable infusion pump that delivers antibiotics,
chemotherapy, and other medication solutions intravenously (Glenn
Herskowitz, Pharmacy -1983)
- Discovery of an inherited adenomatous polyposis coli (APC)
mutation in individuals predisposed to colon cancer that can
be detected by a simple blood test (Dr. Kenneth Kinzler, Pharmacology/Toxicology
- 1983).
- Invention of a machine that helps patients regain range of
motion after a knee injury (Michelle Fontana, Master of Physical
Therapy - 1990).
While USP has made many positive changes throughout its history,
the institution’s mission remains intact – to
educate students to become leaders and innovators in the sciences,
the health professions, and emerging related disciplines. Building
on our legacy as the nation’s first college of pharmacy, we provide excellence in teaching, research, and service.
We accomplish our mission by achieving the following objectives:
- Our graduates will have the knowledge, skills, and values to be successful in their professional careers.
- Through academic and personal development, our graduates will gain the intellectual, cultural, and ethical understanding and awareness needed to become leaders and innovators in a global society.
- Our students will embrace the value of service.
- The University will promote the advancement and dissemination of knowledge through teaching, research, and scholarly activity.
- The University will provide a student-centered learning and living environment.
- The University will foster and cultivate an environment of respect and appreciation for diversity among people, cultures, and ideas.
- The University will be an active partner with our local communities to promote the values and practice of responsible citizenship.
- The University will commit itself to institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement throughout the organization.
A Timeline of the Curriculum’s Recent Expansion
at the University
2003 – M.B.A.
Pharmaceutical Business
2003 – Doctor of Physical Therapy
2003 – B.S. Pharmaceutical
Sciences
2002 – Executive
M.B.A. Pharmaceutical Business
2002 – B.S. Psychology
2001 – M.S. Health Policy
2001 – B.S. Health
Science
2001 – B.S. Computer
Science
2001 – B.S. Bioinformatics
2000 – M.S. Bioinformatics
1998 – Ph.D. Health Policy
1998 – B.S. Pharmaceutical
Technology
1998 – B.S. Pharmaceutical Marketing
and Management
1997 – Ph.D. Pharmacognosy
1997 – Ph.D. Biochemistry
1997 – M.S. Chemistry
1997 – M.S. Cell Biology and
Biotechnology
1997 – M.S. Biomedical
Writing
1997 – B.S., M.S. Health
Psychology
1997 – B.S.
Environmental Science
1996 – B.S. Physician Assistant
Studies
1994 - Master of Occupational Therapy
(MOT) program
1994 - Entry-level Doctor of
Pharmacy program
1993 – B.S. Pharmaceutical
Chemistry
1990 – M.S., Ph.D. Pharmacy
Administration
1990 - M.S. Physical Therapy
1990 - Science Teacher
Certification Program
1987 – B.S. Microbiology
1983 – B.S. Biochemistry
1982 – B.S. Health
Science
1982 – Master of Physical Therapy
(MPT)
1979 – B.S. Pharmacology
and Toxicology
1967 – Post-Baccalaureate
Doctor of Pharmacy
1965 – B.S. Medical Technology
Shaping the Profession of Pharmacy
William Procter, Jr., often described as "the father of
American pharmacy," was a PCP professor from 1846-1874, as
well as serving as an officer of the board. He was instrumental
in the founding of the American Pharmaceutical Association, the
national professional society of pharmacists, founded and organized
in Philadelphia in 1852. It is now called the American Pharmacists
Association (APhA), the first established and largest professional
association of pharmacists in the United States. The more than
50,000 members of APhA include practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical
scientists, pharmacy students, pharmacy technicians, and others
interested in advancing the profession
In 1868, John Maisch, PCP professor (1866-1893) and dean (1879-1893)
proposed the creation of a pharmaceutical board to be appointed
by the governor of each state and established the term “registered
pharmacist.” He shared his proposal with each governor,
and by 1878 nine states had adopted pharmacy laws that licensed
pharmacists. Every state now, of course, has a Board of Pharmacy
which regulates the practice of pharmacy.
Started in 1820, the U.S. Pharmacopeia laid down the standards
for manufacturing drugs. For more than a hundred years, PCP faculty
members were instrumental in its development, serving as editors
throughout many editions.
In 1825, the first periodical in the United States devoted to
the art and science of pharmacy, the American Journal of Pharmacy,
was published by PCP.
PCP professors Franklin Bache and George B. Wood compiled a comprehensive
commentary on drugs, the Dispensatory of the United States of
America. First published in 1833, the Dispensatory was authored
and edited for more than a hundred years by successive generations
of faculty at the college.
In 1885, PCP professor Joseph P. Remington published the Practice
of Pharmacy, which soon became established as the standard text
in the field. Later renamed Remington: The Science and Practice
of Pharmacy, this comprehensive reference work remains widely
used throughout the world and is still compiled by the University.
USP is in final preparation for the 21st edition, which is also
published in Spanish.
