Walgreens Donation Helps Support New College of Pharmacy Facility on Spokane Campus

$500,000 donation creates multi-disciplinary learning environment, furthers collaboration on future curriculum development and outcomes studies

Photo from walgreens openhouse

SPOKANE – A $500,000 donation from Walgreens will provide the funding for a new inter-professional auditorium and learning environment at the new Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences building at Washington State University’s College of Pharmacy, Dean Gary M. Pollack announced Dec. 4, 2013

The donation, which furthers the collaboration between Walgreens and the University, will also provide a foundation for future partnership opportunities to develop future curriculum and outcomes studies.  The announcement came at a campus event to celebrate the College’s move to the new facility, taking place this month, with a large group of alumni and friends in attendance.

“This is a differentiating and generous donation that will allow us to develop capacity in the crucial area of health outcomes research and education,” Pollack said. “We value our relationship with Walgreens and look forward to working with them to develop new models of health care delivery and new roles for pharmacists as health care reform continues to evolve,” he said.

WSU’s College of Pharmacy will name its new, 150-seat auditorium in the new building the “Walgreens Auditorium.”

“The Walgreens brand promise of ‘Well’ synchronizes with our College’s vision to be a leader in advancing, promoting and protecting human health. Walgreens and the college share the philosophy that there is great opportunity for pharmacists to play a much larger role within our health care system,” said Linda Garrelts MacLean, associate dean at the College.

Walgreens, the nation’s largest pharmacy chain, employs more than 27,000 pharmacists across its 8,131 stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.  The company has played a leading role in the industry by transforming community pharmacy and expanding the important role that pharmacists are playing in health care today.

WSU representative with walgreens representative

“We’re proud to support this project and great new facility that will give pharmacy students and others entering the health care field a first-class learning environment for many decades to come,” said Justin Coyle, Walgreens market pharmacy director.  “Many of today’s students will become tomorrow’s health care leaders, and Walgreens will continue to work to ensure that pharmacists can practice at the top of their profession to help meet the needs of the communities we serve.”

Pictured above: College of Pharmacy Associate Deans Kathryn Meier and Linda Garrelts MacLean with Walgreens representative Nick Bruck, who is also a WSU College of Pharmacy alumnus (2004).