The Texas A&M Health Science Center’s Irma Lerma Rangle College of Pharmacy exists to address the significant shortage of pharmacists in the border region. The college, located on the Texas A&M Kingsville campus, attempts to improve a pharmacist ratio of 1 pharmacist for every 1,700 people. This ratio is 32% higher than the ratio statewide, according to the Texas Department of Health Education. Because of the border region’s explosive growth, the region needs qualified pharmacists. Several factors have contributed to the shortage, including a decrease in pharmacy graduates in Texas over the past few years and the difficulty in attracting and retaining qualified pharmacists in the border region specifically.
In keeping with its vision and mission, the Rangel College of Pharmacy focuses on educating healthcare professionals who display the highest possible professional standards such as superior professionalism, integrity, and competence. With a strong commitment to the principles of diversity, faculty, administrators, and students alike believe that people everywhere, regardless of their location, culture, or economic status, deserve to receive healthcare that is compassionate and of the highest possible quality.
The college’s mission centers on the idea that all possible abilities, talents, and resources should be committed to advancing the pharmacy profession for both the practitioners’ level of knowledge and use of the the latest technology to deliver effective patient care. The mission also has a strong educational component that seeks to increase awareness in the citizens of Texas.
At a recent benefit for the college, Rep. Tara Rios Ybarra said that it was “wonderful to see that noble cause supported by so many private donors so that the dream of a South Texas professional community can take a giant leap to the next level.”
http://pharmacy.tamhsc.edu/about/index.html