MEQUON, Wis. – Less than one month after announcing its “lead gift” of $1 million from ShopKo, Concordia University Wisconsin officials today announced that they have received another $1 million donation from an anonymous donor for their new School of Pharmacy.

According to former State Representative Curt Gielow, the new executive dean for Concordia’s new school of Pharmacy, “Many people and businesses within the community are really starting to recognize the need for a second Pharmacy program in the state of Wisconsin, and the momentum for our new Pharmacy School is really starting to take off.  We are extremely grateful to this anonymous donor and to ShopKo for their gracious support.”

“We remain optimistic that these two wonderful gifts will help to attract others to further assist us in reaching the goal of starting this Pharmacy School by the 2010-2011 academic year.”

Concordia needs to raise $20 million to develop this school. Of that, $3 million will be needed for development, faculty recruitment salaries and operations. $17 million will construct a new building appropriate for laboratories classrooms and educational needs.

Concordia’s preliminary plan for the new Pharmacy program is to have it be based on a two/four model with students taking a minimum of two years of pre-pharmacy courses before being accepted and entering into the four year professional Pharmacy program. Students who complete the preliminary two years of pre-pharmacy and first two years of the four year professional pharmacy program may be eligible for a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Those who complete the entire program will graduate with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

Concordia is planning to accept approximately 50-75 students per class. Admission requirements and tuition rates are still being finalized. Currently, the state’s only pharmacy school is in Madison. Annually, the school graduates approximately 130 students; however, between 300 and 400 applicants apply to the program each year.

Nationally, there are just over 100 accredited Pharmacy Schools.

According to the Wisconsin Hospital Association, the greatest challenge facing the delivery of healthcare in Wisconsin is the ability to increase the number of pharmacists that are educated in Wisconsin.

The Kaiser Foundation cites that from 1994 to 2005 the number of prescriptions purchased in the United States increased by 71 percent.

According to Concordia’s President Rev. Dr. Patrick T. Ferry, the next steps for the school include continuing to garner community and corporate interest, taking the first steps in the national accreditation process, assembling the Pharmacy School administrative and faculty team and finalizing building plans for the school.