Three of world's premier pharmacy schools form landmark alliance

An initial 5 year Memorandum of Understanding provides the framework for creation of the PharmAlliance partnership between the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy in Chapel Hill, NC, USA; the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University in Melbourne, Australia; and the UCL School of Pharmacy in the UK.

The PharmAlliance partners will work together to transform education and curriculum development, pursue new and transformative research initiatives, and to enhance professional practice in pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences.

The partners will form new research collaborations that will enable them to more effectively and rapidly address major international issues in the fields of drug discovery, nanomedicine development and nanotechnology. The partners will have the opportunity to access research funds that each nation allocates for international research partnerships.

UNC, Monash, and UCL say they will work to inspire and train future leaders and practitioners of the profession on a global stage. The partnership will create new and transformative training, development and exchange opportunities and for students, faculty, and staff.

"These are the leading pharmacy programs on three continents," said Robert Blouin, dean of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. "This strategic partnership gives our three institutions access to resources, talents and opportunities that no one school in one country could possess alone."

"This alliance will address the big issues in pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences -- those that cannot be addressed by one institution alone," said Bill Charman, dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Monash University. "We have similar philosophies and ambitions for our field, and we see collaboration as the best means to rapidly and effectively address them in a global context."

"The geographic and quality aspects of this alliance present the opportunity for a truly global perspective on pressing healthcare issues" said Duncan Craig, Director of the UCL School of Pharmacy. "The possibilities afforded by the partnership are unprecedented, and we are very excited to begin exploring these activities."