Mission

The Samford University McWhorter School of Pharmacy's mission is to prepare students in a nurturing, Christian environment to be exemplary pharmacists and improve health worldwide through innovative pharmacy practice, scholarship and service.

Vision

The vision of McWhorter School of Pharmacy can be summed up in our vision statement: "Preparing Pharmacists Who Transform Lives."

Values

The McWhorter School of Pharmacy was founded on seven core values:

Christian Principles

We value our Christian faith. This faith motivates us to support the Christian mission of the university, to encourage the exploration of calling in one's professional and personal life, to create an environment that fosters community and acceptance and to provide opportunities for shaping one's own spiritual formation.

Discovery

We value discovery. We desire to acquire knowledge relating to pharmacy and medication therapy and then apply that knowledge to better the lives and health of our patients. We engage in teaching and learning that challenges and enlightens. We conduct research that contributes to the body of knowledge relating to pharmacy and medication therapy, while fostering creativity and inquisitiveness.

Patient Health

We value patient health, which includes caring for the individual patient as well as the population. We cultivate a patient-centered approach to health care, exhibiting compassionate care for the whole person and promoting patient wellness and preventative care. Our approach advances the pharmacists' role on the health care team, advocates use of the most effective healing methods, promotes optimal medication use and improves care for the underserved.

Tradition

We value tradition, which includes providing rigorous academic inquiry in a Christian setting. Our tradition promotes distinction in practice that spans generations of pharmacists. We pursue excellence in teaching and learning while engaging in quality scholarship and excellence in practice to produce accomplished student and alumni leaders in the pharmacy profession and in local communities. We establish collaboration with local, national and international partners and recruit and retain highly credentialled and qualified faculty.

Relationships

We value relationships. We believe it is essential to cultivate caring and respectful faculty-student interactions, to maintain involvement with alumni, to encourage student camaraderie, to provide a community environment for employees and to appreciate and support external constituents.

Achievement

We value achievement, which includes striving for excellence in teaching, learning, service, practice and scholarship. We cultivate an environment that encourages personal growth and development, while maintaining continuous school accreditation through ACPE. Our pharmacists consistently exceed national averages on licensure exams and promote life-long learning and an attitude of service to others and the profession.

Professionalism

We value professionalism, which means we demonstrate personal integrity, accept responsibility for the quality of individual practice and maintain a commitment to service. We believe in serving the needs of both the patient and the profession, while continuously exhibiting the ethical, moral and legal principles of our profession and participating in pharmacy organizations to advance the profession.