Our School

Welcome to the top-ranked University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Since 1911, we’ve been focused on improving health care through pharmacy education, research and service.

Today, our faculty researchers are finding ways to ensure that emerging biopharmaceuticals are effective and safe so patients can survive or manage otherwise deadly diseases; developing vaccines that can be distributed to countries where refrigeration is nonexistent; and exploring how botanicals can help prevent cancer.

But we’re not just in laboratories; we’re in the community.

Students and faculty have donated thousands of hours annually to Denver and the state of Colorado. Our students are getting hands-on experience in clinics for the underserved with free screenings and prescriptions. Our alumni are serving as preceptors to students and spearheading programs to prevent medication errors, a significant cause of death in this country.

I’m proud of these achievements and so many others: proud of our standing as one of the best pharmacy schools in the country; proud that we’re nationally recognized for NIH funding; and proud that our school’s students and faculty are so diverse and contribute to the health and well-being of the communities in which we live.

Welcome to the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

— Dean Ralph Altiere

Students cheering at White Coat Ceremony

Mission

We are committed to excellence and innovation in professional, graduate and post-graduate education; scholarship and research; patient-centered care; public health advocacy; and societal leadership and engagement.

Vision

Together, our innovation, discoveries and engagement with our communities improve the health and well-being of society.

Values

In fulfilling our mission, the faculty, staff, and students are committed to the following values as an institution and in our actions as individuals - accountability, collaboration, entrepreneurism, integrity, respect, professionalism, innovation, and social responsibility.

Points of Pride

At the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, we're proud of our programs. We are one of the top pharmacy schools in the nation. Our faculty are lauded nationally with education and clinical awards; Our researchers are engaged in groundbreaking science; And our students consistently achieve stellar outcomes and career success.

See below for nationwide school rankings, licensing pass rates, employment and residency outcomes, and on-time graduation rates.

93% of graduates from the class of 2024 were employed within the profession of pharmacy in full-time or part-time employment positions, within residency and fellowship training, or post-graduation education, within one-year of graduation.
89% first-year residency match rate.
69% first-time NAPLEX pass rate.
CU Pharmacy was ranked in the top 15th of pharmacy schools in the nation.
The School was recognized as a top 10% NIH-funded research school.
The Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse and Prevention, housed inside the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the CU Anschutz Center for Health, Work & Environment in the School of Public Health, led the charge in advocating for and designing Recovery Friendly Workplaces. The initiative was backed by Governor Jared Polis, who signed SB 24-048 into law, investing $1.5 M into the project.
In a first-of-its-kind study, a cohort of researchers, led by the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, evaluated the effects of state-level insulin out-of-pocket costs across states and payers over time. The team found that state-level caps on insulin out-of-pocket costs do not significantly increase insulin claims for patients with Type 1 or patients using insulin to manage Type 2 diabetes.
R. Brett McQueen, PhD, was the team lead for an agreement with the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) to negotiate and track value-based contracts – agreements which help improve patient health outcomes and drive affordability by delivering savings to taxpayers, state and federal budgets in the form of manufacturer discounts.
A new study, led by Kristina Brooks, PharmD, provided important insights into the pharmacokinetics and safety of intravenous remdesivir in treating the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in pregnant people. The research provided first of its kind data for dosing this medication during pregnancy
Erika Freitas, PhD, was named to lead the Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, which prepares CU Anschutz students to work collaboratively for the patient populations they will serve.
Dean Ralph Altiere, PhD, received the Inaugural International Leadership Award by the International Pharmaceutical Federation.
CU Pharmacy expanded access to education with a new high school Pharmacy Outreach Program. Called “POP,” the program introduces students to the field of pharmacy by placing current PharmD students in high school classrooms.
Gina Moore, PharmD, MBA, was named President of the American Society for Pharmacy Law (ASPL). Founded in 1974 by a small group of pharmacist-lawyers meeting in Chicago, ASPL exists to further knowledge in the law related to pharmacists, pharmacies, the provision of pharmacist care services, the manufacturing and distribution of drugs, and other food, drug, and medical device policy issues.
Skaggs School of Pharmacy Alumni Association collected over 500 pairs of socks for those in need as part of their "Socks of Comfort" initiative. This effort aimed to provide essential warmth and protection to those in need in the Denver Metro area.
A collaborative JAMA study, in partnership with the CU School of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, and School of Public Health, showed text messages can be ineffective as medication refill reminders. The study is one of the largest and most diverse of its kind and revealed that digital strategies need to be tested.
The Skaggs School of Pharmacy established its first-ever endowed faculty chair. This prestigious award was made possible with a generous $2M gift from alumna Debra Devereaux and established the position in in Translational Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Meghan Jeffres, PharmD, Associate Professor, was named the Gita Patel Best Practice Award Winner from the Society of Infectious Disease Pharmacists for her outstanding work in the field.
Kiri Carmody, PharmD student, was one of 7 recipients nationwide of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Walmart Health Equity Scholarship. Selected awardees demonstrated leadership, academic success, and a commitment to serving rural or medically underserved patient populations.

CU Pharmacy was ranked in the top 10% of pharmacy schools in the country.
91% of graduates from the class of 2023 were employed within the profession of pharmacy in full-time or part-time employment positions, within residency and fellowship training, or post-graduation education, within one-year of graduation.
The School was recognized as a top 10% NIH-funded research school.
92% on time graduation rate.
83% first-time NAPLEX pass rate.
Kristina Brooks, PharmD and Jennifer Kiser, PharmD, PhD,helped confirm the dosing, safety and effectiveness of a drug formulation designed for treating children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse and Prevention contributed to Colorado’s award from John’s Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for Excellence in the Application of the Opioid Litigation Principles to the State of Colorado.
CU Pharmacy teamed with CU Denver to launch the first ever Pharmacy Pathway Program and continues to work with undergraduate institutions to create more pathways to pharmacy school. 
CU Pharmacy researchers, led by Krishna Mallela, PhD made the cover of Biophysical Journal for their work on the evolution of coronaviruses. 
Kavita Nair, PhD was accepted into the 2023 Colorado Immersion Training (CIT) in Community Engagement Program. CIT is a unique community-campus educational initiative that aims to introduce an expanded pool of researchers to community-based participatory research (CBPR) and community engagement.
Hilda Bi Ndikum, PharmD along with clinical instructor and alumni board member Harold Okocha, PharmD organized CU Pharmacy's participation in the first annual Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit.
Lucus Orth, PharmD, was named one of the lead investigators in a new 5-year drug trial project.
Melanie Joy, PharmD, PhD,was the winner of this year's Women in STEM Ally Award.
Vinh Thai recent PharmD graduate, received the Spirit of Anschutz Award for the School of Pharmacy; the award is given to students who demonstrate exceptional professionalism and advocacy for their profession and serve as outstanding ambassadors for the Anschutz Medical Campus.
Connie Valdez, PharmD, was awarded the Bowl of Hygeia Community Service Award from the Colorado Pharmacists Society. This award is given in recognition of an individual association member who has made considerable contributions in terms of community service which may include involvement in governmental activities separate from, or in addition to, his or her job.
Joe Saseen, PharmD received the Master of the NLA (MNLA) Award from the National Lipid Association, which recognizes recipients for having the highest ethical standards and distinguishing themselves through research, education, health care initiatives, volunteerism, patient care, and service to the community at a regional, national, and international level in the field of Clinical Lipidology.
The CU Pharmacy student team placed fourth at the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Clinical Research Challenge. The team was comprised of PharmD students Annagabriela Figueroa, Kyla Jantz, and Pia Moreno.
Jared Brown, PhD was invited by the National Institute of Health's Director to serve as a Member of the Environmental Health Sciences Review Committee (EHS). Brown was nominated because of his demonstrated competence and achievement in scientific discipline as evidenced by the quality of research accomplishments, publications in scientific journals, and other significant scientific activities, achievements, and honors.
Dan LaBarbera, PhD,saw his work featured by the United States Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Programs. His entire lab was highlighted for their work with novel targets for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.
New outcomes research from Kelly Anderson, PhD and Michael DiStefano, PhD indicates Medicare could save $1 billion by considering added benefit of expensive Part B drugs.
Toxicology PhD student Daniel Foster was chosen to represent the National TL1 grant program offered by the Clinical Translation Centers.
Rajesh Agarwal, PhD, Chapla Agarwal, PhD and Neha Mishra, PhD received a grant funded by the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). The project will focus on determining the acute and chronic injury biomarkers of ocular exposure to chemical warfare agents as determined through clinical and multi-omics analysis.
Brian Hemstreet, PharmD, began his tenure as President of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP).

CU Pharmacy was ranked in the top 15 percent of pharmacy schools in the country.
The School was recognized as a top 10% NIH-funded research school.
96% first-time NAPLEX pass rate.
84% on time graduation rate.
94% of graduates from the class of 2022 were employed within the profession of pharmacy in full-time or part-time employment positions, within residency and fellowship training, or post-graduation education, within one-year of graduation.
The Distance Degrees office was awarded the Global Education SIG 2022 Outstanding Program Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) for its International Trained PharmD pathway (ITPD).
Robert Page, PharmD, was awarded the American College of Cardiology Colorado Chapter, Educator of the Year Award at the 2022 ACC Heart Failure Conference.
Jed Lampe, PhD, was appointed to the NIH Xenobiotic and Nutrient Disposition and Action (XNDA) Study Section in the National Institutes of Health’s Center for Scientific Review.
Joe Saseen and Ty Kiser, PharmDs, were selected to receive this year’s Chancellor’s Teaching Recognition Award and President’s Excellence in Teaching Award, respectively.
Kristina Brooks, PharmD, joined the Health and Human Services Panel on Treatment of HIV During Pregnancy and Prevention of Perinatal Transmission in the US, which develops national guidelines focused on treating HIV during pregnancy.
PhD students Hector Esquer and Kris Oreschak are the recipients of the annual Harold C. Heim Award for Excellence in Research and Graduate Education.
Brittany Sjulstad, P3, was awarded the American Society of Health Pharmacists, (ASHP), Student Leadership Award.
Paul Reynolds, PharmD, accepted the Critical Care Practice and Research Network (PRN) Educator Award from the American Colleges of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)
Manisha Patel, PhD, began her term as president of the American Epilepsy Society (AES). She was also selected for a CU Anschutz campus research award and awarded the Javits Award from the National Institutes of Health for her lifelong work in neuroscience.
Brian Hemstreet, PharmD, was elected President of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP).
Carlos Catalano, PhD, advisor to the CU Anschutz chapter of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science, saw the club named Chapter of the Year at the National Diversity in STEM Conference.
Molly Huntsman, PhD, saw her work go viral when she published a new study suggesting that therapeutic interventions to treat neurodevelopmental disorders may be more effective if done during the early stages of brain development.
Professor Emeritus Joseph Gal, PhD, received the 2022 Franklin-Lavoisier Prize. The prize, presented by the Science History Institute of Philadelphia and the Foundation de la Maison de la Chimie in Paris, recognizes meritorious efforts in the preservation or promotion of the entwined scientific heritage of France and the U.S.
Daniel LaBarbera, PhD, saw his lab develop a drug which shows promise against a novel oncogene that supports cancer progression.
Dmitri Simberg, PhD, published significant research findings that show great promise in guiding the development of indocarbocyanine lipid nanoparticles (ICLs) that can deliver anti-cancer therapies to tumors in humans. This work was done in collaboration with Irina Balyasnikova, PhD, of Northwestern University.
R. Brett McQueen, PhD, along with his colleagues at the University of Exeter, UK, were awarded a two-year, $600K grant from JDRF to develop a comprehensive web-based tool to inform global public health adoption and therapeutic investment decisions on the costs and benefits of identifying people at risk of type-1 diabetes (T1D) world-wide. 
The first remote PharmD cohort completed its first year of pharmacy school. The cohort is part of the class of 2025, and includes students from all over the United States.

CU Pharmacy was ranked in the top 15 percent of pharmacy schools in the country.
The School was recognized as a top 10% NIH-funded research school.
90% first-time NAPLEX pass rate.
95% of graduates from the class of 2021 were employed within the profession of pharmacy in full-time or part-time employment positions, within residency and fellowship training, or post-graduation education, within one-year of graduation.
84% on-time graduation rate for the most recent graduating class in the single degree pathway, i.e., the percentage of a class cohort completing the curriculum in the specified timeframe (3 calendar or 4 academic years).
Professor Cindy O’Bryant, PharmD, was named the deputy chair of the University of Colorado Cancer Center Protocol Review Monitoring System (PRMS).
Associate Professor Toby Trujillo, PharmD, was chosen as this year’s recipient of the Cardiology Practice and Research Network (PRN) Service Award from the Cardiology PRN, part of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)
Alumnus Jace Archer, PharmD, (class of 2020) was recognized with the United States Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award
Assistant Professor  Ashley Glode, PharmD, was named a 2020 Advocacy Champion by the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) during the Association’s 2021 Advocacy Summit in April.
Associate Professor Scott Mueller, PharmD, was elected as an American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Fellow.
PGY1 Marissa Powell, PharmD, was recognized with the American Society for Health System Pharmacists Student Research Award
CU Anschutz Medical Campus recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institute

Our History

The Early Years

Originally established in 1911 as a department of the School of Medicine at the University of Colorado at Boulder, the School of Pharmacy opened its doors with two students and one faculty member. The school became an independent college in 1913, the same year it awarded its first degree, and CU Pharmacy became a school in 1957. The school held its first classes at the former Health Sciences Center campus in 1992.

In 2008, the school moved to the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, a comprehensive health center where teaching, research and health care combine.

The Skaggs Legacy

By 2011, the school received a $10 million gift from The ALSAM Foundation which helped fund the construction of the new $48 million pharmacy building and led to the naming of the school in honor of the Skaggs family’s long-standing support of the school, totaling nearly $40 million to date. Today the state-of-the-art building is a collaborative center of learning to prepare students for their roles as pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists.

Recent Accomplishments at a Glance

2021 -  School pilots one of the first remote PharmD programs in the nation
2021 - Medicaid provider status adopted for pharmacists in Colorado 
2021 -  Significant expansion of pharmacist scope of practice, including prescriptive authority for minor, self-limited diseases, and test and treat for strep and flu
2022  - International-Trained PharmD program wins the AACP Global SIG Program award
2022 -  Research Pharmacy opens its doors
2023  - Remote PharmD accredited, becomes the Rocky Mountain Remote PharmD Pathway Program
2024  - 30th Anniversary of the Colorado Protein Stability Conference sponsored by the school’s Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
2024  - First endowed chair established with multi-million-dollar gift
2025  - A total of nearly $40 million from The ALSAM Foundation received to date
2025  - School endowments reach a 12-fold increase over 2006 level

2016 -  Ed and Karen Skaff Scholarship established
2016 - Colorado pharmacist provider status bill passed creating the infrastructure for statewide protocols that now include contraception, smoking cessation, PEP/PrEP, statin prescribing, and Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD)
2019  - Skaggs Scholars Program Endowment fully funded to support the program in perpetuity
2019 - Teresa McMahan Schulkin Memorial Scholarship endowment fully funded to provide a half-tuition scholarship
2019  - School partners with CO Medicaid on value-based reimbursement for high cost biologic drugs
2020 - Cannabis Science and Medicine Program launches
2020 - Drug Discovery Center launches

2008 - Skaggs Biomedical Research Symposium established with the other six Skaggs institutions
2008 - School moves from the CU Health Science Center in Denver to the new Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora
2011 -  School receives additional $1 million gift to supplement a $10 million gift from the ALSAM Foundation and the Skaggs family
2011 -  School is named in honor of the long-time support from the Skaggs family
2011 -  The school leads establishment of the Skaggs Scholars Program with The ALSAM Foundation funding to support collaborative research among the seven Skaggs institutions
2011 -  The Colorado Evidence-based Drug Utilization Review (DUR) program launches, working with CO Medicaid on safe and effective drug use among Medicaid members 
2012 - School hosts Skaggs Biomedical Research Symposium
2012  - School reaches top-10 ranking in NIH funding
2013  - School becomes the administrative home of the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
2014 - International-Trained PharmD becomes the first and only ACPE-accredited PharmD pathway with an international focus

Our Campus

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is largest academic health center in the Rocky Mountain region, encompassing the University of Colorado health professional schools, over 60 centers and institutes, and two nationally ranked hospitals that treat more than 2 million adult and pediatric patients each year. Innovative, interconnected and highly collaborative, together we deliver life-changing research, education and patient care.

Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

CU Anschutz

Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Building

12850 East Montview Boulevard

Aurora, CO 80045

303-724-2882

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Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Our School

Welcome to the top-ranked University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.