Walgreens Company gives $50,000 to ISU College of Pharmacy

The Idaho State University College of Pharmacy recently received a $50,000 gift from the Walgreens Company for use at the new ISU Treasure Valley-based health-sciences complex in Meridian.

The University is expanding its Treasure Valley presence to accommodate the growing need for health-professions education in the state and has purchased approximately 102,000 square feet of a building that includes the offices of the Meridian School District. The College of Pharmacy will hold classes at the complex, eventually allowing for the expansion of admissions to the Doctor of Pharmacy program. Currently, half of the third-year pharmacy class attends lectures at the Boise campus via distance-learning satellite.

Scott Fleming, Rh.P., district pharmacy supervisor for Walgreens, who was instrumental in securing the gift, said he looks forward to additional students at the Meridian campus and sees the funds as an investment for the national retail pharmacy chain.

“I’ve found that ISU pharmacy students are not just really good students, but more importantly, really good people,” Fleming said. “That, more than anything, makes them really good pharmacists and therefore a great investment for Walgreens and the future of our company.”

Joseph F. Steiner, dean and professor of the College, said the gift from Walgreens shows a consistent effort by the company to support pharmacy education.

“Walgreens has had a long history in supporting excellence in pharmacy education and we are very grateful for their support in our efforts to increase the accessibility to an affordable pharmacy education in Idaho,” Steiner said. “I want to especially acknowledge the efforts of Scott Fleming. My thanks go out to him and his company.”

Earlier this year, the College received a $5.25 million gift from The ALSAM Foundation; a charitable organization based in Salt Lake City named in honor of L.S. “Sam” Skaggs and his wife, Aline. ISU has applied $5 million of the gift toward the College of Pharmacy’s part of the purchase of the Meridian building and intends to renovate its portion. It will also move its Treasure Valley-based health-sciences programs to the site, beginning in fall 2009. Distribution of $250,000 of the gift slated for pharmacy scholarships for minority students began this fall and will continue in $50,000 increments annually.

ISU spends approximately $1 million a year on leases covering 55,000 square feet of classroom, office and instructional space in the Treasure Valley – including about 50,000 square feet at the main ISU-Boise complex at 12301 W. Explorer Drive. Consolidating programs under one roof will allow ISU to apply the leasing fees toward the purchase and renovation of the Meridian building, ISU officials said.