The Ohio State University: Pioneering Education In Pharmaceutical Administration

The College of Pharmacy at The Ohio State University has been at the forefront of developing the discipline of Pharmacy Administration in the United States for more than 50 years.

As early as 1949 the College of Pharmacy was engaged in early work in the area of drug marketing. 1954 saw the first student from Ohio State graduate with a pharmacy science degree with coursework in Pharmacy Administration. Ohio State conferred the first Masters degree in Pharmacy Administration in 1956. In 1958, Arthur Lytle was awarded Ohio State's first Ph.D. in Pharmacy Administration. By the mid-1960s, Ohio State had a graduate research program and department of Pharmacy Administration.

In addition, the first American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) seminar in Pharmacy Administration was hosted by The Ohio State University. Topics discussed at this seminar such as “Principles of Economics as applied to the Practice of Pharmacy” and “Marketing Drug Products” are significant topics of research even today.

We also were instrumental in developing hospital pharmacy. The Latiolais Leadership program was endowed in memory of Clifton J. Latiolais, former Director of Pharmacy at The Ohio State University Medical Center, and Chair of the Division of Pharmacy Practice. The mission of the Latiolais Leadership Program is to develop leadership, management and guidelines, and to conduct and promote research relate to medication use across the continuum of care. Since 1996, the Program has achieved an international reputation for research and educational programs addressing important issues associated with improving the medication use process, particularly medication use safety.