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USF’s existing partnership with CoreRx offers the university’s Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students some internships with hands-on training and teaching by CoreRX scientists. The one-year Florida High Tech Corridor grant will allow additional qualified USF students across disciplines -- from doctoral and graduate to undergraduate levels -- to learn firsthand about the industry’s drug-making and delivery process.
The academic-industry alliance helps address the state’s need for a more highly skilled workforce prepared for STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) jobs, said Srinivas Tipparaju, PhD, MPharm, assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences at USF Health.
Dr. Tipparaju is principal investigator for the Florida High Tech Corridor grant, and Yashwant Pathak, PhD, MPharm, associate dean in the USF College of Pharmacy, is co-investigator. They are working with the CoreRx team led by Todd R. Daviau, president and CEO of CoreRx.
“There is a shortage of home-grown talent to meet the workforce demands of the technology-driven, multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical sector,” Dr. Tipparaju said. “We want to create that talent right here in the Tampa Bay area, so that our graduates can take leading roles managing and delivering advanced pharmaceutical care in tomorrow’s patient-centered practice.”
“We’re thrilled to expand our affiliation with USF and to continue to find ways to offer students hands-on learning experiences in industrial pharmaceutics,” Dr. Daviau said. “We are excited that CoreRx will play a role in furthering the development of more students through this opportunity.”
Students will work on real-world projects with the teaching and guidance of CoreRx scientists who are USF visiting faculty members.
Among the key concepts students will learn will be early-stage development of pharmaceuticals, how liquid medicine, tablets and capsules are made (with hands-on instruction), the functionality of additional ingredients found in modern-day drugs, and hands-on processes used to manufacture a wide range of pharmaceutical dosage forms. In addition, the training will help educate students about biopharmaceutical techniques, quality control and assurance, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory standards for prescription drugs.
USF’s newest college, the College of Pharmacy, admitted it first class less than two years ago and continues to advance on a fast track. The program, awarded candidate accreditation status by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, attracted nearly 800 applicants for 100 spots in the class entering August 2013.
