The College opend a new facility in June 2009 which provides approximately 30,000 square feet housed in three stories and is the center of educational activities. Architecturally, it complements the existing historical building on campus. In addition to lecture halls, classrooms, lounges, and offices, this facility will have a state of the art "mock" pharmacy and patient simulation laboratory.
The College has entered into several collaborative agreements with established undergraduate programs in Central Appalachia to broaden educational opportunities and to increase the pool of quality student applicants from the region. In addition to the rigors of course work within the accelerated pharmacy curriculum, community service has been and remains a focus for the college. All students have an early and ongoing exposure to volunteerism through the Pharmacists in Community Service (PICS) program, whereby each student must complete fifty hours of community service per year in order to fulfill graduation requirements.
The history of the Appalachian College of Pharmacy throughout its brief existence has laid the groundwork for growth and quality. Future growth will focus on completing construction of the new facility and expanding our educational, research, scholarship, and community outreach initiatives and capabilities.

The Appalachian College of Pharmacy is strategically positioned in Buchanan County, Virginia, which shares borders with Kentucky and West Virginia in the center of the Appalachian coalfields. Central Appalachia faces significant economic and educational hurdles as well as health challenges. A recent report to the Virginia Legislature documented that residents of Southwest Virginia have difficulty obtaining and paying for health care, including dental and pharmaceutical care. The age-adjusted mortality rate in Southwest Virginia is 42% higher than the age-adjusted death rate for Virginia as a whole. When compared with the entire population of Virginia, residents of Southwest Virginia are 26% more likely to die from heart disease, 44% more likely to die from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 54% more likely to die from pneumonia or influenza, 28% more likely to die from diabetes, 55% more likely to die from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, and 67% more likely to commit suicide. By bringing higher education and advances in health care to the region, the college is well positioned to be a catalyst for positive changes in economic development, education, and health.
The College was created to serve regional needs and to provide a model for progressive pharmacy practice and education in context with rural health care. The college of pharmacy will help address the health needs of Central Appalachia through pharmacy education, scholarship, and service.