UCSF School of Pharmacy

UCSF School of Pharmacy A global leader in innovating pharmacy education, biomedical research, and health care.

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More than 40 years after earning his PharmD from UCSF, Brian Komoto, PharmD ’81, is still redefining what pharmacists ca...
06/16/2026

More than 40 years after earning his PharmD from UCSF, Brian Komoto, PharmD ’81, is still redefining what pharmacists can do.

As founder and CEO of Komoto Healthcare, he has grown a small community pharmacy into a five-company organization helping underserved communities across California. Along the way, he has helped shape health policy, expanded access to care, and championed new roles for pharmacists in the health care system.

His journey into pharmacy leadership began with an unexpected phone call during pharmacy school. Ever since he focused on providing solutions and exceeding expectations.

“Putting the patient first pushes you to overcome your discomfort and try to do the right things,” said Komoto, who was elected to the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA) Hall of Fame in 2017 and to the UC Board of Regents in 2025.

Read more about how UCSF’s collaborative training environment helped prepare Komoto to become a pharmacy innovator and influencer. https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2026/06/brian-komoto-pharmd-81-on-leadership-service-and-the-future-of-pharmacy

06/11/2026

Curious about Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs) at UCSF? IPPEs are hands-on, foundational practice rotations that introduce students to the roles of the pharmacist in a variety of settings. Learn where our students have been rotating during the school year and where they’re headed this summer!

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From inspiring words by UCSF School of Pharmacy graduates to wisdom shared by our leaders, these moments from commenceme...
06/08/2026

From inspiring words by UCSF School of Pharmacy graduates to wisdom shared by our leaders, these moments from commencement capture the excitement, purpose, and responsibility that lie ahead.

Swipe through to read powerful reflections from:

1: Balpreet Badhesha, PharmD ’26

2: Chancellor Sam Hawgood, MBBS

3: Dean Kathy Giacomini, PhD, BSPharm

4: Elizabeth Nguyen, PharmD ’26

5: J. Robert Powell, PharmD

We’re incredibly proud of the 118 new pharmacists in our Class of ‘26 and can’t wait to see the impact you will make in patient care, science, and health care.

The future of pharmacy is bright — and it’s in excellent hands.

As demand for GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic continues to grow, researchers at the UCSF School of Pharmacy are examining how g...
06/03/2026

As demand for GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic continues to grow, researchers at the UCSF School of Pharmacy are examining how global regulations may affect access to lower-cost alternatives.

In a new study published in JAMA Health Forum, Watanabe, PharmD, MS, PhD, chair of UCSF's Department of Clinical Pharmacy, analyzed biosimilar approval policies across 19 countries and found significant differences that can slow development and limit patient access.

“Just 5% of prescriptions are for biologics like Ozempic, but they make up more than half of all drug spending,” said Watanabe, first author of the study. “Yet many countries aren’t equipped to quickly vet and approve of new biosimilars, limiting access for patients.”

The researchers say that greater alignment in biosimilar regulations could help speed access to these therapies, increase competition, and lower costs, much as generic drugs have done for decades.

Read more: https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2026/06/global-rules-could-cut-costs-and-speed-access-to-glp-1-drugs

06/01/2026

Curious about the Discovery Project at UCSF School of Pharmacy?

It’s a signature part of our PharmD curriculum where students dive deep into real research — identifying a pharmacy-related question they’re passionate about and investigating it under the guidance of expert faculty mentors. The Discovery Project gives students the chance to apply what they’ve learned in coursework and Inquiry, while exploring brand new topics they may never have encountered before. It’s designed to build critical research skills, foster innovation, and better prepare students for residency, fellowship, and future careers in pharmacy.

Hear directly from our students about what the project entails and why it’s such a valuable part of their journey at UCSF!

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Not every future pharmacist starts their journey feeling fully ready. In the case of Jay Samson, PharmD ‘26, Mariah Fole...
05/29/2026

Not every future pharmacist starts their journey feeling fully ready.

In the case of Jay Samson, PharmD ‘26, Mariah Foley, PharmD ‘21, and Sara Shaikh, PharmD ‘21, the UCSF School of Pharmacy post-baccalaureate program was a game-changer.

From overcoming academic and professional setbacks to building careers in clinical care, leadership, and patient transitions, all three alums credit the program with helping them develop the confidence, discipline, and critical thinking skills needed to succeed.

Today, Samson is preparing to begin a health-system pharmacy administration and leadership residency at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, Foley is a clinical pharmacist at Cottage Health, and Shaikh is a transitions of care pharmacist at UCSF Health.

Read more about how there is no single path into pharmacy: https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2026/05/from-post-bacc-to-practice-where-are-they-now-0

As Samson put it: “An arrow can only be shot by being pulled back.”

On May 19, the UCSFUCSF School of Pharmacy celebrated 118 new pharmacists as the PharmD Class of 2026 crossed the stage ...
05/26/2026

On May 19, the UCSFUCSF School of Pharmacy celebrated 118 new pharmacists as the PharmD Class of 2026 crossed the stage at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco. 🎓🎉💐

This year’s graduates represent the future of pharmacy: advocates, researchers, clinicians, and leaders committed to improving health for communities everywhere.

Among the class:

-42% are the first in their families to attend college
-93% are the first in their families to earn a doctoral degree
-More than 80% matched into postgraduate residency programs, fellowships, or advanced training opportunities

Dean Kathy Giacomini, PhD, BSPharm, reminded graduates that pharmacists are often the most accessible health care providers — 89% of Americans living within 5 miles of a pharmacy — and challenged the class to “build bridges, close gaps in patient care, and innovate in ways that improve health for all.”

🔗 Read more about how our Class of 2026 is making us proud: https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2026/05/class-of-2026-steps-into-future-of-pharmacy

Surrounded by cheering family, friends, faculty, and mentors, the University of California, San Francisco School of Phar...
05/19/2026

Surrounded by cheering family, friends, faculty, and mentors, the University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy celebrated the academic achievements of a new cohort of Doctor of Pharmacy graduates on May 19, 2026, at San Francisco's iconic Davies Symphony Hall.

We’re incredibly proud of our graduates, who now join a legacy of UCSF-trained leaders committed to advancing health and health care innovation through pharmacy.

Take a look at highlights from before, during, and after the ceremony, from being hooded by Dean Kathy Giacomini to handshakes with Chancellor Sam Hawgood. We welcome a new generation of PharmD professionals to the field.
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For more than six decades at the University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy, Professor Emeritus Leslie B...
05/18/2026

For more than six decades at the University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy, Professor Emeritus Leslie Benet, PhD ’65, has helped redefine the field of pharmacokinetics, changing how medications are dosed worldwide.

Honored as 2026 UCSF Pharmacy Alumni Association Alum of the Year, Benet, who has received nearly every major honor in pharmaceutical science and added an endowed professorship in 2024, remains focused on discovery.

His decades of research:

💊 established “clearance” as a practical framework for tailoring drug dosing to individual patients

💊 demonstrated the critical role of the intestine in drug metabolism

💊and helped confirm that generic drugs perform as effectively as brand-name medicines.

Yet he’s most excited about what he's doing today, applying Kirchhoff’s laws of physics to pharmacokinetics and challenging decades of conventional thinking.

Over his career, he has trained more than 150 doctoral and postdoctoral scholars. As Benet puts it: “It is a thrill to both make discoveries and to teach mentees who will carry them forward.”

🔗 Read more: https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2026/05/leslie-benet-phd-65-named-2026-ucsf-pharmacy-alumni-association-alum-of-the-year

📷 1: Illustration by John Jay Cabuay

📷 2: Benet in lab (Credit: Majed Abolfazli)

📷 3: UCSF School of Pharmacy Dean Kathy Giacomini with Benet (Credit: Elisabeth Fall)

📷 4: Benet honored with endowed professorship (Credit: Elisabeth Fall)

From working in his family's construction business to delivering patient care on a reservation, Dallon Barfield’s path t...
05/16/2026

From working in his family's construction business to delivering patient care on a reservation, Dallon Barfield’s path to pharmacy has been about creating his own lane.

This week, Barfield was presented with the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award, honoring pharmacy students who make significant contributions to public health.

A PharmD candidate in the UCSF School of Pharmacy Class of 2026, Barfield discovered the Indian Health Service (IHS) through mentorship, including a connection with former assistant surgeon general and UCSF alum Pamela Schweitzer, PharmD ’87.

During his rotation on the Navajo Nation in Chinle, AZ, Barfield learned how to navigate logistics, infrastructure, and, most importantly, trust.

“If you don’t ask the right questions, you could miss something huge and make a medication error,” he said. “Cultural awareness plays a critical role.”

Now pursuing the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, Barfield is focused on cultural immersion and understanding to help expand the scope and impact of his pharmacy practice.

🔗 Read more about his journey: https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2026/05/from-construction-to-care-pharmd-candidate-finds-purpose-in-indian-health-service-0

📷 1: Barfield at UCSF School of Pharmacy White Coat Ceremony

📷 2: Barfield (R) receives a United States Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award from (L) Lieutenant Commander Dustin Tran, BCPS and (center) Lieutenant Kevin Le, PharmD

📷 3: Barfield (center) with United States Public Health Service officers and staff from the UCSF School of Pharmacy Office of Student Affairs (L to R: Tran; Le; Pharmacy Student Learning Director and PharmD Advisor Julie Reed, MSSW, PhD; Associate Dean of Student Affairs Tram Cat, PharmD; Director of Student Affairs Fraylanie Aglipay; and (in back row) Admissions Director Joel W. Gonzales

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