The new pharmacy program at the University of Hawai'i-Hilo was granted pre-candidate status by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, the first step in the pharmacy school accreditation process.

The UH-Hilo College of Pharmacy is the first Hawai'i school recognized by the council to offer a doctor of pharmacy degree.

Ninety students — half from Hawai'i — are expected to enroll in the inaugural class that begins in August, officials said.

The program comprises four years of professional studies after students have completed approximately two years of pre-professional courses.