The Appalachian College of Pharmacy (ACP), formerly known as the University of Appalachia College of Pharmacy, is a private pharmacy school located in Oakwood, Virginia. The school was established in 2003, opened its doors to students in August 2005, and offers Virginia's only three-year Doctor of Pharmacy program. ACP's mission is to improve the quality of life for the residents of Central Appalachia through enhanced education, health care, and economic development. Citing a need to address a higher than normal age adjusted mortality rate (42% higher locally as opposed to the rest of Virginia) and a national pharmacist shortage, local leaders began to explore the possibility of a new pharmacy school in the region. In 2003, spurred by the success of the Appalachian School of Law, the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors commissioned County Attorney Frank Kilgore to start the University of Appalachia College of Pharmacy. The school opened its doors in August 2005, with Edgar R. Gonzalez as president and founding dean, and graduated its first class in May 2008.