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Thirty two students in the College of Pharmacy were recently inducted into the Delta Mu chapter of Rho Chi.  “Rho Chi encourages and recognizes excellence in intellectual achievement and advocates critical inquiry in all aspects of pharmacy. The Society further encourages high standards of conduct and character and fosters fellowship among its members.  The Society seeks universal recognition of its members as lifelong intellectual leaders in pharmacy, and as a community of scholars, to instill the desire to pursue intellectual excellence and critical inquiry to advance the profession.”

Class of 2015 pharmacy student Tracy Okoli has accepted a 10 week summer internship with the National Institutes of Health. Out of 6,600 applicants, only 1,100 undergraduate and graduate students were selected for the prestigious internship. Okoli will conduct mitochondrial based research at the Heart, Lung and Blood Institute under Dr. Michael Sack.

Dr. Kelley Kiningham, assistant dean in the College of Pharmacy, was awarded the 2013-14 Presidential Faculty Achievement Award. The Presidential Faculty Achievement Award is presented each year to a faculty member who has made outstanding contributions to student life outside the classroom. The award honors and recognizes excellence in faculty-student relationships, special abilities in meeting student needs – academic, personal and professional – and symbolizes Belmont University’s commitment to being a student-centered institution.

“I am deeply humbled and extremely honored to be a recipient of this award,” said Kiningham. “The culture of service on this campus provides unique experiences for our students to grow, both personally and professionally, and I am forever grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of their journey.”

Twelve local, clinical pharmacists and pharmacy residents spoke to Belmont students during a roundtable discussion April 15 in the Massey Boardroom.

Students enrolled in the College of Pharmacy’s Ambulatory Care Pharmacy elective listened to professionals from health institutions, including Vanderbilt, Saint Thomas and the Veteran’s Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System shared their experiences in pharmacy practice.

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Two Belmont Pharmacy students were recently published in Mental Health Clinician, a monthly publication of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP).   CPNP is a professional society of pharmacists practicing in the psychiatry and neurology specialties.

The two Pharm.D. students, Eury Park and Savannah Arnold, under the guidance of Dr. Michael McGuire, Assistant Professor in the College of Pharmacy, provided a review of how mental illness and medications used to treat it were depicted in the movie, Silver Linings Playbook, which has received numerous film awards including several Academy Awards.

In the review, Park and Arnold conclude that while elements of the film are accurate and touch “on the stigma associated with mental illness,” they could not recommend it “for educational or therapeutic purposes.”

The full review is available here.

Emily Doss, a second year student in Belmont’s College of Pharmacy, has been selected for a position in the Johns Hopkins Pharmacy internship program in Baltimore, Md.  Of the 22 students selected for this internship, Doss is the only student selected from a pharmacy program within Tennessee.  Doss will  work as a pharmacy intern at the home care site at Johns Hopkins Hospital for 12 weeks this summer.  This internship provides opportunities to shadow both pharmacists and pharmacy residents working in various specialties.  Dr. Condit Steil, chairman of Pharmacy Practice at Belmont’s College of Pharmacy, as well as Dr. Naftilan, a physician working with students in the Vanderbilt Program in Interprofessional Learning (VPIL), of which Doss is a part, encouraged her participation in the program.

Six pharmacy students volunteered at Faith Family Medical Clinic on 21st Avenue North earlier this semester. They reconciled medications with people with diabetes at the clinic, which offers the service without charge. The students worked under the supervision of Belmont College of Pharmacy Director of Experiential Education Mark J. Chirico and served 28 patients. It was the first event of its kind at this clinic, and the students plan to volunteer at the clinic each quarter.

“I had one provider remark how much easier her job was when she saw the patients after they had already met with pharmacy. This was a big day for Faith Family, Journey to Health and many of our patients. We received so much positive feed back that we will definitely be offering this again,” said Faith Family Medical Clinic Director of Operations Joshua Southards.

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Students and faculty from the College of Pharmacy recently participated in the third annual Easter egg hunt held for children who reside at Renewal House. Approximately 40 children received colorful baskets and filled them with Easter eggs, candy and toys from the hunt.

Laura Berlind, chief executive officer of Renewal House said, “I just love this event that Belmont pharmacy students put on for us each year. It is a great opportunity for our families to bond and enjoy their day together.”

Renewal House serves women who have the disease of addiction. Health professionals within Renewal House work to preserve the family structure by fostering healing and resiliency among those affected by addiction. In addition they promote  recovery to enhance the overall health of the family.

Dean Phil Johnston and Assistant Professor Edgar S. Diaz-Cruz operate a simulation lab mannequin.

Hillsboro High School students visited the College of Pharmacy March 20 as part of a job shadowing program designed to expose them to the pharmacy profession and expand student interest in the pharmaceutical field.

“Health care and pharmacy are changing now, and the industry wants to be prepared. PharmD is a terminal degree and a commitment. The high school age group is good to target because they will know whether this is for them or not,” said Assistant Professor Edgar S. Diaz-Cruz, who serves as an advisory board member for Hillsboro’s Global Health Academy. “High school students also can gain valuable experience as a certified technician, and we want to expose them to that. This was a chance for them to see our facilities and research labs and get to interact with our students and faculty.”

The job shadow day was made possible in part by the Walgreens Diversity Donation award, which aims to recruit minorities to the pharmaceutical field.

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On Thurs., March 7,  Assistant Provost for Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Dr. Mimi Barnard and College of Pharmacy Dean Dr. Phil Johnston attended a meeting facilitated by the Nashville Health Care Council to meet and begin networking with Chinese health executives.  The executives are interested in learning about Nashville’s business and health care community.  Belmont expressed their interest in opportunities in research, education, training and future exchange of faculty and student representatives.

The executives represented the following organizations:

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Pharmacy students in the Class of 2015 recently collected clothing and food items for donation to The Little Pantry That Could (TLPTC). On Saturday, January 26th, students and their faculty advisor, Dr. Angela Hagan, volunteered at TLPTC by helping individuals shop for warm clothing and food items for the week. TLPTC is located in the basement of the West Nashville United Methodist Church on Charlotte Avenue where on Saturday mornings they provide clothing, staples and fresh produce to approximately 80-90 families. These individuals are often without housing, retirees, as well as single moms with children. The goal of TLPTC is “to make a personal connection with every shopper and let them know that they are cared for”.

Dr. Leigh Ann Bynum, assistant professor of pharmaceutical, social and administrative sciences, recently published her manuscript “Limitations and Potential Misinterpretation of the National Disease and Therapeutic Index”  in the International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing.

Assistant Professors of Pharmacy Practice Dr. Hope E. Campbell and Dr. Mark J. Chirico  recently received  a certificate in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy’s (ACCP) Teaching and Learning Certificate Program.  The ACCP Academy was established in 2006, to provide high-quality, flexible and accessible professional development opportunities for members of the College. These programs are designed to provide professional and personal growth in one’s selected area of study.  They were both engaged in a two-year study with full-day, prerequisite primer; three half-day modules and five elective courses chosen at the participants’ discretion.  Each participant is required to develop online portfolios, complete a series of required readings and be evaluated by one or more mentors. Dr. Cathy Ficzere, assistant professor of pharmaceutical, social and administrative sciences and director of Belmont’s Drug Information Center, has previously completed the program.

Each year the College of Pharmacy sponsors a food drive to help non-profit organizations in the Nashville area.  This year faculty, students and staff donated over 1,000 lbs. of food in the form of 150 food bags to the non-profit organization Nashville Cares.  Nashville CARES provides a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS in Middle Tennessee.  Its purpose is to educate the community for increased understanding and prevention of HIV transmission, to advocate for responsible public policy and to provide services that improve the quality of life for people with HIV/AIDS and their families.

College of Pharmacy Assistant Professor Elisa Greene and Dean Philip E. Johnston prepared a nationwide webinar titled “Anaphylaxis Screening and Protection Program” as a  continuing education program for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, developed for the American Pharmacists Association and presented Nov. 13.  The program’s goal is to inform pharmacy personnel of the signs of anaphylaxis, use of the auto injectable devices available, management of persons who require injectable epinephrine for anaphylaxis and ongoing needs of persons with anaphylaxis history.

2012 PharmD graduate Jacqueline Rogers was mentioned in the Granite Falls Press in Washington state as she joined the staff at the PharmASave in that community.   The article is linked here and also printed below. . . .

New Pharmacist Joins PharmASave

Jacqueline Rogers has now joined the PharmASave staff in Granite Falls.

Rogers grew up in the small, rural town of Culleoka, Tenn. and has lived in Nashville for the past four years, moving to Bellevue, Wash. recently where she now resides.

Rogers is a 2008 graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with a BS in Psychology and a 2012 graduate of Belmont University College of Pharmacy with a PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) degree.

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Belmont pharmacy students recently assisted the Dispensary of Hope in sorting donated medications at their Nashville distribution center.  The students are members of Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International (CPFI), a worldwide ministry of individuals working in all areas of pharmaceutical service and practice to serve Christ and the world through pharmacy.  Dr. Mark Chirico is faculty advisor for the group.  The student efforts assisted Dispensary of Hope in providing close to $100,000 of prescription medication to uninsured individuals across the United States.

Belmont Pharmacy students recently conducted a health fair in conjunction with the First Annual Matthew Walker Family Fun Walk hosted by the Matthew Walker Comprehensive Healthcare Center (MWCHC).  The Family Fun Walk is a one-mile walk in Bicentennial Mall State Park supporting the MWCHC’s “Dial Down Diabetes” program, which is sponsored by AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation.  It is an effort to reduce and prevent cardiovascular disease by “dialing down” on the impact of undiagnosed diabetes, prediabetes, and diabetes in low-income adults.

After the event, Dr. Rachel Franks, a Belmont University College of Pharmacy Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, and 10 Belmont University College of Pharmacy students conducted a health fair.  Dr. Franks and students provided participants with their weight, height, and body mass index, and blood pressure, blood glucose, and bone mineral density screenings.

Students and faculty within the Belmont College of Pharmacy have worked with Preston Taylor Ministries (PTM) for over three years and recently spent a Saturday cleaning the facility and grounds, grading papers and decorating to provide a welcoming environment for the children in West Nashville.

Preston Taylor Ministries was founded in 1998 to confront many of the problems present in the Preston Taylor public housing area in West Nashville. Challenges to children in that community included exposure to drug use, gang involvement, teenage pregnancy, illiteracy, poor school performance and crime. In order to provide hope for children living in this environment, PTM sponsors programs for building life-changing relationships. Staff and volunteers introduce new experiences to children in art, music, dance, language, bible study, nutrition and other areas.

The Belmont University Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) team raised $1500 for the 2012 Nashville AIDS 5K walk, sponsored by the non-profit organization Nashville Cares earlier this month. The 23-person Belmont team included deans, faculty, and pharmacy students who joined hundreds of community participants to benefit thousands of individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS in Nashville/Davidson County and seventeen surrounding counties of northern Middle Tennessee.

Nicholas Toia, a third year doctoral student in the College of Pharmacy, participated this summer as the VALOR (VA Learning Opportunities Residency) Student Pharmacist at the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System in Reno, Nev.

While there are multiple VALOR positions available throughout the country in the area of pharmacy and nursing, Nicholas served as the only VALOR Student Pharmacist for this institution. The salaried internship provided in-depth exposure to in-patient and outpatient pharmacy services provided to the regional veteran population. This included completing medication reconciliation and patient discharge counseling to veterans leaving the facility, working with Pharmacy Informaticists on the monitoring and reporting of pertinent hospital-patient data relating to pharmacy practice and working with Oncology Pharmacists researching the use and NIOSH/OSHA compliance of closed system transfer devices for hazardous drug manipulation and administration.

Nicholas also worked with the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Pharmacoeconomics in reviewing outpatient vital signs for the evaluation of drug therapy in a disease specific subset of the local veteran population. The VA Sierra Nevada employs about 70 people in the pharmacy service, including approximately 20 Clinical Pharmacy Specialists, 10 Pharmacists, five PGY1 and three PGY2 pharmacy residents.