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.

In the first of its kind lecture series, the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) at Belmont University College of Pharmacy recently sponsored a seminar entitled “HIV 101″ in partnership with the non-profit organization Nashville Cares.  The seminar was attended by 80 pharmacy students and faculty.  “Through this ongoing partnership with Nashville Cares” said Dr. Edgar Diaz-Cruz, SNPhA faculty advisor, “our pharmacy students are gaining an edge to better serve and counsel patients with HIV/AIDS in the community.”  Nashville Cares representatives Amy Walter and Lisa Binkley will return to Belmont in the months ahead to present a second part of the lecture series.

Fifteen students from Belmont University College of Pharmacy volunteered this past Saturday to administer flu vaccine to children of the Vanderbilt Pediatric Clinics and their parents.  The event was set up in a disaster drill format, with dozens of Vanderbilt faculty and staff serving in various roles.  The immunizations were logged into a Vanderbilt database for future use.

Belmont student volunteers included: Kelly Maguigan, Shaneika Walker, Erica Wass, Hozan Hussain, Young Oh, Baogi Liang, Myong Yoo, Lisa Tackett, Jennifer Corder, Whitney Dulin, Cody Hall, Melissa Holloway, Pamela Wong, Gena Curl, and Mandy Newman.

The students were able to administer vaccine to adults, adolescents and children – a new experience for several.  Virtually all of the 500+ vaccinations were administered by student pharmacists from Belmont and Lipscomb Universities.

For the second straight year, a student team from Belmont University College of Pharmacy has advanced to the quarterfinal round of the national Clinical Pharmacy Challenge sponsored by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP).   Belmont will now compete among the top eight teams from universities throughout the United States at the ACCP annual convention in Hollywood, Florida starting October 20.  A national champion will be crowned on October 22.  Last year, Belmont finished as the fifth best team in the country.

The competition began early in September with student teams from 90 pharmacy schools.  Competing online, Belmont advanced through four rounds of competition, the first narrowing the field to 64 and then in three elimination rounds to reach the “elite 8”.

The Belmont team includes Kim Bentley, a fourth-year student; Courtney Curtis, a fourth-year student; Kris Lozanovski, a fourth-year student; Jesse Howell, a fourth-year student; and Dana Spenser, a third-year student.   Dr. Cathy Ficzere worked to facilitate participation among students in the College of Pharmacy last spring along with Dr. Rachel Franks who worked to prepare the selected team over the summer for this challenging competition.

“We are very proud of the efforts and accomplishments of our student pharmacists and the faculty who have prepared them for this competition,” said Dr. Philip Johnston, Dean of the College of Pharmacy.  “They have accomplished so much already.  We have received several comments and congratulations from other pharmacy schools already.  I can verify that the competition is amazing, and that the questions and cases they are challenged with are complex.  It is wonderful to see Belmont able to compete nationally, and for the second year in a row.  Go Bruins!”

Belmont is the only team in the country to make a repeat trip to the national quarterfinal.  The other seven team advancing this year are from pharmacy schools at Drake University, Northeastern University, Purdue University, Samford University, Thomas Jefferson University, University of California San Diego and University of Colorado.

About Belmont’s College of Pharmacy
Belmont University College of Pharmacy is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council of Pharmacy Education (ACPE).  With an enrollment of nearly 300 students, the College is preparing a new generation of health professionals to meet the changing needs of pharmacy practice with a future-oriented Doctor of Pharmacy degree.  Building on a solid educational foundation in pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy practice from a faculty of experienced practitioners and educators, students are engaged in an innovative academic program and extensive experiential component designed to provide depth and breadth of knowledge and skills to prepare students for an emerging array of career options in pharmacy. This is accomplished by specialized study available in pharmacy management, information management, missions/public health, pharmacotherapy or interdisciplinary care delivery.