For more information on Pharmacy Graduate Programs, Please contact:  COPGradprograms@health.usf.edu or 813-974-4221

PROGRAM BACKGROUND
The Ebola epidemic in West Africa began in December 2013, but was not detected until March, 2014. As of August 2014, there have been more than 2,000 cases of Ebola and 1000 deaths, primarily in Liberia, but also in other parts of Africa, as well. Cases are now being reported in Spain and the first case has been reported in Texas. This is due to the fact that with a 21-day incubation period, the virus can go unnoticed in people traveling from these infected areas. Ad-ditionally, most U.S. practitioners are unfamiliar with this disease, it’s diagnosis and treatment. There is clearly a need for physicians, pharmacists, nurses and healthcare associates to learn to respond to this disease, and having a system in place may reduce or prevent the severity of it.

Registration flyer

Any future inquiries may be directed to Dr. Mohapatra at smohapat@health.usf.edu.”

Building Relationships and Initiatives Dedicated to Gaining Equality (BRIDGE) Clinic – Theresa Trindade

The BRIDGE Clinic is a student run free clinic at the University of South Florida started by medical school students in 2007.  The mission of the clinic is to bring quality healthcare to the uninsured through the collaboration of the health science disciplines including medicine, physical therapy, social work, public health, and pharmacy. The BRIDGE pharmacy clinic launched in October of 2012 and is a completely student driven effort. We have been providing services such as medication reviews, medication therapy management, education and prescription counseling among many others. As the clinic grows, we look forward to adding many more services with increased student involvement in our staff and committee positions.

International Health Service Collaborative (IHSC) – Kayla Mackanin, Co-President 2013-2014

ISHC is an interdisciplinary group of USF Health students, faculty, and professionals dedicated to promoting sustainable health in underserved communities in the US and abroad.  Typically the organization is led by 2 co-presidents, one of whom focuses on the annual mission trip to communities abroad and the other who leads projects within the local USF community.  IHSC looks for dedicated individuals who are active in the organization during their first year of professional school at USF Health to hold officer positions during their second and third years of academic study.  Officer positions are elected during the Spring semester after the international mission trip and include co-president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, public relations chair, co-fundraising chairs, and educational/developmental affairs chair.

Contact information for each organization is as follows:

Building Relationships and Initiatives Dedicated to Gaining Equality (BRIDGE) Clinic: http://health.usf.edu/bridge/index.htm

Theresa Trindade, Pharmacy Clinic Co-Director 2012-2014, mtrindad@health.usf.edu

International Health Service Collaborative (IHSC):

http://health.usf.edu/student_orgs/IHSC/index.htm (USF Health), /mcom_studentcouncil/org_IHSC/ (MCOM Student Council)

Shivani Gogna, Public Relations Chair 2013-2014, sgogna@health.usf.edu

During my summer vacation I took a weeklong trip to our nation’s capital. Standing on the steps of the Capitol and facing the National Mall inspired me to become just a bit more actively involved in our nation’s political events.

As a third year pharmacy student one of my concerns is the ability of Florida pharmacists to be recognized as healthcare providers in the eyes of the law.

In case you’ve been living under a rock or are otherwise not familiar with the current healthcare model, pharmacists are currently not considered to be healthcare providers under the letter of the law.

This is something that undoubtedly is a well-UNknown fact to most patients who approach their local community pharmacist for medical advice. Considering the prevalence of  retail and independent pharmacies across the nation it is reasonable to say that pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare professionals available to the public; no appointment needed, just come in and talk to us. The accessibility of the pharmacist to the community is a great hallmark of the profession and as such pharmacists have earned a seat at the healthcare provider table.

While current pharmacy education prepares pharmacists to be clinical and drug experts and endows students who complete the four year program with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, in the eyes of the law pharmacists are not recognized as healthcare providers and as such are vulnerable to the evolving healthcare climate.

One option available to individuals who have a stake in the pharmacy profession is to sit back and hope that leaders in the profession will take care of the issue. However, another more productive option is to contact local and federal representatives. Let your legislators know that as a constituent under their representation, the issue of pharmacists being recognized as healthcare providers is one of the concerns that will impact your life and influence your voting practices!

California is one state that is currently working to empower pharmacists to become integral team players in the healthcare field:

http://www.pharmacist.com/california-provider-status-bill-passes-state-senate#.UbOE5qZotRQ.facebook

I hope to continue to live and work in the state of Florida and it is my hope that Florida will step up and support the vital role that pharmacists play in providing quality care to patients.

If this is an issue you also feel is important please contact any of your local or federal representatives. If you are registered in Florida your representatives’ contact information can be found by following this link:

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/myrepresentative.aspx

If you live outside of Florida you can find your senators here: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm and house representatives here: http://www.house.gov/representatives/

Sign a petition on Change.org:

http://www.change.org/petitions/the-president-of-the-united-states-recognize-pharmacists-as-health-care-providers

Pharmacists have a unique perspective on medication therapies. Commonly referred to as “drug experts”, no other health professional has a deeper, more encompassing understanding of pharmaceuticals. Much like the clinical study of pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenomics is destined to be implemented by qualified pharmacists¹.

Pharmacogenomics concerns itself with the effect of genetic differences on the transport, metabolism, and dynamic physiological interactions between our bodies and medications². These areas of medical science have been mainstays of the pharmaceutical profession. While other healthcare professionals may have the capability of understanding the complex science of pharmacogenomics, the burden of implementation is most appropriate for a profession that has years of training in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

A false assumption concerning pharmacogenomics is that the implementation of this clinical science will solely involve laboratory work followed by a computerized algorithm whose output is a precise clinical decision for an individual patient. No equation can account for every variable that goes into a clinical decision, and therefore a well-trained clinician must be involved with the individualization of therapy for every patient. This is the same for pharmacogenomics as it is for other clinical sciences.  Pharmacogenomics can provide us with valuable information about how a patient will react to a medication; however raw genomic data is useless without being interpreted by a highly trained individual with a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of pharmacology and genomics.

Clinical pharmacogenomics is a natural fit for implementation by pharmacists. Pharmacists have proven their utility as clinicians³. In clinical drug therapy support, medication therapy management, and the individualization of drug therapy using pharmacometrics, the addition of a pharmacist into the role of a clinical decision maker has drastically improved patient outcomes^4,5.

Citations:

1. de Denus S, Letarte N, Hurlimann T, Lambert JP, Lavoie A, Robb L, Sheehan NL, Turgeon J, Vadnais B. An evaluation of pharmacists’ expectations towards pharmacogenomics. Pharmacogenomics. 2013 Jan;14(2):165-75.
2. Sim SC, Kacevska M, Ingelman-Sundberg M. Pharmacogenomics of drug-metabolizing enzymes: a recent update on clinical implications and endogenous effects. Pharmacogenomics J. 2013 Feb;13(1):1-11.
3. Wallerstedt SM, Bladh L, Ramsberg J. A cost-effectiveness analysis of an in-hospital clinical pharmacist service. BMJ Open. 2012 Jan 5;2:e000329.
4. Yu J, Shah BM, Ip EJ, Chan J. A Markov model of the cost-effectiveness of pharmacist care for diabetes in prevention of cardiovascular diseases: evidence from Kaiser Permanente Northern California. J Manag Care Pharm. 2013 Mar;19(2):102-14.
5. Seden K, Bradley M, Miller AR, Beadsworth MB, Khoo SH. The clinical utility of HIV outpatient pharmacist prescreening to reduce medication error and assess adherence. Int J STD AIDS. 2013 Apr 5.

Works consulted

1. Reiss SM; American Pharmacists Association. Integrating pharmacogenomics into pharmacy practice via medication therapy management. J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). 2011 Nov-Dec;51(6):e64-74.
2. Crews KR, Cross SJ, McCormick JN, Baker DK, Molinelli AR, Mullins R, Relling MV, Hoffman JM. Development and implementation of a pharmacist-managed clinicalpharmacogenetics service. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2011 Jan 15;68(2):143-50.

American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) – Steven Guzman

AAPS is an organization dedicated to the advancement of medicine by developing science. This organization provides an open forum for the exchange of scientific knowledge and fosters career growth by providing new information relevant to healthcare and public concern. Leadership opportunities are available in the Executive Committee and students have the opportunity to contribute to the USF booth that will be presented at the annual AAPS conference. Student members that have contributed to any research are encouraged to present at monthly meetings and by doing so will not only embody the vision of AAPS but will gain practical and valuable experience leading scientific discussions among colleagues.

Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) – Jenna Wood

AMCP is a national professional association of pharmacists and health care practitioners who develop and provide clinical, educational and business management services. Leadership opportunities are abundant as our organization strives to grow as the new pharmacy class enters! At the school level, AMCP sets no limitations on the number of leadership positions. Therefore, in the 2013-2014 school year, I am eager for the leadership team to grow and have the ability to appoint new positions. Particularly if any student has fundraising experience or enjoys planning events, I would love to hear from you. If any student thinks they can contribute something to the leadership team or needs more information, please feel free to contact me.

Contact information for each organization is as follows:

American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS)

Steven Guzman, President 2013-2014, sguzman2@health.usf.edu

Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP)

Jenna Wood, President 2013-2014, jwood1@health.usf.edu

American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) – Morgen Jaeger

APhA-ASP seeks to be the “collective voice of student pharmacists” and emphasizes student professional growth. Opportunities for leadership positions within APhA-ASP range widely; including local chapter, state, regional, national and international opportunities. At the chapter level, all members are encouraged to become special project committee members and can seek Patient Care Project Director and chapter executive positions. In addition to the leadership positions available, the Leadership Training Series offered at regional and national meetings allows students to develop and practice their leadership skills. Students interested in leadership within APhA-ASP, are encouraged to attend our fall Leadership Event to learn details regarding the above mentioned opportunities and more!

Students Society of Health-Systems Pharmacy (SSHP) – Patrick Mckeon

The mission of SSHP is to educate and increase awareness of positions for pharmacists in the health-systems. Being a leader in SSHP is not limited to Executive Board positions, as I don’t think it should be in any organization. The best way to get involved would be to take initiative, discuss areas you see for improvement, and find innovative ways to increase awareness of pharmacy practice in the health-systems. Members of the Executive Board are involved in planning events for the entire year, but no one will ever say no to input from a fellow student. To be a leader: get involved, be passionate, and above all else make your voice heard!

Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) – Shafaat Pirani

SNPhA is an educational service association of pharmacy students who are concerned about the minority representation in pharmacy and other health related professions. In order for any organization to be successful, leadership must be cultivated and exemplified by every student member. Leadership opportunities include but are not limited to: serving on the executive board, national health-care initiative committee directors, and serving as team members for specific committees. Membership further enables students to develop their leadership skills by attending regional and national conferences. These conferences allow students to network by partaking in clinical skills competitions, poster presentations and attending various seminars.

Contact information for each organization is as follows:

American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP): http://www.pharmacist.com/apha-asp (national), https://www.facebook.com/groups/USFAPhA/ (chapter)

Morgen Jaeger, President 2013-2014: mschmit1@health.usf.edu, 305-632-4775

Students Society of Health-Systems Pharmacy (SSHP)

https://www.facebook.com/UsfStudentSocietyOfHealthSystemsPharmacy

Patrick Mckeon, President 2013-2014: pmckeon@health.usf.edu

Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA)

Shafaat Pirani, President 2013-2014: spirani@health.usf.edu, 954.937.0929

https://www.facebook.com/groups/USFSNPhA/

I recently walked into my local Publix grocery store intent on purchasing a few veggies, some fruit, chicken, and a bottle of wine. I was walking near the pharmacy and in the corner of my eye I saw a new machine where the old blood pressure machine used to be located. I’m a bit of tech junky and since I’m also a 3^rd year pharmacy student I decided to check it out.

The machine has the word “higi” on it and has a touch display which allows users to use the machine anonymously, sign up with a profile, or log in to a registered profile. The machine is equipped with a blood pressure cuff, a scale built into the seat, a BMI calculator, and a heart rate monitor. The machine displays all the data collected and also calculates a proprietary “higi Score” that breaks down various health aspects into a simple number to help the average person understand their vital statistics. Using the machine anonymously allows users to check their stats in a few minutes. The real benefit of the machine comes from creating a profile which will keep track of your stats over the long term. You can email or download your stats to a mobile device so that you can bring them in to your doctor on your next visit.

The machine also has a smart phone app, which has some promising benefits. It allows users with profiles to keep track of their stats and “higi Score” in easy to read histograms and graphs and claims to have the ability to read photos that are uploaded to the higi server and estimate the healthiness of meals and activities. It can also connect to social media so your friends can follow you along your journey to a healthier you.

Machines with these kinds of capabilities are no doubt going to become more prevalent and more advanced. There is a large potential to make a positive impact in people’s lives by helping them better monitor their vital statistics and track them for years, decades, and lifetimes.

The ability to collect this information on a monthly basis from patients while they receive their refill medications will help pharmacists make clinical interventions with physicians in a timely manner to improve patient outcomes. For example, having the ability to track and monitor patient’s blood pressures each time they pick up their refill medications has the potential to allow pharmacists to alert physicians sooner than the next office visit if the patient is not responding well enough to the drug after several months. This will enable pharmacists to make interventions to help patients reach their therapeutic goals.

For more information on higi visit the higi Official Website!