Capsule Winter 2018 by University of Maryland School of Pharmacy

Capsule

Winter 2018

University of Maryland School of Pharmacy Magazine for Alumni and Friends

A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO

AND DRUGS OF ABUSE

IN THIS ISSUE:

FY â&#x20AC;&#x2122;16 Annual Report

DEAN’S MESSAGE As a top 10 pharmacy school, the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy applies an integrative approach to drug discovery and development, innovative patient care, and understanding medication outcomes and their economic impact. Nowhere is our focus as a comprehensive school of pharmacy more evident than in our approach to addiction — an approach that bridges clinical care, basic science, population health, and education. The national opioid crisis makes headlines every day. Current data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that more than 1,000 people are treated in emergency rooms daily for prescription opioid overdoses. In Maryland in 2016, there were 1,856 deaths resulting from opioid use. This issue of Capsule focuses on how our faculty and students are doing their part to tackle this national epidemic. It starts in the lab, with researchers such as Andrew Coop, PhD, working to develop an opioid with no abuse liability. Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD ’86, MA, BCPS, CPE, a nationally known expert in pain management, works with patients in hospice and palliative care settings to establish protocols on suspected drug abuse and diversion and collaborates with other health care providers on the appropriate use of highly addictive medications for end-of-life pain. Bethany DiPaula, PharmD ’95, BCPP, collaborates with a local health department to train community members on the administration of naloxone, and through a collaborative agreement, she treats heroinaddicted patients with suboxone. Researchers in the School’s Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research are approaching the problem from a population health standpoint. Linda Simoni-Wastila, PhD, BSPharm, MSPH, was recognized in 2016 as the UMB Founders Week Researcher of the Year for her work in the rapidly expanding area of health policy research as it relates to prescription drug abuse. She works closely with colleagues at the Behavioral Health Administration in the Maryland Department of Health in defining and preventing substance use disorders in the state. Fadia T. Shaya, PhD, MPH, the 2017 UMB Founders Week Teacher of the Year, has secured grants and contracts to guide all Maryland jurisdictions in understanding data related to substance abuse trends in their areas and to launch educational modules on addiction science and opioid prescribing targeted to pharmacists and physicians. The Maryland Poison Center, with its 24-hour operation, is doing its part as well. Most recently, the Poison Center has been working with the Department of Health on bystander naloxone training and is one of the agencies to call after administration of naloxone. And our students play an integral role as well in addressing the opioid epidemic through community education, such as GenerationRx’s biannual Drug Take Back events. Through a partnership with the UMB Police Force, our students collect expired or unused medications twice a year in an effort to prevent diversion of controlled substances. This is an impressive body of work that spans the School’s education, research, practice, and community mission areas, focused on one of our nation’s top public health crises and demonstrates the School’s commitment to playing a major role in curbing the dangerous trends of opioid addiction. In the spirit of expertise, influence, and impact,

Natalie D. Eddington, PhD ’89, FAAPS, FCP Dean and Professor Executive Director, University Regional Partnerships

MISSION The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy leads pharmacy education, scientific discovery, patient care, and community engagement in the state of Maryland and beyond. VISION We will achieve our mission by: • inspiring excellence in our students through a contemporary curriculum, innovative educational experiences, and strategic professional relationships. • advancing scientific knowledge across the spectrum of drug discovery, health services, and practice based and translational research with significant focus on collaborative partnerships. • expanding the impact of the pharmacist’s role on direct patient care and health outcomes. • building and nurturing relationships with all members of our community. • capitalizing on our entrepreneurial spirit to improve pharmaceutical research, practice, and education in Maryland and throughout the world. PLEDGE We are proud to be critical thinkers, lifelong learners, and leaders who are sought for our expertise. We earn our reputation with the highest standards of personal ethics and professional conduct. Students and education are central to everything we do. We engage the community; together, we contribute to the improved health of society. We celebrate the distinctive talents of our faculty, staff, and students. We honor our traditions and advocate for dynamic changes in pharmacy practice, education, and research. We create the future of pharmacy.

Capsule Contents University of Maryland School of Pharmacy Alumni Magazine

Winter 2018 Becky Ceraul, Capsule Editor Assistant Dean, Communications and Marketing School of Pharmacy

Chris Zang, Director, Editorial Services

OPIOID CRISIS SPARKS ACTION AT SOP

MAINSTAYS

Julie Bower, Assistant Director, Design Services University of Maryland, Baltimore Office of Communications and Public Affairs

SCHOOL NEWS

21 STUDENT NEWS

Special thanks to the following contributors:

26 RESIDENT PROFILE

Ken Boyden, JD, EdD Associate Dean Development and Alumni Affairs

27 PRECEPTOR PROFILE

Malissa Carroll Web Content Specialist Greer Griffith Assistant Director, Alumni Giving Erin Merino Senior Marketing Specialist School of Pharmacy Student Government Association

28 ALUMNI NEWS 32 ALUMNI PROFILE 33 DONOR PROFILE 35 ANNUAL REPORT

We welcome your comments, news, and suggestions for articles. Send your ideas to Becky Ceraul at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 20 N. Pine St., Room N302, Baltimore, MD 21201. Email: rceraul@rx.umaryland.edu; Telephone: 410-706-1690; Fax: 410-706-4012. Copyright © 2018 University of Maryland School of Pharmacy

www.pharmacy.umaryland.edu

Read More, See More, Share More! Read in-depth biographies of faculty, see additional pictures of School events, and share School news with your friends on social media. More details on the articles covered in this issue of Capsule are available in an electronic version — online. You can view Capsule from any mobile device. Visit www.pharmacy.umaryland. edu/capsule and start learning more about the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.

SCHOOL NEWS

‘Shark Tank’ Event Celebrates Pharmapreneurial Innovation The School of Pharmacy hosted a Shark Tank-style competition in June to showcase the pharmapreneurial talent of faculty across its departments of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research (PHSR), Pharmacy Practice and Science (PPS), and Pharmaceutical Sciences (PSC). The competition celebrated the School’s pharmapreneurism initiative, which describes its commitment to supporting and best positioning faculty, staff, and students to achieve their career aspirations and address the nation’s health care, research, policy, and societal needs. Three winning teams — one from each department — were awarded $50,000 to help support their pioneering projects. “Pharmapreneurism provides the School of Pharmacy with a mechanism through which we can capitalize on our entrepreneurial spirit to improve pharmaceutical research, practice, and education in the state of Maryland, the nation, and the world,” says Natalie D. Eddington, PhD ’89, FAAPS, FCP, dean and professor of the School. “I was awestruck by the amount of time, thought, and dedication that our faculty members put into their presentations for this Shark Tank-style competition. The innovative thinking demonstrated by our winning teams will undoubtedly drive additional pharmapreneurial endeavors across the School and help position us as the premier entrepreneurial pharmacy school in the nation.” Wendy Camelo Castillo, MD, MSc, PhD, assistant professor in PHSR; Danya Qato, PhD, PharmD, MPH, assistant professor in PHSR; and Linda SimoniWastila, BSPharm, MSPH, PhD, the Parke-Davis Chair of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy and professor in PHSR, were the first to take a bite out of the competition with their proposal for a project that would link two national health and pharmaceutical claims data sets — Medicare and Medicaid — to help researchers better understand the course of pharmaceutical access, health care utilization patterns, and

health outcomes among people with disabilities. Their ultimate goal is to use the data to establish a multidisciplinary, patient-centered research collaborative within PHSR to identify disparities in access to and quality of care in patients with disabilities and design novel approaches to overcome those disparities. “Our project truly embraces the spirit of pharmapreneurism and situates us to take the lead in informing policies and programs that support the hypervulnerable population of patients with disabilities,” says Simoni-Wastila, the University’s 2016 Researcher of the Year. “The unique linkage of Medicare and Medicaid data sets on the national scale will allow us to map the tremendous, yet neglected needs of this population and empower us to advocate for unified efforts to bridge the gaps in their care. We will establish the School of Pharmacy as a trailblazer in disabilities research.” Kimberly Claeys, PharmD, BCPS, assistant professor in PPS; Emily Heil, PharmD, BCPS AQ-ID, AAHIVP, assistant professor in PPS; and Neha Sheth Pandit, PharmD, BCPS, AAHIVP, associate professor and vice chair for research and scholarship in PPS, also made a splash during the competition with their proposal to develop novel, engaging training tools for students studying the spectrum of anti-microbial activity and anti-microbial stewardship using an interactive app-based platform. Anti-microbials include any substance that kills or stops the growth of micro-organisms, but causes little or no damage to the host. In its presentation, the team noted that although digital learning tools are currently in demand, no such tools specific to the spectrum of anti-microbial activity exist. The team members suggested that once these tools are developed, they could be used as educational supplements at schools of pharmacy, medicine, and nursing nationwide, with the ultimate goal of increasing student knowledge. “With bacteria continuing to develop resistance to even the strongest antibiotics available, anti-microbial stewardship is urgently needed to help guide appropriate anti-microbial use Continued on Page 3

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Continued from Page 2 and prescribing in all health care settings,” says Claeys. “By developing a visual-based, interactive tool to serve students across all health professions who are studying the anti-microbial spectrum, we hope to position the School of Pharmacy as an innovator in the development of app-based learning tools.” Lastly, Angela Wilks, PhD, and Sarah Michel, PhD, professors in PSC, proved they did not have to fish for compliments with their proposal to establish a research center at the School of Pharmacy focused on metalloprotein (proteins that require a metal ion) and metallotherapeutics research. Aptly named the Metallotherapeutics Research Center (METRC), the center would aim to improve human health and welfare locally, nationally, and internationally by identifying new metalloprotein drug targets, developing new metal therapeutics, and improving current metal-based medications. Presenting their proposal to the audience, Wilks and Michel noted that, although metalloproteins have been implicated in a

number of diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, their function and role in these illnesses remains largely unknown. METRC would bring together the expertise of numerous faculty members from PSC to not only develop new metallotherapeutics, but also to train future scientists to meet the needs of industry and government agencies in this critical field. “Oftentimes, expertise in metalloproteins and metallotherapeutics is siloed in traditional chemistry and biochemistry departments, where there is no access to pharmacologists, toxicologists, and pharmaceutical scientists,” says Wilks. “By disrupting this discipline-centric approach to academic departments and centers, METRC not only addresses a gap in the area of drug development and regulatory sciences, but will also position the School of Pharmacy as a nationally and internationally recognized leader in research on metals in medicine and the environment.” b

Easing Transition for PG County Patients

Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner (second from left) was among the dignitaries watching UMB President Jay Perman cut the ribbon.

A University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB)-led clinic has begun helping patients who are discharged from the University of Maryland Prince George’s County (UMPG) Hospital Center to succeed in their transitions from the hospital by addressing circumstances that could harm their health and lead to readmissions. The new Interprofessional Care Transitions Clinic (ICTC) in Cheverly, Md., is designed to expand access and continuity of care for Medicare, Medicaid, and newly insured patients who lack access to a primary care provider by addressing that gap after their discharge. “We saw a way to assemble around these patients a team of professionals who can integrate the kind of treatment and services that promote health and well-being,” said UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD. “We saw a way to keep patients out of the hospital and the emergency department and in their home communities.” Partially supported by a two-year, $1.2 million grant to UMB from the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission, the clinic was established by several collaborating institutions in June

at the University of Maryland Family Health and Wellness Center on the UMPG Hospital Center’s campus. Leaders of UMB, the University of Maryland Medical System, and University of Maryland Capital Region Health celebrated its formal opening on Nov. 28. To facilitate patients’ ties to local providers, the ICTC combines the clinic and two UMB-managed resources: the Governor’s Wellmobile operated by the UM School of Nursing and the e-Health Center operated by the UM School of Pharmacy. The clinic is an interprofessional, team-based program that includes pharmacists, nurse practitioners, social workers, and lawyers. The ICTC has “transitions” in its name because it offers patient-centered services to hard-to-reach individuals and those with complex cases as these patients undergo transitions in care. Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, PharmD ’83, BCPS, CDE, FAPhA, professor and associate dean of clinical services and practice transformation at the School of Pharmacy, directs the ICTC. “Imagine you get home, within 48 hours you get a phone call from our e-Health Center asking you what your needs are,” she said. In one case, she said, there was a medication problem. To resolve it, one of the clinic’s pharmacists drove to a Prince George’s County pharmacy to ascertain that the homebound patient would get the prescription. “We take into account patient preferences,” Rodriguez de Bittner said, such as whether people wish to be seen at the clinic in Cheverly or in the Wellmobile closer to their homes. “This expanded, interprofessional team care model will meet patient needs where they are — creating flexibility and innovation in a true, patient-centric model.” b

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SCHOOL NEWS

SOP, UCSF Partner for Pediatric Initiative The School of Pharmacy has established a collaborative partnership with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) schools of medicine and pharmacy. Led by the Center for Translational Medicine (CTM) at the School of Pharmacy, the partnership brings together academic leaders in the fields of pediatrics, pediatric clinical pharJoga Gobburu macology, pharmacometrics, and regulatory science for a new initiative focused on advancing pediatric drug and device development and providing expanded research and educational opportunities for faculty, students, and trainees at both institutions. “The unique challenges of conducting clinical research in children have caused the translation of basic insights into therapeutic advances for children’s health to lag far behind drug development for adults,” says Joga Gobburu, PhD, MBA, professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science (PPS) and director of the CTM at the School. “We believe that academic research institutions like the School of Pharmacy and UCSF have a unique opportunity and responsibility to contribute to better pediatric health. Partnerships like this allow us to combine the expertise of faculty at both institutions to provide a first-of-its-kind service that will accelerate the pace of approved pediatric interventions, while also helping to train the next generation of pediatric research and clinical innovators.” The cost of pediatric health care in the United States continues to rise. In 2012, approximately $429 million was spent on health care for children, compared to $298 million in 2000. Yet, most drugs prescribed for children have not been tested in pediatric populations. Recent advances in the understanding of children’s physiology combined with advances in pharmacometric modeling and the development of more clinically relevant animal models have started to shift the focus of pediatric drug development away from protecting children against clinical research to protecting them through research. This initiative will bring together a premier network of pediatric researchers from the School of Pharmacy and UCSF to identify opportunities for the development of therapeutics for pediatric applications and establish cutting-edge programs to support the preclinical and clinical development of existing and novel therapeutics for pedi-

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atric populations, including clinical trials. “This partnership will not only further advance the academic, scientific, and research programs at both of our institutions, but also maximize our mutual ability to generate and disseminate knowledge and apply that knowledge to solve today’s most challenging health care problems,” adds Gobburu. “Both of our universities will become leaders in facilitating efficient pediatric drug and device development for commercial and government organizations.” The partnership also establishes exchange programs through which faculty, students, and trainees from both institutions can pursue either a short- or long-term course of study. The CTM will bring its expertise in the field of pharmacometrics to these programs, showcasing how this multidisciplinary approach to studying therapeutics that integrates the relationships among diseases, drug characteristics, and individual variability across drug development can help health care professionals tailor treatments to individual patients. “For the students who come to the School of Pharmacy, this is an opportunity for them to learn how to use quantitative methods for dosing,” says Vijay Ivaturi, PhD, research assistant professor in PPS. “That will truly be the biggest gain for them, because they will not learn those methods as part of the regular Doctor of Pharmacy [PharmD] curriculum.” “These exchange programs will be crucial in expanding the knowledge of both current and future pediatric clinical pharmacists and translational pharmacometricians, as well as propelling forward the field of pediatric therapeutics and drug development,” adds Janel R. Long-Boyle, PharmD, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Division of Pediatric Allergy/Immunology/Blood and Marrow Transplantation at UCSF. The School of Pharmacy hosted its first trainee from UCSF under the new partnership in spring 2017. “While I understand how science can change practice, I also feel that practice is what truly guides science,” says Danna Chan, PharmD, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy at UCSF, who studied pharmacometrics and its implications for personalized medicine at the School in Baltimore. “My experience studying pharmacometrics at the School of Pharmacy has been phenomenal. The faculty in the CTM are well-versed in the field, and I feel that my knowledge in this area has increased exponentially during my time here. I am excited to take the lessons that I have learned and apply them to help the patients that we treat at UCSF.” b

Young Scholars Exposed to Pharmaceutical Sciences

Lisa Jones

Sarah Michel

Students from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) CURE Scholars Program visited the School of Pharmacy throughout July to gain hands-on experience conducting research in the field of pharmaceutical sciences. The visits were organized by Lisa Jones, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (PSC) at the School, as part of her $1.1 million CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation, which supports her ongoing work to develop a new method to study the structure of cell membrane proteins in the cellular environment. “One of the key components of the CAREER Award is that the awardee not only conducts his or her own research, but also creates an education plan aimed at fostering the development of young researchers,” says Jones. “I was thrilled to have an opportunity to collaborate with the UMB CURE Scholars Program for my education plan, and offer local middle school students a chance to conduct hands-on research in a laboratory setting at the School. I hope their time with us helped them uncover a love of science as well as a desire to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering, or math [STEM].” Established in 2015, the UMB CURE Scholars Program prepares middle and high school students in Baltimore for competitive, lucrative, and rewarding research and health care careers at UMB and other health institutions in the region. The pipeline program is a partnership with three public schools in West Baltimore — Franklin Square Elementary and Middle School, Green Street Academy, and Southwest Baltimore Charter School — that provides career navigation, workforce training, and mentorship to under-represented scholars at all stages of academic and career development.

More than 20 middle school students participating in the UMB CURE Scholars Program visited the School of Pharmacy on July 6-7 and July 13-14, where they attended brief lectures and participated in hands-on experiments related to the lecture topics in one of the School’s stateof-the-art laboratories. Topics included the role of DNA in cancer, the incidence of obesity in the United States, recombinant DNA technology, and protein-based drugs. In the lab, students had an opportunity to extract DNA from strawberries and kiwis, test calories in foods such as marshmallows and popcorn, and express and purify a protein in E. coli. “Studies have indicated that middle school is the best time to capture students’ interest in STEM,” says Jones. “However, you will be hard-pressed to capture much interest by sitting students at a desk all day. The hands-on experiments that students conducted in our lab not only reinforced lessons from our lectures, but were also fun and gave them opportunities to engage with the material and learn from each other — opportunities that they might not have in a typical middle school science classroom.” Students visiting the School on July 7 also had a chance to participate in a special activity hosted by Sarah Michel, PhD, professor in PSC. Inspired by the water crisis in Flint, Mich., Michel asked students to bring a sample of tap water from their homes to test for metal ions using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) — the same method used by researchers who tested the water in Flint — in the School’s Mass Spectrometry Center. With assistance from a postdoctoral fellow and two summer interns in Michel’s laboratory, the students tested and analyzed the levels of toxic metals such as lead and cadmium, as well as nontoxic metals such as iron, zinc, and copper, in their water samples. “Most individuals likely assume that drinking water in the U.S. is safe regardless of where one lives,” says Michel. “The Flint water crisis was an eye-opening experience for many of us, but I hope that it can serve as an example to these students of how science can help solve real-life problems. The scientists who brought to light the drinking water crisis in Flint used their expertise in analytical chemistry to help uncover the lead contamination in the water and, as a result, the city, state, and country took notice. Scientists helped solve this big problem, and I want to inspire the CURE scholars to pursue science and solve other big problems.” b

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SCHOOL NEWS

Mullins Receives International Leadership Award C. Daniel Mullins, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research (PHSR), has been named the recipient of the 2017 Marilyn Dix Smith Leadership Award by the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Named for the founding executive director C. Daniel Mullins of ISPOR, the Marilyn Dix Smith Leadership Award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership to the organization. “Leading a department often places exceptional demands on a faculty member’s time,” says Natalie D. Eddington, PhD ’89, FAAPS, FCP, dean and professor of the School of Pharmacy. “A two-time chair of PHSR, Dr. Mullins has managed to not only balance the needs of his students with those of his department, but also to seek additional leadership opportunities outside of the School that reaffirm his passion for the field of health economics and outcomes research. I am thrilled that he has been selected as the recipient of this year’s ISPOR Marilyn Dix Smith Leadership Award.” ISPOR is a nonprofit, international, educational, and scientific organization that strives to promote health economics and outcomes research excellence to improve decision-making for health globally. Mullins has been a member of ISPOR for nearly 15 years and has served in a number of leadership roles within the organization, chairing and co-chairing several task forces and committees, including the organizing committee for its 13th Annual International Meeting in 2008, and its Faculty Advisors Council. He also currently serves as co-editor-in-chief for Value in Health, ISPOR’s professional journal. The Marilyn Dix Smith Leadership Award is part of the ISPOR Awards Program, which is designed to foster and recognize excellence and outstanding technical achievement in health economics and outcomes research. “When we select a recipient for this award, our committee looks beyond the basic award criteria for those individuals who bring vision to the organization and go the ‘extra mile’ in their efforts,” says Scott Ramsey, MD, PhD, member of the Cancer Prevention Program in the Division of Public Health Sciences at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, who chaired the committee tasked with selecting the award recipi-

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ent. “Dr. Mullins is a fantastic choice for this award. His level of service and commitment to ISPOR spans more than a decade, and given the demands of his ‘day job’ as professor and chair of PHSR, what he has done for ISPOR is nothing short of extraordinary. We are truly fortunate to have him as part of the ISPOR family.” “Dr. Mullins has held numerous roles within ISPOR, all of which have contributed to his esteemed and proven reputation of outstanding leadership and continued service to the organization,” says Karen Rascati, PhD, professor in the Division of Health Outcomes and Pharmacy Practice at the University of Texas College of Pharmacy and the first recipient of the Marilyn Dix Smith Leadership Award. Rascati, who nominated Mullins for the award, adds, “His leadership, commitment, enthusiasm, and vision for the organization are unquestionable. It was my pleasure to nominate him for this honor, and I am delighted that he was selected as this year’s recipient.” Mullins joined the faculty at the School of Pharmacy in 1995. His research and teaching have focused on the areas of pharmacoeconomics, comparative effectiveness research, patientcentered outcomes research, and health disparities research. He has received numerous awards throughout his career, and has received funding as a principal investigator from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; National Institute on Aging; the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; and the PatientCentered Outcomes Research Institute, as well as from various pharmaceutical manufacturers, patient advocacy organizations, and the insurance industry. He also directs the Patient-Centered Involvement in Evaluating the Effectiveness of Treatments (PATIENTS) program at the School, which aims to reduce health disparities by leveraging relationships with patient communities and health care systems to ensure that patients, health care providers, and other partners are actively engaged in research. “It is an amazing honor to be named this year’s recipient of ISPOR’s Marilyn Dix Smith Leadership Award,” says Mullins, who was the University’s co-Researcher of the Year in 2014. “I have been fortunate to have been involved with this wonderful organization for so many years, helping to improve the way in which pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research is conducted and creating opportunities for the next generation of researchers to become more involved with the organization. However, this award is about recognition of being a leader within ISPOR, and with it comes a responsibility not only for me to continue to dedicate my time to ISPOR and to continue being a leader, but also to make room for future leaders to have opportunities to volunteer with ISPOR.” Mullins received the award during ISPOR’s 22nd Annual International Meeting in May in Boston. b

School Launches Online Graduate Program in Palliative Care To meet the growing need for interprofessional education in hospice and palliative care, the School of Pharmacy has launched an online graduate program in palliative care. Directed by Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD ’86, MA, MDE, BCPS, CPE, professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science (PPS) and executive director for advanced postgraduate Mary Lynn McPherson education in palliative care at the School, the online Master of Science (MS) and Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care program is an interprofessional offering designed for all palliative care practitioners, including physicians, pharmacists, nurses and advanced practice nurses, physician assistants, therapists, psychologists and counselors, administrators, social workers, chaplains, thanatologists, and bereavement and volunteer specialists. “In the field of palliative care, health care professionals practice as a team, so it makes perfect sense for the practitioners enrolled in our program to learn as a team,” says McPherson, an internationally recognized leader in the field. “One of the most important priorities for our program is fostering an interprofessional, team-based approach to caring for an incredibly vulnerable population — individuals and their families who are facing a serious illness. In fact, each course in our program is taught by two or more faculty members from different disciplines to better model interprofessional practice for our learners.” The term palliative care refers to the specialized care often offered to patients and their families who are facing a serious illness. Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life for these individuals and their families through the prevention and relief of physical, psychosocial, and spiritual problems. Palliative care services are rapidly expanding in both hospitals and communities across the nation in response to the increasing number of individuals living with serious and chronic illnesses. “We know that knowledgeable and well-trained palliative care clinicians can greatly improve the quality of life for patients and caregivers, as well as reduce the cost of care,” says Eduardo Bruera, MD, FAAHPM, chair of the Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and one of McPher-

son’s colleagues in the field. “At this time, there is an increased demand for palliative care clinicians, but an insufficient number of individuals with the proper training to meet this need. The MS and Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care program has been designed and developed by a world-class leader in the field, and comes at the right time to fill this gap in patient care in the United States.” Students who enroll in the MS and Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care program can choose to earn a graduate certificate in palliative care or complete the full program to receive the master’s degree. All learners must complete four required courses in the first two semesters. Each course is eight weeks long, and together culminate in the awarding of a Graduate Certificate in Principles and Practice of Hospice and Palliative Care. Upon completion of the certificate, students can choose to pursue the master’s degree offered through the program by completing an additional four elective courses, as well as two more required courses. The elective courses can be completed in a specific track, including clinical, administrative and leadership, psychosocial and spiritual, or thanatology. “After an extensive search for a postgraduate palliative care program that offered both a flexible and learner-friendly approach to the field, I found the MS and Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care program and am confident that it will address all of my needs as a palliative care practitioner,” says Neive George, a chaplain with Community Hospital in Cocorite, Port of Spain, and one of the more than 20 members of the program’s inaugural class. “This program provides cutting-edge, interprofessional instruction through a rich, patient-centered academic experience. Its comprehensive curriculum is well-rounded and puts the patient’s humanity and dignity first.” “Throughout my two-decade career as a registered nurse, I have learned that patients’ palliative care needs far exceed the relief of physical symptoms, and often encompass emotional and legal issues, issues of faith and relationships, and grieving and mourning,” adds student Jason Ware, RN, physician relations manager at Montgomery Hospice. “I enrolled in the MS and Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care program to hone the knowledge and skills necessary to help relieve the symptoms and stressors borne from serious illnesses that occur throughout patients’ life spans. I appreciate the program’s flexible design, online platform, and access to faculty experts, and am confident that the lessons I learn will be invaluable in my professional development.” b

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SCHOOL NEWS

Laurels The Office of Communications and Marketing and the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs received a Gold Award from the Hermes Creative Awards for their collaborative Online Giving Day project. Communications and Marketing’s submission on a redesign of its online news center received an honorable mention. Bruce Anderson, PharmD, DABAT, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) for a three-year term. Heather Congdon, PharmD, BCPS, CDE, has been named chair of the National Academies of Practice’s Pharmacy Academy. Andrew Coop, PhD, has been named chair of the Awards Committee of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence. Hillary Edwards, MPH, has been named president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Staff Senate. Agnes Ann Feemster, PharmD, BCPS, has been elected to the board of directors of the Maryland Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

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Pedro Gamez was named the UMB July Employee of the Month.

by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Joga Gobburu, PhD, MBA, has been named a fellow of the International Society of Pharmacometrics.

Elizabeth Millwee, BSN, RN, has been certified by AAPCC as a specialist in poison information.

Jeffrey Gonzales, PharmD, has been appointed treasurer of the Baltimore chapter of the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM).

Kathleen Pincus, PharmD ’09, BCPS, was named the School’s Faculty Preceptor of the Year.

Lyn Goodrich, BSN, RN, CSPI, and Michael Hiotis, PharmD ’02, CSPI, have been re-certified by AAPCC as specialists in poison information. Mojdeh Heavner, PharmD ’08, BCPS, BCCCP, has been appointed to the SCCM Membership Committee and has been appointed to the board of the society’s Baltimore chapter. Lauren Hynicka, PharmD, has been named chair-elect of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy’s (ACCP) GI/Liver/Nutrition Practice and Research Network. Joey Mattingly, PharmD, MBA, received the 2017 Volunteer of the Year award from the Professional Fraternity Association. Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD ’86, MA, MDE, BCPS, CPE, has been named a Visionary in Hospice and Palliative Medicine

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James Polli, PhD, has received a U.S. patent for “Compositions and Methods to Evaluate Hepatobiliary/ Gastrointestinal Health, Enterohepatic Circulation, and Drug Interactions.” Brent Reed, PharmD, BCPS, was named the School’s Class of 2017 Faculty Member of the Year. He also received the Junior Investigator Award from the ACCP’s Cardiology Practice and Research Network. Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, PharmD ’83, BCPS, CDE, FAPhA, has been elected to the American Pharmacists Association’s Board of Trustees for a three-year term beginning March 2018. She also has been appointed to the editorial board of the journal Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice, and Policy, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Deanna Tran, PharmD ’11, has been appointed to a three-year term on the editorial board of the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association. She also has been elected secretary of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’s (AACP) Laboratory Special Interest Group (SIG) and has been appointed chair of the SIG’s Communications Committee. She also has been named a member of the Maryland Department of Health’s Advisory Council on Health and Wellness. Mona Tsoukleris, PharmD ’87, was named the School’s Student Government Association Faculty Advisor of the Year. Chanel Whittaker, PharmD, BCPS, CGP, FASCP, received the Armon Neel Senior Care Pharmacist Award from the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. Fengtian Xue, PhD, was named by his School colleagues as the AACP Teacher of the Year.

OPIOID CRISIS SPARKS ACTION AT SOP BY RANDOLPH FILLMORE

lazing across the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) website is one big question: “How did this happen?” The question begs answers for how and why so many Americans — young, old, rich, and poor — are trapped in an opioid drug dependency cycle that too often turns deadly.

The crisis has been growing for some time, and now even the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) calls the crisis an epidemic. According to the CDC, more than 33,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses in 2015; 12.5 million misused prescription drugs, 135,000 used heroin for the first time, and 2 million were diagnosed with prescription opioid use disorder.

More recently, CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report estimates that more than 100 Americans

die each day from opioid overdose. The CDC also reports that in 2016 prescribers wrote 66.5 opioid and 25.2 sedative prescriptions for every 100 Americans. By 2013, estimates for the economic costs of the opioid crisis already had reached $78.8 billion.

IN OCTOBER 2017, THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RELEASED DRUG OVERDOSE-RELATED DEATHS STATISTICS FOR THE FIRST HALF OF 2017 SHOWING:

1,029

873

Opioid-related deaths in the first half of 2016

Opioid-related deaths in the first half of 2017

Heroin-related deaths stood at 587 compared to 579 for the 2016 period.

The number of prescription opioidrelated deaths fell slightly, with 218 deaths in the first half of 2016 compared to 211 in 2017.

276 186 92 First Half of 2007

First Half of 2016

Fentanyl-related deaths rose from 469 in the first two quarters of 2016 to 799 in the first half of 2017.

Overdose deaths from the combination of opioids and cocaine were up.

First Half of 2017

When compared to first-half statistics from a decade earlier, opioid overdose deaths are five times what they were in 2007; deaths from fentanyl overdose stood at 799, compared to 11 in 2007.

In 2016, 1,856 Marylanders died of opioid-related causes, compared to 1,089 in 2015. Baltimore City and Baltimore County continue to lead the state in opioid-related deaths. 10 c a p su l e www.pharmacy.umaryland.edu

“No one should be surprised about where we are today,” says Andrew Coop, PhD, professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (PSC) and associate dean for academic affairs at the School of Pharmacy. “It didn’t come out of the blue.” Coop points to several contributing stops along the path to today’s national opioid crisis. First, Andrew Coop a 1980 letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine claimed that addiction was rare with long-term opioid therapy and encouraged liberal use of the painkillers. Second, in the late 1990s, a broad and successful national effort to consider pain a “fifth vital sign” emerged. Efforts to keep patients pain-free through the use of opioids ramped up. Whether the Joint Commission’s statement on pain management, issued in the early 2000s, encouraged the growth of considering pain a fifth vital sign is a matter of contention, says Coop. But soon after the commission’s statement, keeping patients pain-free became a quest. Third, the pharmaceutical industry, eager to do its share to help fight pain, spread the word about the effectiveness of opioids. “It was all too good to be true,” says Fadia T. Shaya, PhD, MPH, professor and vice chair for academic affairs in the Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research (PHSR) at the School and associate director at its Center on Drugs and Public Policy. “What brought us to where we are today was a perfect storm, and we should have seen it coming.” Fadia T. Shaya Patients needed good pain control, explains Shaya. The pharmaceutical industry was producing effective drugs to boost pain relief hopes; managed care groups wanted physicians to see a maximum number of patients; the thresholds for reimbursement were relatively low; and the drugs were, early on, relatively cheap. “Everyone was pleased,” says Shaya. “Patients left the doctor’s office with good pain control, practice managers were happy, insurers were happy. Then people in unsuspecting communities began overdosing and dying.” While understanding “how” this happened is important, says Shaya, a more important question is: “What can we do to stop it?”

According to Shaya, who has secured $1.2 million in cumulative grants to prevent substance abuse, there has been a Universitywide response to the opioid crisis at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). As part of that response, the School of Pharmacy has several efforts underway to not only inform the public about the dangers of opioid dependence, but also to help treat and prevent it. “We have grants and contracts working with the Maryland Department of Health to assess the substance abuse prevention needs of each Maryland jurisdiction, support capacity building, develop strategic plans, support implementation of prevention and treatment programs, and evaluate the impact of each program in terms of patient outcomes, clinical care, and state policy,” she explains. “We are working hand-in-hand with local health departments and with every county in Maryland.”

Getting the Word Out Shaya and her colleagues on the School’s Behavioral Health Research Team are working closely with pharmacists and physicians, advocacy groups, and community coalitions. “New funding by MPower, the alliance between the University of Maryland, Baltimore and the University of Maryland, College Park, created in 2012 by the University System of Maryland Board of Regents, will allow us to develop educational programs for pre-professional and professional programs and schools and provide technical assistance to guide the jurisdictions to implement data-driven, evidence-based strategies,” adds Shaya. However, intervention must be continuous, says Shaya, noting that while it may take a long time to see a change, benefits of constant messaging eventually will come. “We are working with the state and Maryland Public Television to evaluate awareness messages,” explains Shaya. “We want to empower patients to recognize the risks for dependence and ask questions of their physician or pharmacist. The good news is that we have tools, like social media, to get the message out, and we have risk behavior barometers to identify people at risk and get them the help they need before they fall. It takes a while to move the needle, but we know that if we discontinue our efforts, abuse rates will continue to rise.”

Treating Opioid Dependency Bethany DiPaula, PharmD ’95, BCPP, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science (PPS) and a boardcertified psychiatric pharmacist with inpatient and outpatient psychiatric and substance abuse practices, has been working for two decades to help those with substance abuse disorders. For the last 10 years she has Bethany DiPaula been focused on treating opioid use disorder and recently led a task force to develop guidelines for pharmacists that aim to increase patient access to naloxone, a drug that can quickly save the lives of those suffering from an opioid overdose. “In the past, naloxone was only prescribed for individuals who were treated for opioid overdose by health care professionals, such as physicians, nurses, or paramedics,” says DiPaula. “However, new laws in the state of Maryland, as well as in other states, have expanded access to this critical antidote into outpatient settings.” Maryland expanded access to naloxone on June 1, 2017, when a standing order was issued by the Maryland Department of Health allowing pharmacies to dispense naloxone to individuals who may be at risk of an overdose or anyone who may be able to help someone who overdoses without a prescription from their health care provider. DiPaula is happy to see advances in the so-called bystander administration program that allows private citizens to legally administer naloxone to those experiencing an opioid overdose. “Naloxone only works for opioid overdoses,” explains DiPaula, adding that first responders carry naloxone and that the new legislation in Maryland serves to legally protect bystanders who are not medical professionals when they administer naloxone. DiPaula collaborates with the Howard County Health Department to train community members on its administration. Those taking advantage of the training program include school nurses, park rangers, a variety of health care professionals, and those who know someone with opioid use disorder. School of Pharmacy students also are being trained. DiPaula also has seen the depth and breadth of the opioid epidemic up close at a residential program at the Helping Up Mission in Baltimore City, which serves homeless men with substance use disorders.

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SOP Students Get Involved “Our students have been proactive in promoting awareness of the dangers posed by opioid dependence,” says Cherokee Layson-Wolf, PharmD ’00, CGP, BCACP, FAPhA, an associate professor in PPS and associate dean for student affairs. “By the time they are in their fourth-year rotations, they understand the scientific issues, as many of their classes overlap on the opioid crisis, and they are out in the community talking about this issue with patients.” According to Layson-Wolf, overdose training events in 2017, organized and held by the School’s student organizations, attracted dozens of students. “Faculty from all three departments at the School cover drug use issues — and specifically opioids — in the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum,” she says. “Information is focused on laws regarding dispens- Cherokee Layson-Wolf ing controlled substances, naloxone administration, the state’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, mechanisms of opioid action, and substance abuse trends.” To help improve medication safety in the local community, student groups from the School participate twice a year in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Take-Back Initiative. The School’s American Pharmacists AssociationAcademy of Student Pharmacists Generation Rx group, in collaboration with the UMB Police Force, the Rockville City Police, and the Maryland Poison Center, collected 76 pounds of expired or unused prescription and over-the-counter medications at its most recent events in October in Baltimore and at the Universities at Shady Grove. “People often have unused or expired medications in their homes, but they are not sure how to properly dispose of them,” says Layson-Wolf. “Drug Take-Back Day provides a way for us to collect those medications and safely dispose of them to ensure that they are not illegally sold or abused by others.”

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Maryland Poison Center On the Front Line’ While the Maryland Poison Center (MPC) at the School of Pharmacy, one of 55 poison centers across the U.S., is well known for being a 24/7 emergency telephone service responding to those dealing with a poisoning emergency or helping to identify medications, the MPC also serves as a community resource to fight the opioid crisis. “We have been working for years with the state of Maryland and all 23 of its counties to respond to the opioid crisis,” says Bruce Anderson, PharmD, DABAT, professor in PPS and director of the MPC. “We are the primary site for reporting bystander naloxone administration. Those who have gone through the state’s naloxone training program are instructed to contact the MPC after they have called 911 and administered Bruce Anderson naloxone.” Between Jan. 1, 2017, and Oct. 31, 2017, the MPC received 627 bystander naloxone calls. Of those 627 cases, 485 patients were transported to a health care facility where 299 were treated and released. Of those who were hospitalized, 50 left the hospital against medical advice, 32 were admitted to critical care, and 23 were admitted to non-critical care. Of those hospitalized, 33 died and 285 suffered major life-threatening effects. The majority of their bystander naloxone administration calls come from police, adds Anderson. The greatest number of bystander naloxone administration calls during the first 10 months of 2017 have come from Baltimore City (163) followed by Baltimore County (112), Anne Arundel County (95), Harford County (69), and St. Mary’s County (66). According to Anderson, it is not clear what has driven the increase in opioid overdose calls to the MPC, but its bystander naloxone administration calls are outpacing the total of 448 calls the MPC received in 2016. Many factors are likely driving the increase, he says, especially regarding heroin overdoses. “What is sold as heroin recently isn’t likely to be diacetyl heroin anymore,” he explains. “That has largely been replaced with fentanyl or carfentanil, or alpha methyl fentanyl or some other fentanyl analog, all dangerous, potent drugs, many times stronger than morphine, and widely sold on the streets through the black market.” Pharmacy and medical students, residents and fellows, as well as paramedic students, do rotations in the MPC where they learn to handle incoming calls, including those about drug overdoses.

Older Adults Also at Risk Linda Simoni-Wastila, PhD, BSPharm, MSPH, professor and the School’s Parke-Davis Chair of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy in PHSR and director of research for the Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging, says that she and her co-researchers have been working for years with the state of Maryland’s Behavioral Health Administration (BHA). As direcLinda Simoni-Wastila tor of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)-funded Statewide Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup (SEOW), her team monitors substance use and consequences indicators by analyzing more than a dozen different epidemiological data sets. As part of its mission, SEOW examines trends in use for all substances of abuse, including alcohol and tobacco. The information SEOW provides to BHA help it prioritize areas for intervention, as well as evaluate those interventions. For the past two years, much of SEOW’s efforts have focused not only on prescription opioids, but on heroin use as well. Simoni-Wastila says limiting the availability of opioids, such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, has raised their street price. The cost of those drugs have exceeded the cost of heroin, now cheaper and more dangerous since it is often laced with other dangerous substances, such as the synthetic opioid fentanyl, many times more potent than morphine. In other substance-related work, her research team, which includes PhD student Aida Kuzucan, PharmD, and student pharmacist Tham Le, MPH, used Medicare beneficiary claims data to investigate the impact of concomitant opioid and sedative use on Medicare beneficiaries with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that the joint use of sedatives and opioids increased risks for fatal respiratory depression. When researchers analyzed opioid prescribing practices, including duration of prescription opioid use, they found that approximately 18 percent of beneficiaries who received an opioid prescription also were prescribed a sedative; 63 percent of beneficiaries prescribed a sedative received an opioid prescription. That practice, they said, carried an increased risk of acute hospitalization or emergency department visits for respiratory events among older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, exceeding the risk of beneficiaries who used opioids alone.

These conditions and the health care associated with them may increase our ability to recognize risk factors for overdose events — and identify those at risk before they have an overdose. — LINDA SIMONI-WASTILA

In another study, they found that of nearly 10,000 Medicare beneficiaries who overdosed on stimulants, sedative-hypnotics, opioids, heroin, or other illicit drugs, 28 percent had a substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis in the previous six months. Although the prevalence of opioid-related overdose events was similar among those with and without SUD, those with a recent SUD diagnosis were more likely to have psychiatric comorbidity, pain conditions, heart failure, ischemic heart disease, and diabetes. “These conditions and the health care associated with them may increase our ability to recognize risk factors for overdose events — and identify those at risk before they have an overdose,” concludes Simoni-Wastila. “Complex medical conditions requiring prescription medications put Medicare beneficiaries at risk for negative outcomes associated with dependence.” According to Simoni-Wastila, some in health care worry that a crackdown on prescribing opioids will have a chilling effect that might leave those who need pain relief suffering unnecessary pain. Might a reduction in opioid use impact terminally ill hospice patients with intractable pain? “I think hospice is protected,” says Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD ’86, MA, MDE, BCPS, CPE, professor in PPS and its executive director of Advanced PostGraduate Education in Palliative Care. “Hospice physicians are having no problems providing opioids for their patients. We shouldn’t take a broad brush to this crisis, but must recognize individual needs.” Mary Lynn McPherson McPherson points out that the recent CDC guidelines for prescribing opioids for chronic pain that lasts more than three months are just that — guidelines. The guidelines exempt the time period for “active cancer treat-

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NEW DRUG TO TREAT COCAINE ADDICTION A POSSIBILITY ment, palliative care, and end-of-life care.” However, she also knows a patient who, after undergoing serious surgery, was sent home with a short supply of oxycodone that lasted the patient only a few days, even when taken as prescribed. The patient happened to have a 2-year-old supply of percocet from a previous surgery and made it through using that supply. “Let’s make sure we are not throwing the baby out with the opioid bathwater,” recommends McPherson. “We can identify patients who are at risk for abuse, monitor them carefully, and also provide them with ways to get off the medication.” McPherson suggests that nonpharmacologic interventions could help manage chronic pain and that pharmacists can play a role in explaining to patients with chronic pain that their pain is their disease and that they should be prepared to use a multimodal approach to maximize pain relief. She also knows that it is easier to have a tablet prescribed, dispensed, and taken than to make a referral for integrative therapy to improve chronic pain.

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As the “opioid epidemic” has been gaining increased attention, other addictive drugs, such as cocaine, remain a serious threat. While either drug by itself is dangerous and kills, the use of cocaine and opioids together has emerged as a double threat. Secondquarter 2017 statistics from the Maryland Department of Health show that overdose deaths from the combination use of opioids and cocaine were up by Jia Bei Wang the end of June 2017, at 276 compared to 186 in the first half of 2016 and far above 92 deaths recorded in the first half of 2007. There is presently no FDA-approved drug to treat cocaine addiction. That may change soon, thanks to the efforts of Jia Bei Wang, PhD, professor in PSC, and Hazem E. Hassan, PhD ’07, MS ’16, RPh, RCDS, assistant professor in PSC. Wang, Hassan, and their colleagues received a five-year, $3.7 million grant Hazem E. Hassan from NIDA to develop a drug based on an active ingredient found in an herbal medicine used for four decades in China as a tranquilizer and pain relief. The herbal substance has been made into a chemical agent they call l-THP. Wang, familiar with the herbal formula, realized while attending a medical conference in China that the time-trusted treatment might be useful in treating cocaine addiction. “Unlike methadone, which is a substitute for heroin, l-THP is not a substitute,” explains Wang. “It has been designed to correct the action of cocaine.” Hassan, who has studied drug addiction broadly over many substances and over many years, specializes in clinical pharmacology and pharmacometrics. He was intrigued when Wang told him about the herbal medicine and her hopes for developing a cocaine treatment from it. “I’m very optimistic about l-THP,” says an enthusiastic Hassan, who points to the results of the study published last year in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. That study evaluated the pharmacokinetics of l-THP, meaning how the drug was absorbed, distributed, and eliminated when taken by adult male cocaine users who were randomized to receive l-THP or a placebo. “The short course of l-THP administration was safe and welltolerated,” explains Hassan. While the exact mechanism by which l-THP works is still unclear, Wang and Hassan speculate that it works on dopamine receptors to reduce the craving for cocaine. Their preclinical test results with l-THP in animal models yielded promising results. The team hopes that clinical trials, like its preclinical studies, will demonstrate I-THP effectiveness in treating people with cocaine dependence.

Goal: Treating Pain Without Creating Dependency For Coop, having an effective pain reliever that does not lead to dependency would be a pharmaceutical “holy grail.” “We need a drug for which there is no reinforcement, one that does not have an abuse liability,” says Coop. “To accomplish this, new biological understandings are being utilized toward reducing undesired effects.” Coop and colleagues already have made considerable headway in accomplishing that task with the development and patenting of a drug called UMB 425. While treating pain as effectively as opioids, UMB 425, a synthetic derivative of a naturally occurring opioid used to make oxycodone and other drugs, does not create user dependency. “Creating an effective painkiller with no abuse liability is a two-step process,” explains Coop, who does not use the term “addiction” when he talks about beating the opioid epidemic, preferring to refer to the mechanisms of addiction, which he identifies as “reinforcement” and “dependence.” “The first step is developing a drug without dependence,” he explains. “We have accomplished that, demonstrating it in animal models. Step two — eliminating reinforcement, the rewarding effects — stops the abuse liability.” Coop and his colleagues are working on opiates that would target more than one kind of receptor. The approach, called polypharmacology, is based on the idea that targeting different kinds of receptors could modulate one another’s effects, providing pain relief without dependence. To create UMB 425, Coop and his colleagues altered how opiate drugs interacted with opioid receptors in the brain. While there are several opioid receptors, clinically approved opiates generally target the same one, called mu. Inside mu receptors, the drugs activate two pathways — one that triggers immediate painkilling effects and another that prompts the body to adapt to the drug. It’s the second pathway that leads to dependence. Unlike other pain relief drugs that act on only one biological target, UMB 425 acts on two opioid receptors. Opioid receptors are G protein-coupled receptors located in the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, and gastrointestinal tract. To date, three opioid receptor subtypes have been identified: mu ( ), delta and kappa ( UMB 425 blocks delta, which prevents the receptor from

adjusting to high levels of mu activation, leading to tolerance and dependence. It’s not clear why, he says, but activating both receptors at the same time reduces the negative side effects. Preclinical tests have shown UMB 425 to be as potent as morphine, yet the drug maintains its effects even after the laboratory animals receiving it received repeated doses. Coop explains that the work has moved forward thanks to a TEDCO Maryland Innovation Initiative grant. TEDCO, created by the Maryland General Assembly in 1998, helps facilitate the transfer and commercialization of technology from Maryland’s research universities and federal labs into the marketplace and assists in the creation and growth of technology-based businesses in all regions of the state. Coop says that a spinoff company eventually will get the patented formula to market.

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Not only do we have to treat those already addicted but also need to help the next generation avoid dependence. To do that we must equip patients with awareness and the right questions to ask their caregivers. — FADIA T. SHAYA

Toward Freedom from Dependency While the “all-hands-on-deck” strategy has enlisted researchers, faculty, and students across UMB, all agree that pharmacists may be the most accessible health care providers and may be in the best position to help at the epidemic’s ground zero — the pharmacy, where health care providers and patients meet most frequently. “We’ve started the effort with the best assets we have — our students,” concludes Shaya. “However, our effort reaches all corners of the campus, involving students and faculty from all schools. The state of Maryland and all counties are doing great work. We are moving the needle, but we have to continue messaging. Not only do we have to treat those already addicted

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but also need to help the next generation avoid dependence. To do that we must equip patients with awareness and the right questions to ask their caregivers.” Simoni-Wastila agrees. “Our hope is that students will have a full understanding of the opioid dependency cycle and, equipped with both the scientific understanding as well as the social understanding, they can play strong roles at the forefront of outreach and education.” For DiPaula, the recent flood of national attention on the opioid crisis from a wide variety of sources — from the media to the government — is an important step toward expanding treatment. “It’s good that people are talking,” concludes DiPaula. “But our best efforts will require more funding.” b

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MAINSTAYS

Prescriber of Child Safety BY RITA M. ROONEY

Julie Zito (green jacket) and her husband, Sandy Zito, with daughter Sandra Zito, son David and daughter-in-law Amber Zito, and granddaughter Hudson Curie Zito

As an adolescent working with her pharmacist father in Astoria, N.Y., Julie Zito, PhD, remembers forming early impressions of medications for chronic conditions. “I became interested in the fact that a specific drug taken by several patients with similar diagnostic profiles had considerably different responses in some than in others,” says Zito, professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research (PHSR) at the School of Pharmacy and affiliate professor at the School of Medicine’s (SOM) Department of Psychiatry. “While the medication may have helped some people, there were those for whom it had no positive impact and even unintended harm.” That early observation may well have led Zito to her career in pharmacoepidemiology and to her stature as one of the country’s most authoritative spokespersons on research relative to drugs used in the mental health treatment of children. Following pharmacy school at St. John’s University, Zito completed a hospital pharmacy residency at the Medical College of Virginia and was a doctoral fellow in the Kellogg Pharmaceutical Clinical Scientist Program at the University of Minnesota, where she earned a PhD in social and administrative pharmacy. After serving at the New York State Office of Mental Health, she joined PHSR in 1993, becoming professor in 2007. Zito and University colleagues Daniel Safer, MD, Mehmet Burcu, MSe, PhD ’17, and Daniel Pennap, MPH, currently wrestle with questions about the safety of second-generation antipsychotics and antidepressants in treating youngsters with behavioral conditions. The team goes straight to the question of whether benefit outweighs risk in patients. There is a need, Zito says, to weigh each drug carefully. She points to a need for increased monitoring of prescription psychotropic medications to determine any adverse effects compared with beneficial outcomes observed in improved school performance, better social relationships, and reduced suffering. “The use of psychotropic medications for behavioral management is a heavy decision for both parents and prescribers,” Zito 18

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says. “Psychopharmacology has seen enormous growth in the use of these drugs, particularly among poor and foster care children, our most socially disadvantaged youth.” She adds that the relatively common, long-term use of complex regimens needs further examination. “I’d like to see pharmacoepidemiology training in medical schools as we now have in the School of Pharmacy.” In 1995, Zito initiated a pharmacoepidemiology course for her department’s PhD curriculum and the SOM’s Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, a course that to date has trained more than 50 graduates. Zito’s aim now is for greater dissemination of data in major medical journals on clinical practice patterns. She believes learning how practice patterns change over time may caution prescribers and motivate better monitoring of new medications. She explains, “Our research indicates a need to look carefully at children in any situation in which the child may feel uncomfortable or ill at ease, whether it be in a classroom, foster home, unsafe neighborhood, or elsewhere.” She also points to an urgency for attention to racial/ethnic disparities in Medicaid-insured youth. Zito acknowledges the critical role played by physician collaborators including Geoffrey Rosenthal, MD, PhD, Laurence Magder, PhD, Stephen B. Thomas, PhD, and Soren Snitker, MD, PhD, as well as professionals at the Maryland Department of Health. She says collaborations with clinical researchers, epidemiologists, and others advance observational research, a critical area for effectiveness, safety, and drug regulatory science. “We need caution, too, about any new drugs on the market,” she says. “More physician vigilance in examining drug trials is often warranted.” Susan dosReis, PhD ’99, a colleague and former student of Zito’s, has worked with her for more than 20 years. “Ours is a growing field in which Julie’s knowledge and experience outdistance most,” says dosReis. “Her values and integrity concerning her work are unparalleled.” b

MAINSTAYS

A Calming Force BY GWEN NEWMAN

LiYi Wu, MS, has a knack for numbers as well as a way with words. Indeed, some say she’s a voice of reason and a calmLiYi Wu ing force. Soft-spoken, the China native serves as chief administrative officer for the School of Pharmacy’s bustling Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (PSC), with 28 full-time faculty as well as 125 staff, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students. She manages a $4.5 million annual operating budget, oversees more than $6 million in grants and contracts, and supervises nine administrative staff members. Wu makes it look easy despite being responsible for everything from budget and grant and contract administration to human resources, payroll, facilities, and the recruitment of faculty, staff, and graduate students. “LiYi is extremely effective at managing several projects at once and meeting deadlines, often on very short notice,” notes Paul Shapiro, PhD, professor and chair of PSC. “Her door is always open, and she receives constant requests for budget changes or grant submissions, for example, as well as new hires and salary adjustments. Yet, she responds to all in a friendly and professional manner.” Wu, who earned a master’s degree in accounting and financial management from the University of Maryland University College in 2005, describes her department as a “very active, fast-paced and friendly environment” and herself as a focused, motivated encourager who, she ventures, promotes teamwork and cooperation. Her biggest contribution in a decade and a half of service? “Allowing staff to develop to their highest potential and creating a good work environment that’s committed to meeting the business needs in a fast-paced environment,” she says. Despite the ease with which she embraces her work, Wu admits: “When I was in school, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go into the accounting field. Instead, I wanted to have a job in the library.”

A voracious reader of all genres, Wu had a change of heart somewhere along the way. Though she majored in law as an undergraduate student, her first job was as a senior accountant for The People’s Bank of China. Then, in 1996, she moved to Baltimore to join family. Here, Wu immediately returned to school to further her education and, at a friend’s prompting, applied for a part-time post at the School of Pharmacy in 2001. In the 16 years since, she has shined wherever placed and in whatever role she’s served, rising from accounting associate to budget analyst then senior accountant and account manager. In 2011, Wu was tapped to serve as the acting research administrator for the department and in 2014 assumed the post. “LiYi came into her role at a challenging time,” says Andrew Coop, PhD, professor and previous chair of PSC and the School’s associate dean for academic affairs. “She led by example — solving issues with a minimum of fuss. She ensured that all were put at ease,” he adds, “and transformed the department into the powerhouse it is today. LiYi gets things done and is focused on results.” Colleagues describe her as a hands-on problem solver who takes initiative and readily fills voids without complaint. “For more than two years, the department was without a grant specialist and without hesitation, LiYi took this on,” adds Shapiro. “She has a calm personality and puts people at ease especially in stressful times.” Admittedly a people person, Wu’s favorite part of the job doesn’t boil down to numbers, stats or trends, the growth of the department or the goals achieved. “It’s the people I work with,” she says. “They are strong basic science researchers who are actively seeking and competing for extramural research funding in a very competitive arena.” And this cheerleader isn’t one to back down from the challenge. The consummate professional, “I have a good relationship with my colleagues and am always working to improve their short- and long-term goals. We’re a team,” she says, “and a very good team.” b

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Solidify Your Legacy Today With a Gift That Keeps on Giving More than half of School of Pharmacy students rely on scholarships and financial aid to make their dream of becoming a pharmacist a reality.

My experience as a student at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy has surpassed all of my expectations. Receiving this scholarship is an incredible honor, and I am so grateful to the donors and alumni who have made this possible. I am further driven to succeed and am able to focus on pursuing my pharmacy degree because of the support that I have received from generous alumni, faculty, and friends of the School of Pharmacy. — Elysia Burke Student Pharmacist, Class of 2021 Doris Nuessle McCaig Scholarship Recipient

Please contact Ken Boyden, JD, EdD, associate dean for development and alumni affairs, at kboyden@rx.umaryland.edu or 410-706-3816 to create an endowed scholarship to benefit the next generation of pharmacists. 20 20

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STUDENT NEWS

Industry Pharmacists Organization One of the Student Government Association’s newest organizations had a busy spring, hosting several events to raise awareness of the roles that industry pharmacists play in drug development, appropriate medication use, and other aspects of an industry career. b

Students from the Class of 2017 gave first-, second-, and third-year student pharmacists advice on pursuing industry fellowships during a panel discussion in April. Class of 2017 graduates, from left, Wilhelmina Lord-Adem, Jillian Aquino, Sara Higa, Elaine Pranski, and Jonathan Meyer.

Students toured the Food and Drug Administration campus in Silver Spring, Md., in April and spoke with pharmacists about their respective roles. From left, Stephanie Anyanwu, Class of 2018; Nabila Faridi, Class of 2020; Raisha Nagar, Class of 2019; Shannon Morrow and Mark Lee, Class of 2018; Jennifer Shim and Hannah Wilkoff, Class of 2019; Lt. Cmdr. Sadhna Khatri, PharmD ’00, MPH; Vaiyapuri Subramaniam, PharmD, MS, FCP, FASHP, FASCP; John Quinn, RPh, MS; Teny Joseph, Melissa Khashei, Massi Saleh, Nam Nguyen, and Caryn Gordon, all of the Class of 2019; and Elaine Pranski, Class of 2017.

Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International CPFI hosted several events during the spring semester including a Valentine’s Day cookie outreach in Pharmacy Hall at which homemade cookies with inspirational Bible verses were handed out to students and a Praise Night in April that included worship, prayers, and dinner in Pharmacy Hall. b

From left, Gloria Rinomhota and Folarin Ojowa, Class of 2019; Adedolapo Adesiyakan, Class of 2020; Kelechi Chikeka, Mary Brunk, Hannah Oseghale, and Akosua OwusuDommey, all of the Class of 2018; Akua Preko, Arit Ntekim, and Christine Nkobena, all of the Class of 2019; Lydia John, a student in the School of Medicine’s Pathologist Assistant Program; Seun Odutola, a third-year School of Dentistry student; Temitope Foleyson, Class of 2019; guest Charles Klepadlo; and Hildred Moyo and Rachel Switzer, of the Class of 2018.

Akosua Owusu-Dommey (left) and Rachel Switzer of the Class of 2018

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STUDENT NEWS

Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group and Rho Chi PPAG and Rho Chi collaborated in April to host a craft activity for children staying at the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) in Baltimore. b

From left, Stephanie Schmersahl (Class of 2018), Michelle Kim (Class of 2019), Rachel Switzer (Class of 2018), a RMH guest, and Prudence Wong (Class of 2020)

American Society of Consultant Pharmacists In April, members of the School’s chapter of the ASCP, which focuses on promoting healthy aging through the appropriate use of medications, hosted events for the local community and held a Toys and Tunes Drive for a local hospital. b

Stephanos Gozali (left) and Sarah Ro of the Class of 2019 speak with geriatric patients at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital in Leonardtown, Md., during a diabetes education event, where they counseled patients on diabetic risk and healthy lifestyle changes that can help prevent diabetes.

Leigh Cervino (right) of the Class of 2019 and a St. Agnes staffer pose beside toys, books, CDs, and other items donated to St. Agnes Hospital. The items were collected during ASCP’s Toys and Tunes Drive and are shared with geriatric and pediatric patients seen in St. Agnes’ emergency department.

ASHP Match Party The School’s chapter of the American Society of HealthSystem Pharmacists, in collaboration with the student chapter of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, hosted a Match Party in April for members of the Class of 2017 to congratulate them for achieving residencies and fellowships. b

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From left, Bob Pang, Class of 2017; Chuka Udeze, Class of 2018; Mary Pothen, Yogitha Pazhani, and Andrew Chayasriwong, all of the Class of 2019; and Benjamin Wu, Class of 2018

Graduation Banquet Students, alumni, and faculty celebrated an evening of achievements at the 2017 graduation banquet hosted by the Alumni Association. The annual banquet welcomes the new graduates into the alumni family. b

Dania Demashkieh, PharmD ’17, brought her family to the evening celebration.

From left, PharmD ’17 graduates Nana Brobbey, Kwabena Nimarko and his wife, Jennifer, and Ava-Dawn Hammond.

Melissa Fiscus, PharmD ’17 (left), and her husband, Chris, and Elissa King, PharmD ’17 (right) and her husband, Neil.

Aicha Moutanni, MS ’17, a new graduate of the MS in Regulatory Science program, celebrated with her family.

Members of the Class of 2017 with Joey Mattingly, PharmD, MBA, an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science (in back).

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STUDENT NEWS

Class of 2017 Graduates! Family, friends, faculty, preceptors, and staff looked on with pride as the Class of 2017 walked across the stage to receive their Doctor of Pharmacy hoods at the School’s annual convocation ceremony held at the Hilton Baltimore Hotel on May 19. Rear Adm. Pamela Schweitzer, PharmD, BCACP, chief pharmacy officer for the U.S. Public Health Service, was chosen by the graduating PharmD class as the keynote speaker for convocation in honor of her extraordinary dedication to improving pharmacy services across the federal government and her leadership of pharmacy programs and professional affairs for the Office of the Surgeon General and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Fifteen students graduating from the School’s PhD in Pharmaceutical Health Services Research and PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences programs received their hoods during the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Graduate School ceremony on May 18. The School’s MS in Regulatory Science program also hosted its second convocation in Pharmacy Hall on May 18 to celebrate its more than 30 graduates. Following the School’s morning convocation ceremony, graduates assembled for a Universitywide graduation ceremony at the Royal Farms Arena, where William P. Magee Jr., DDS, MD, chief executive officer and co-founder of Operation Smile, delivered the keynote address. b

Class president Kumaran Ramakrishnan is hooded by Brent Reed (left), PharmD, associate professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, and Fengtian Xue, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

The 158 members of the PharmD Class of 2017 pose for a group photo following the hooding ceremony.

Nadia Khan (left) and Parima Ghafoori document their big day with a selfie.

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Alexander Joachim (right) and Pragya Shrestha receive their diplomas at UMB’s afternoon graduation ceremony.

Benjamin Moy, Pragya Shrestha, and Shashvat Patel pose with the School of Pharmacy banner before the campuswide procession to Royal Farms Arena for UMB’s afternoon graduation ceremony.

Jenny Lee, Molly Rincavage, Erika Pineda, and Jonathan Meyer wait for the School hooding ceremony to begin.

Pharmaceutical Health Services Research (PHSR) graduate Xinyi Ng, Susan dosReis, PhD ’99, professor in PHSR, Mehmet Burcu, Melissa Ross, Ming-Hui Tai, and Dean Natalie D. Eddington, PhD ’89, FAAPS, FCP, at the Graduate School’s doctoral hooding ceremony Amanda Oglesby-Sherrouse, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (PSC), and new PSC graduate Angela Nguyen New graduates of the School’s online MS in Regulatory Science program, from left, Ryan Nguyen, PharmD ’99, Judy Park, Kofi Ansah, and Latasha Robinson

Laurels The School’s student chapter of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists received an honorable mention in the 2017 Student Chapter of the Year competition. Alecia Dent, a graduate student in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (PSC), was elected chair of the Graduate Research Seminar for the 2019 Gordon Research

Conference on the Cell Biology of Metals. Cori Gray, a third-year student pharmacist, and Anne Williams, a fourth-year student pharmacist, have been named PQA-CVS Health Foundation Scholars. “Allometry Is a Reasonable Choice in Pediatric Drug Development” by Tao Liu, a

graduate student in PSC, and Parima Ghafoori, a fourthyear PharmD student, was an Editor’s Choice Article in the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Elisabeth Oehrlein, a graduate student in the Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, received the 2017 Health Technology Assessment International (HTAI) Best Oral

Student Presentation Award at the HTAI annual meeting in Rome in June. Olivia Renaldo, a third-year student pharmacist, was named chair-elect of the national Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group’s Student Council.

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RESIDENT PROFILE

Thinking Big BY ELIZABETH HEUBECK

Nicholas Leon

“Boy, I got vision, and the rest of the world wears bifocals.” This line, delivered by Paul Newman in the classic 1969 movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, rolls easily off the tongue of Nicholas Leon, PharmD. The associate professor of pharmacy practice at the Jefferson College of Pharmacy in Philadelphia calls it his career motto. Ever since his residency in ambulatory care at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Leon has sought opportunities to use his motto as a means to enhance both patient care and the practice of pharmacy. “During my residency [at the School of Pharmacy], I was taught: Don’t be afraid to think big,” says Leon, who earned his PharmD in a six-year program at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. He recalls one of the first ways in which he had the opportunity to put that philosophy into practice. During Leon’s residency in ambulatory care, his mentor and residency program director Charmaine Rochester, PharmD, CDE, BCPS, BCACP, who is also an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science (PPS) at the School, started a new pharmacy practice in the West Baltimore neighborhood of Pigtown. One component of the clinic was the creation of a group education class, centered on self-care for diabetes. “I got to design it, run it, and modify it. All from nothing,” says Leon, who has heard from recent graduates that the program remained an influential force well after he completed his residency. So too have the lessons Leon learned as a resident. “You are going to get your hands dirty [at Maryland,]” Leon says. “You’re not just sitting behind a desk or computer.” Some of the skills Leon honed during his residency that aren’t traditionally associated with baseline pharmacy practice include listening to a patient’s heart and lungs and effectively modifying patients’ complex medication regimens. As an educator with the University of Maryland Residency

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and Fellowship Physical Assessment Training Program, Leon occasionally takes time away from his position at Jefferson to share with pharmacists-in-training his passion and knowledge of the physical exam. “Dr. Leon is a phenomenal teacher. He teaches current residents components of the physical exam through an interactive discussion and hands-on practice,” says Kristin Watson, PharmD, BCPS, an associate professor in PPS and a residency program preceptor at an ambulatory care heart failure practice at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Baltimore. “Dr. Leon and I are collaborating on several projects related to the role of pharmacists conducting the physical exam,” Watson adds. “He is someone you want on your team.” More broadly, Leon is someone for whom the entire profession of pharmacy is fortunate to have on its side. His goal as current president of the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association is to enhance the very practice of the profession. He’s already made inroads toward that goal. Since 2015, Leon has chaired the board of directors for the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Care Network, one of the largest state pharmacy networks in the country and among the first ever to contract with a managed care organization (MCO). The 170-plus pharmacies that belong to the network now receive names of patients who regularly fill their prescriptions at member sites. Through their relationship with the MCO, member pharmacists now are authorized to provide customers comprehensive medication reviews, targeted interventions, and follow-up. Leon credits his training at the School of Pharmacy, which encouraged residents to “think big,” with his progressive mindset. “We’re asking ourselves: ‘How can community pharmacy and ambulatory care better contribute to improving the health of entire populations of people?’” he says. Due to his training at Maryland, he’s helping Pennsylvania envision the answer. b

PRECEPTOR PROFILE

Marathon Mentor BY LYDIA LEVIS BLOCH

Phillip Paul Weiner

Phillip Paul Weiner, BSP ’61, PharmD ’96, prefers to be precise, but since he has not kept an exact count, he relies on other indicators for the facts: The former community-based consultant pharmacist and clinical associate professor at the School of Pharmacy estimates that during the 32 years he precepted for the School, he oversaw clinical rotations for more than 150 pharmacy students. “We have many preceptors who have supervised students for 20 years, yet Dr. Weiner stands out for his longevity and for his dedication to students and to the profession,” says Mark Brueckl, RPh, MBA, assistant director of the School’s Experiential Learning Program. “We are grateful for his many years of service to the School and to our Experiential Learning Program.” By graduation, students are required to fulfill 1,440 hours of rotations, which are experiential learning experiences at both on- and off-campus sites. Students take the skills and knowledge they have acquired in the classroom and apply the information to “real-world” practice with real patients. Nearly half of the 900 preceptors on the School’s roster are active each academic year, eager to provide the crucial training. Why would Weiner, sole proprietor of Weiner’s Pharmacy in Baltimore from 1963 to 1998, become a preceptor? “It’s very simple. I wanted to give back to the profession,” he says. Weiner, who retired in 2016, supervised students at his pharmacy during his early years as a preceptor. They learned how to read and fill prescriptions correctly. In later years, when he became a consultant pharmacist to the Baltimore County Department of Geriatric Programs, Weiner supervised fourth-year students who would visit patients in their homes to assess their medications and compliance. He and the students would then discuss their findings. Weiner, who delights in the verbal exchanges with students, would deliberately ask difficult questions, prodding his students to learn how to become better pharmacists. Weiner’s father, Sol, earned his PhG degree from the School of Pharmacy in 1924, and ran Weiner’s Pharmacy from 1934

to 1963, when his son took over the store. Among the first in the state to prohibit the sale of tobacco, the pharmacy only sold medical equipment and prescribed patients’ medicines. “No tobacco, no toys, no gifts, no cosmetics,” says Weiner. In addition to running the pharmacy, Weiner’s areas of interest included diabetes, patient compliance management, male impotency and incontinence, and kidney dialysis and transplantation. He is the past chair of the Maryland Medicaid Drug Utilization Review Board and past consultant pharmacist to the Baltimore City Health Department’s Municipal Health Services Medicare Waiver Program. Weiner counts several School of Pharmacy current and former faculty among his previous students: Ilene Harris, PharmD ’83, PhD; Cherokee Layson-Wolf, PharmD ’00; and Lynn McPherson, PharmD ’86. “I am very proud of them. Their accomplishments aren’t due to me at all. It’s the education they received at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, one of the best schools in the nation,” he says. Another of Weiner’s students, Wilhelmina Lord-Adem, PharmD ’17, completed a geriatric pharmacotherapy rotation in 2016 visiting patients in their homes. She conducted medication therapy management, discussed adherence, and answered questions about their medications. “I learned from Dr. Weiner the importance of knowing your patients, not as ‘another patient,’ but as a person,” she notes. “When patients know you really care about their well-being, they will share important information they might otherwise withhold, and that will help you better manage their disease state and medications by improving adherence.” Weiner constantly challenged her to think outside the box. “He is a great mentor with a wealth of experience and knowledge,” says Lord-Adem, now a postdoctoral fellow at Pfizer. Since retiring, Weiner is working on his racquetball game and enjoys traveling with his wife, Susie, their adult children, and his five grandsons. He says, “I love pharmacy. I loved what I did. I loved helping students.” b wint winteer r 22001188

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ALUMNI NEWS

A Message from the Alumni President Dear fellow alumni, The Alumni Association continues to work hard to engage all alumni — BSP, MS, PharmD, and PhDs — through a variety of events and outreach initiatives. We are always looking for ways to decrease distance and increase involvement between the School and those alumni who have moved away from Baltimore. Together with the School’s Office of Development and Alumni Affairs, we have expanded our networking events across the country and have hosted a series of events on our new online networking event platform — RxIntersect. As my role as president of the Alumni Association comes to a close, I reflect back on the Andong Nkobena year, on all that I have learned, and of the new connections that I have made during my tenure. Experiencing the connectedness between alumni themselves and between alumni and the School has been a rewarding experience. I have had the pleasure of meeting many of you at meetings, events, or at the School of Pharmacy. I am inspired by the different career paths that alumni have taken, all because of your education, the connections you made, and experiences you had while a student at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Many of you started your journey by stepping outside of your comfort zone, asking tough questions, going to networking events, and seeking out faculty mentors. Much of your success is because of the connections you made and the support you received from the School and fellow alumni. I hope that you will take the time to continue stepping outside of your comfort zone, renew and/or make new connections with fellow alumni, and grow your professional network. I hope that you will continue to be connected to the School and if you have been out of touch, that you will reconnect. I highly encourage you to visit our website at www.pharmacy.umaryland.edu/ alumni and follow our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts for exciting announcements about our upcoming events and accomplishments. In the spirit of new connections, I am proud to introduce the incoming president of the Alumni Association — Robyn Hunt, PharmD ’17. Robyn is a staff pharmacist at Springfield Hospital Center. I look forward to making a smooth transition with her to ensure the success of the Alumni Association. If you have constructive feedback or would like to send in an update, please do so at alumni@rx.umaryland.edu. We welcome the opportunity to hear from you and celebrate your successes. It is been my pleasure to serve as the president of the Alumni Association of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Gratefully, Andong Nkobena, PharmD ’16 President alumni@rx.umaryland.edu

Alumni Association Executive Committee 2017-2018 Capt. James Bresette, PharmD ’97 Julian Chun, PharmD ’02 Lt. Mathilda Fienkeng, PharmD ’08 Denise Fu, PharmD ’10 Geoffrey Heinzl, PhD ’16 Brian Hose, PharmD ’06 Robyn Hunt, PharmD ’17 Una Kim, PharmD ’13

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Janet Lee, PharmD ’13 Mary Li, PharmD ’16 Daniel Mansour, PharmD ’06 Gina McKnight-Smith, PharmD ’97, MBA David Ngo, PharmD ’13 Andong Nkobena, PharmD ’16 Sharon Park, PharmD ’04 Andrew Phan, PharmD ’13

Kumar Ramakrishnan, PharmD ’17 Matthew Shimoda, PharmD ’84 Hoai-An Truong, PharmD ’05 Brian Ung, PharmD ’16 Chai Wang, PharmD ’11 Lt. Eric Wong, PharmD ’13

PSC, Regulatory Science Alums Welcomed Back More than 100 alumni, graduate students, and faculty came together for a Grad Gathering hosted by the PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PSC) and MS in Regulatory Science programs at the School of Pharmacy on Sept. 22. The daylong event featured a wide range of activities designed to foster networking and professional development among all attendees, including a keynote address by Vijay V. Upreti, PhD ’07, FCP, director of clinical pharmacology, modeling, and simulation in medical sciences at Amgen. Career panel discussions and research poster sessions also were offered. Following the formal event, participants were invited to attend an Alumni and Department Happy Hour, which provided an informal setting for faculty, students, and alumni to reconnect and reminisce about their experiences in the programs.

Graduates, staff, and faculty of the online MS in Regulatory Science program, from left, Kim Updegraff, BSP ’91, MS ’15; Sharese Essien, program manager; Carolynn Harris, MS ’17; Aicha Moutanni, MS ’17; Eric Daniels, MS ’17; James Polli, PhD, professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and program director; and Zahid Noor, MS ’17. Vijay V. Upreti delivered the event’s keynote address.

James Polli, PhD, the Shangraw/Noxell Endowed Chair in Industrial Pharmacy and Pharmaceutics at the School, moderated a panel discussion on careers in industry with, from left, Eric Daniels, MS ’17, Aamena Chaudhry, MS ’16, Mukul Kelkar, PhD ’16, and Diane Doughty, PhD ’10. Current PhD and MS students, along with postdoctoral fellows and faculty, attended the event to learn from alumni about their careers.

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ALUMNI NEWS

Class of ’97 Celebrates 20 Years On Sept. 23, the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs hosted the 20th reunion of the Class of 1997 at the Pratt Street Ale House in Baltimore. More than 20 alumni gathered to reconnect with old classmates and faculty members. Back row, from left: Chris Hawk, PharmD, Sonnie Kim, Lysa Regits, PharmD, and James Bresette, PharmD. Front row, from left: Frank Cathers, PharmD, Terri Cathers, PharmD, Brett Dabruzzo, PharmD, Liza Takiya, PharmD, Felisa Goles, PharmD, Hyun Kiel, PharmD, Catherine Prenger, PharmD, retired faculty member Fred Abramson, BSP ’56, Dara Nardini, PharmD, Phyllis Lovito, Ardeen Leake, Tony Guerra, PharmD, and Nicole Brandt, PharmD

Scholarship Donor and Recipient Reception More than 85 PharmD, PhD, and MS students attended the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs’ Scholarship Donor and Recipient Reception on Nov. 29. This annual reception provides a forum for scholarship donors to meet the students who have benefited from their gifts and offers students an opportunity to express their gratitude to the donors.

From left, Gloria Rinomhota, Class of 2019, Terry Gyi, BSP ’83, PharmD ’06, and Daniel Mullins, PhD, professor and chair, Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research

From left, Chioma Simon-Ebughu, Class of 2020; Martin Mintz, BSP ’65; Precious Ohagwu, Winnie Asimwe, and Elodie Tendoh, all of the Class of 2020

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Back row: Jordan Fraker (left) and Deepa Trivedi, both of the Class of 2021. Front row, from left: Dean Natalie D. Eddington, PhD ’89, FAAPS, FCP, Gwynne Horwits, MD, and Leonard Horwits, BSP ’60

From the Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research (PHSR) are students, from left, Aakash Gandhi, O’Mareen Spence, Elisabeth Oehrlein, and Jan Sieluk, with Colleen Day (red jacket), PHSR graduate program coordinator.

Class Notes Letter to the Editor

1989

Noel Wilkin, BSP, PhD ’97, was named provost and executive vice chancellor at the University of Mississippi, where he has been a faculty member for almost 21 years.

1993

Shelby Reed, BSP, PhD ’99, has been named president of the Board of Directors of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research. She is a professor at Duke University.

1997

The latest edition of Capsule just arrived and, as always, I had to read it cover to cover as soon as the mail arrived. Please let me say what a wonderful job you continue to do at my favorite school. If I had not recently celebrated my 80th birthday, I think I would consider enrolling as a freshman and enjoy the fun you have created while learning all of the things involved in pharmacy in the 21st century.

2009

Thank you again for the wonderful job you are doing.

Tony Guerra, PharmD, was the 2017 recipient of the Pharmacy Technician Educators Council’s Technician Educator Award presented at the organization’s annual meeting in July in Las Vegas.

Adam Bress, PharmD, authored a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine titled “The Cost-Effectiveness of Intensive Versus Standard Blood-Pressure Control.”

— Bob Anstine, BSP ’58

In the fall of 2017, the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs introduced a new online networking platform for alumni, students, and faculty with events on Aug. 29 and Oct. 17. RxIntersect Online Networking, offered through Brazen, enables speed-networking from wherever alumni, faculty, and students may be. Participants sign in on their smartphone, tablet, or computer. During an event, participants are paired via timed 10-minute text-based chats that allow them to get advice, exchange contact information, and leave with new professional connections.

Visit https://www.pharmacy.umaryland.edu/alumni/resources/online-networking/ for more information.

In Memoriam As the Maryland pharmacy profession is a close-knit community, we are honored to share the names of recently deceased alumni who have in some way impacted the profession and the practice of pharmacy. The School learned of the passing of the following alumni between Jan. 1, 2017, and June 30, 2017. Arnold R. Alperstein, BSP ’70 Michael J. Appel, BSP ’69 Michael T. Benson, BSP ’63 John J. Creamer, BSP ’53

Samuel E. Elbers, BSP ’91 Philip E. Fisher, BSP ’50 Charles A. Haase Esq., BSP ’53 Toon Lee, BSP ’60

Joan C. Lescallette, BSP ’87 Samuel Lichter, BSP ’60 Lydia N. Pearson, PhD, BSP ’88 David Y. Serpick, BSP ’62

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ALUMNI PROFILE

Managing Care BY CHRISTINE STUTZ

David Yoder

When David Yoder earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in 1998, he did not imagine that one day he would oversee care management for the largest employee health insurance group in the BlueCross BlueShield (BC/BS) system — the Federal Employee Program (FEP). With 5.3 million members, including about 35,000 who work overseas, the FEP provides benefits to both active and retirees from the federal workforce. Yoder’s work portfolio recently expanded to include quality and accreditation activities, as well as developing new benefit products for members. “We look at what other health plans are offering, and we look for ways to increase efficiencies in how we deliver our services to better influence patient health care outcomes,” he says. Yoder started working in managed care right after graduating from the School of Pharmacy, working for several East Coast-based health plans, first as director of pharmacy and then moving into a broader vice president role at both Mid Atlantic Medical Services and then United Health Group. He joined BC/BS 10 years ago, working primarily in pharmacy benefit management his first few years. As executive director of Member Benefits and Care Management at the Washington, D.C., office, he manages a team of 55 people whose wide-ranging responsibilities even include dental and vision products. While finishing pharmacy school two decades ago, Yoder began attending the University of Baltimore, earning a Master of Business Administration in 2000. That turned out to be a wise decision. “It really helps because when you’re a clinician, people tend to pigeonhole you,” Yoder says. “My MBA has helped me develop relationships with the non-clinical side of our business and influence those decisions from a clinician’s view. “Business people can’t very well go back to school and become clinical people,” he says. “But with combined business and pharmacy training, I can speak their language and apply my clinical knowledge and expertise gained from my pharmacy

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degree. This leads to sound decisions that are not only good for our members’ care but also continue the sustainability of the program overall.” Yoder came to the pharmacy profession after six years of active duty in the U.S. Navy, working as a pharmacy tech in San Diego, Calif., and Corpus Christi, Texas. While he enjoyed the work, he knew he was more interested in the business side of pharmacy than the clinical side. So when the School of Pharmacy offered a joint degree, he was one of the first to enroll. He remains active at the School as a preceptor, and recently was appointed to its adjunct faculty in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. In past years he also taught a course on campus, Fundamentals of Health Systems. After 20 years working in managed care, Yoder has seen a great many changes. “There’s a lot of innovation around valuebased care,” he says, in which health practitioners are rewarded for improving patient outcomes, not just for how many visits or procedures they provide their patients. “It’s not just about saving on cost, but more about delivering quality care,” he says. Driven largely by the nation’s insurance payers and major employers, as well as by the Affordable Care Act, the insurance community is looking for ways to ensure patients receive the right care at the right time, and aren’t subjected to unnecessary — and costly — tests and treatments. “Employers are telling us, ‘We don’t want to pay for all this care,’ unless it’s resulting in significantly improved health for their employees,” Yoder says. Looking back over his successful career, Yoder says he chose the right profession, and he is very happy with his current position, leveraging the pharmacy education he received from the University of Maryland enhanced by key concepts from his MBA program. “You can influence a lot of lives for the better in this job,” he says. “Decisions my team and I make affect a lot of people’s health care and ultimately not only their lives, but the lives of those around them as well.” b

DONOR PROFILE

Retired Professor’s Gift Honors Class of 1999 BY MALISSA CARROLL

Gary G. Buterbaugh, PhD, retired professor from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (PSC), has committed a gift of $58,000 to the School of Pharmacy to establish a fund in honor of the Class of 1999 for which he served as faculty advisor. The Class of 1999 Award will assist fourth-year student pharmacists with travel to national or state conferences and students who are facing a hardship that could interfere with their pharmacy education. “Gifts from faculty play an essential role in helping the School continue to lead pharmacy education, scientific discovery, patient care, and community engagement across the state of Maryland and beyond,” says Ken Boyden, JD, EdD, associate dean for development and alumni affairs. “The new fund established by Dr. Buterbaugh is unique in that it will not only offer students an opportunity to broaden their education outside of the classroom, but also help to alleviate the financial burden students often face as a result of an unexpected hardship. We thank him for his generosity.” Buterbaugh joined the School of Pharmacy as an assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology in 1969. In the 1990s, he played a crucial role in transforming the School’s three-year Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy program into the four-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program that faculty, staff, and students recognize today. Although Buterbaugh retired in 2011, he continues to reflect on his time at the School. “I have many memories,” Buterbaugh says, “but my most memorable interactions are those I shared with the students. Although the students of every class had an ineffable impact on me, I remember the Class of 1999 with a special fondness, as it was my good fortune to serve as their faculty advisor. The members of that class demonstrated an exceptionally caring attitude and educational tenacity that blended with their individual integrity, which epitomized and served as a tribute to pharmacy practice. It was my privilege to interact closely

with that class, and I am pleased to establish the Class of 1999 Award.” The lectures, exams, and abilities labs in which students participate at the School provide a strong foundation for their future practice. However, Buterbaugh notes that it is also important for students to have opportunities to make friends, interact with other disciplines, and socialize with classmates. In doing so, some students choose to participate in a national or state pharmacy conference or other professional programming. “Both the students who attend professional conferences and the School can benefit from this aspect of my gift,” he says. “Not only do professional meetings provide an opportunity for students to expand their professional network with other men and women who share a common goal of delivering quality health care, but these students can also share the experience and knowledge that they gained from these professional meetings with others at the School. A student at a conference can actively promote the School and its good works.” During the more than 40 years he was part of the School of Pharmacy faculty, Buterbaugh also encountered many students who faced an unexpected hardship that threatened to derail their education. “Awards are often bestowed on a person as a result of some ‘distinction,’ such as academic excellence,” Buterbaugh says. “However, every student enrolled in the School of Pharmacy has the distinction of being a person with inimitable life experiences. There are times when a student will encounter an unexpected event that might temporarily interfere with his or her ongoing education. That event must be acknowledged, and any financial burden associated with such an experience eased.” Endowed gifts, such as the Class of 1999 Award established by Buterbaugh, benefit the School, its students, and programs in perpetuity. b

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Make an Impact Today and Tomorrow with a Charitable Gift Annuity One of the most creative ways to support the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy is with a charitable gift annuity through the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) Foundation, Inc., providing future funding for the School of Pharmacy and immediate benefits for you or your loved ones.

HOW IT WORKS: In exchange for your gift of cash or appreciated securities of $25,000 or more, the UMB Foundation will make fixed annuity payments for life. Gift annuity rates are currently very attractive compared to other commercial fixed-income options. When the annuity ends, the balance supports your designated University of Maryland School of Pharmacy priority.

• Attractive fixed-income payments for life, backed by the UMB Foundation • A current income tax deduction and partially tax-free income over your life expectancy (in most cases) • Portfolio diversification • Deferred support to the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy • Your gift qualifies you for membership in the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy Legacy Society

Single-Life Rate Chart for $25,000 UMB Foundation Charitable Annuity (two-life rates also available) Annuitant Age at Gift

Annuity Rate

5.1%

5.8%

6.8%

7.8%

Annual Payment

$1,275

$1,450

$1,700

$1,950

Charitable Deduction

$9,752

$11,065

$12,270

$13,955

PLEASE NOTE: Charitable gift annuities are provided through the University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation, Inc. Payments under such agreements are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency. Annuities are subject to regulation by the states of California, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Washington, and others. The above examples are for educational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to issue annuities where precluded by state law. Donors should always consult with their tax advisors before making a planned gift. Rates are set at the time of the gift and may vary from those illustrated.

Benefits of a charitable gift annuity include:

Want yourwww.pharmacy.umaryland.edu gift to provide support for a loved one c a p su l e or a friend? Contact us to learn how.

Consider a UMB Foundation annuity to support the School of Pharmacy today! For more information, including a customized illustration, contact: Ken Boyden, JD, EdD Associate Dean Office of Development and Alumni Affairs University of Maryland School of Pharmacy 20 N. Pine St., S740 Baltimore, MD 21201 Office 410-706-5893 | Fax 410-706-6049 kboyden@rx.umaryland.edu

2015-2016 ANNUAL REPORT

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LEADERSHIP

Dean Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, FAAPS, FCP Senior Associate Dean for Administration and Finance William J. Cooper, MBA Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Andrew Coop, PhD Associate Dean for Clinical Services and Practice Transformation Magaly Rodriguez de Bitttner, PharmD, BCPS, CDE, FAPhA Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Affairs Ken Boyden, JD, EdD Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education Peter Swaan, PhD Associate Dean for Student Affairs Cherokee Layson-Wolf, PharmD, CGP, BCACP, FAPhA Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and Assessment Lisa Lebovitz, JD

Chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science Jill Morgan, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS

CENTERS

Bio- and Nano-techology Center Bruce Yu, PhD, Director Center for Drug Safety Center for Innovative Pharmacy Solutions Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, PharmD, BCPS, CDE, FAPhA, Executive Director Center for Translational Medicine Joga Gobburu, PhD, MBA, FCP, Director Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation James Polli, PhD, Co-director Center on Drugs and Public Policy Francis B. Palumbo, PhD, JD, Executive Director Computer-Aided Drug Design Center Alexander D. MacKerell Jr., PhD, Director Jana Shen, PhD, Co-director

Assistant Dean for Communications and Marketing Rebecca Ceraul

Maryland Poison Center Bruce D. Anderson, PharmD, Director

Assistant Dean for Experiential Learning Agnes Ann Feemster, PharmD, BCPS

Mass Spectrometry Center Maureen Kane, PhD, Executive Director

Assistant Dean for Information Technology Tim Munn

Mental Health Program Raymond Love, PharmD, Director

Assistant Dean for Instructional Design and Technology Shannon Tucker, MS Assistant Dean for Policy and Planning Deborah Dewitt, JD Assistant Dean for the Universities at Shady Grove Heather Brennan Congdon, PharmD, CACP, CDE Chair, Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research C. Daniel Mullins, PhD

Chair, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Paul Shapiro, PhD

c a p su l e

www.pharmacy.umaryland.edu

Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging Nicole Brandt, PharmD, MBA, BCPP, CGP, FASCP, Executive Director Pharmaceutical Research Computing Center Ebere Onukwugha, PhD, MS, Executive Director

BOARD OF VISITORS

Stephen J. Allen, RPh, MS ’78, FASHP Executive Vice President and CEO American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Foundation

Barbara M. Alving, MD Former Director, National Center for Research Resources National Institutes of Health Director, Public Health Science Program University of Maryland, College Park Hon. Harold E. Chappelear, DSC ’98, RPh, LLD, Chair Principal InternaSource, LLC Victoria G. Hale, BSP ’83, PhD Founder and CEO Medicines360 Gina McKnight-Smith, PharmD ’97, MBA, CGP, BCPS Regulatory Review Officer U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Thomas E. Menighan, BSPharm, MBA, FAPhA Executive Vice President and CEO American Pharmacists Association David Miller, PhD ’93 Senior Vice President, Global Market Access Biogen Idec, Inc. Hon. Joseline Pena-Melnyk, JD Maryland House of Delegates Jane Shaab, MBA Senior Vice President, RPC Assistant Vice President for Economic Development University of Maryland, Baltimore Jermaine Smith, RPh Senior Director, College Relations and Professional Recruitment Rite Aid Pharmacy Ellen H. Yankellow, PharmD ’96, BSP ’73 President and CEO Correct Rx Pharmacy Services, Inc.

Special thanks to the following contributors: Nancy Bowers JuliAna Brammer William Cooper Greer Griffith Cherokee Layson-Wolf Lisa Lebovitz Alicia Walters

KEY FACTS

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

FACULTY

PHARMD PROGRAM

Full-time faculty

640

Total enrollment

Affiliate faculty

996

Total applicants

680

Preceptor faculty

161

Entering class

25%

Acceptance rate

STAFF

82%

With undergraduate degree or higher

Administrative, business, development and alumni

3.4

Average GPA

affairs, experiential learning, human resources,

81%

Average PCAT composite percentage

communications and marketing, student affairs,

and faculty support

41% Asian

212

Technical, research staff, postdoctoral fellows,

28% Caucasian

and teaching assistants

Ethnicity across all four years:

18%

African-American and African

4% International

SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY

4% Hispanic

134

Principal investigators

3% Multi-ethnic

408

Refereed works published (authored or co-authored)

Non-refereed works published (authored or

No response

Number may not total 100 percent due to rounding

co-authored) 532

PHD PROGRAMS 78

Total enrollment

Papers presented at professional meetings

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES 50

Review panels (off-campus peer review panels and

Department of Pharmaceutical Health

accreditation and certification teams)

Services Research

1,826

Manuscripts read/reviewed for professional journals,

23 Students

conferences, and publishers

Editors/associate editors for professional journals

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Officeholders of professional associations

55 Students

307

Departmental, institutional, and University System

of Maryland committees

MASTERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PROGRAMS

271

Total days in public service (non-consulting role with

122

K-12 schools and community colleges, government

agencies, nonprofit organizations, or businesses)

Total enrollment

Palliative Care 25 students

PLACEMENT/EMPLOYMENT Job Placements for the Class of 2016

Pharmacometrics

Data is based on a survey voluntarily completed by graduating

35 students

students in May.

Regulatory Science

152

Total Number of Graduates

62 students

PGY1 Residency Match from ASHP

Community Pharmacy

ACADEMIC TRAINING

Hospital Pharmacy

Fellowships

Other (Industry, PHS, etc.)

No Job by Graduation Date

Did Not Respond to Employment Survey

Postdoctoral fellows

22 Residents

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FINANCIALS

SOURCES OF OPERATING REVENUES SUPPORTING THE SCHOOL This report is an unaudited presentation of revenues supporting the School.

FISCAL YEAR 2015-2016

Gifts $1,318,284

Total Source of Funds $60,725,190

Grant and Contract Awards and Designated Research Initiative Funds $26,912,022

Net General Appropriation and Tuition and Fees $27,673,274

Auxiliary and Misc. $3,047,102 Federal Funds $367,316

Scholarships, Fellowships, and Endowments $1,407,192

Gifts $771,426

FISCAL YEAR 2014-2015 Total Source of Funds $60,176,873

Grant and Contract Awards and Designated Research Initiative Funds $27,836,709

Net General Appropriation and Tuition and Fees $26,615,588

Federal Funds $367,316

c a p su l e

www.pharmacy.umaryland.edu

Scholarships, Fellowships, and Endowments $1,267,761

Auxiliary and Misc. $3,318,073

NEW FACULTY

Hazem E. Hassan, PhD ’07, MS ’16, RPh, RCDS Assistant Professor Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Hassan received a BPharm degree (summa cum laude) from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, in Egypt. He earned a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, where he also completed postdoctoral training and later earned an MS in Pharmacometrics. Hassan has more than 14 years of experience in the field of clinical pharmacology, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, and drug development. At the School of Pharmacy, he is director of the Pharmacokinetics and Biopharmaceutics Laboratory. He is a registered/certified controlled dangerous substances researcher by the state of Maryland and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Division of Drug Enforcement Administration. Hassan’s research program focuses on investigating the underlying factors that impact drug development and drug therapy optimization in adults and pre-term neonates via employing in vitro, in vivo, and in silico quantitative pharmacology (QP) approaches. Hassan actively serves several national organizations, including the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, and the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, where he is co-leader of its Hot Topics Initiative. Hassan has received several awards, including AAPS’ Award in Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Drug Metabolism/Clinical Sciences, the School of Pharmacy’s Dr. Ralph Shangraw Award and the Dr. Arthur Schwartz Award, and the Egyptian government’s General Mission award. In 2004, he was inducted into the Rho Chi Honor Society. He has a joint appointment as an associate professor of pharmaceutics in the Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, Egypt. Hassan is a registered pharmacist by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.

Mojdeh Heavner, PharmD ’08, BCPS, BCCCP Assistant Professor Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science

Heavner received a Bachelor of Science in physiology and neurobiology from the University of Maryland, College Park and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. She completed a pharmacy practice residency and critical care and solid organ transplant specialty residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital. She is board certified in pharmacotherapy and critical care. Following her residency training, Heavner practiced as a clinical pharmacy specialist in the medical intensive care unit, served as residency director of the critical care pharmacy specialty program, and spent several years as supervisor of clinical pharmacy services at Yale-New Haven Hospital before joining the faculty at the School of Pharmacy. She is a clinical pharmacy specialist at the University of Maryland Medical Center, where she practices in the medical intensive care unit. Heavner is active in professional organizations at the local, state, and national levels, including the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, and the Maryland Society of Health-System Pharmacy. She served as secretary on the board of the Connecticut Society of Health-System Pharmacists for several

years and was recognized as Pharmacist of the Year by that organization in 2016. Her practice and research interests include performance management and quality improvement, delirium, medication safety, and antibiotic pharmacokinetics and stewardship in the intensive care unit.

Zachary Noel, PharmD, BCPS Assistant Professor Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science

Noel obtained his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. He completed a pharmacy practice and cardiology specialty residency at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center. He is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist. Noel’s practice and research interests include valvular heart disease, anticoagulation, and teaching pedagogy. He is a member of the Applied Therapeutics, Research, and Instruction at the University of Maryland (ATRIUM) cardiology collaborative, which focuses on the advancement of care provided to patients with cardiovascular disease. He also serves as program coordinator for the Postgraduate Year 2 Cardiology Pharmacy Residency Program at the University of Maryland.

Danya Qato, PhD, PharmD, MPH Assistant Professor Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research

Qato is a pharmacist, epidemiologist, and health services researcher. She holds a PhD in health and pharmaceutical services research from the Brown University School of Public Health, a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Illinois, and a Master of Public Health with a concentration in international health and humanitarian studies from Harvard University. At Brown, Qato was funded as an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and National Institutes of Health doctoral and postdoctoral research fellow in comparative effectiveness research. Her substantive areas of research pertain to improving regulatory and policy tools to reduce use of high-risk medications in vulnerable populations, risk management and post-marketing surveillance, environmental and global health systems development, pharmacovigilance, and health disparities. She was previously an Albert Schweitzer Fellow, a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow (for support of her MPH at Harvard), and a U.S. research fellow of the Palestinian American Research Center and the Arab Council for the Social Sciences funded by the Swedish International Development Agency. In the 2015-2016 academic year, Qato was based at the Institute for Community and Public Health at Birzeit University in the West Bank, where she was a Fulbright Scholar. She is founder and director of the Arab & Eastern Mediterranean Pharmacovigilance Network and serves as an expert consultant to the World Health Organization. In addition to her role as an assistant professor, Qato is a faculty affiliate at the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Institute for Global Health.

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GRANTS AND CONTRACT AWARDS July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016

DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICAL HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH (PHSR) PROJECT INVESTIGATOR

RANK/TITLE

PROJECT TITLE

SPONSOR NAME

Amy Davidoff Research Assistant Professor

Treatment Patterns and Outcomes Associated with Infused and Oral Iron Chelation Therapy in Medicare Part D Enrolled Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.

Peter Doshi

Secondment Agreement

BMJ Publishing Group Limited, Inc. $90,000

Assistant Professor

PROJECT TOTAL

$53,421

Susan dosReis Professor

PATIENTS: PATient-centered Involvement Agency for Healthcare Research in Evaluating effectiveNess of TreatmentS and Quality

$92,325

Susan dosReis Professor

Methods for Prioritizing Surrogate Desired Health Outcomes for Patients

$312,864

Tabassum Majid Postdoctoral Fellow

PATIENTS: PATient-centered Involvement Agency for Healthcare Research $7,675 in Evaluating effectiveNess of TreatmentS and Quality