Academic Pharmacy Now: 2016 Issue 3

Academic Pharmacy NOW

The News Magazine of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

Volume 9 2016 Issue 3

Informatics

IN DEMAND A growing need for tech-savvy pharmacists has schools incorporating IT into their curricula. 12

Also in this issue: Refuting a HighRisk Claim 5 Have Passion for Pharmacy, Will Travel 8

who we are @AACPharmacy

Academic Pharmacy The News Magazine of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy 1727 King Street, Floor 2 Alexandria, VA 22314 p: 703-739-2330 P f: 703-836-8982

www.aacp.org

Founded in 1900, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy is the national organization representing the interests of pharmacy education. AACP comprises all accredited colleges and schools of pharmacy, including more than 6,600 faculty, approximately 63,800 students enrolled in professional programs and 4,800 individuals pursuing graduate study.

Letters to the Editor

NOW

CEO & Publisher

Lucinda L. Maine

Editorial Director

Lynette R. Bradley-Baker

Editor

Maureen Thielemans

mthielemans@aacp.org

Editorial Assistant

Kyle R. Bagin

kbagin@aacp.org

We welcome your comments.

Please submit all letters to the editor to communications@aacp.org.

About Academic Pharmacy Now Academic Pharmacy Now highlights the work of AACP member pharmacy schools and faculty. The magazine is published as a membership service.

Subscriptions To subscribe, visit http://www.aacp.org/news/ shopaacp/Pages/publications.aspx.

Change of Address For address changes, contact Terry J. Ryan, Associate Director of Membership Development, at tryan@aacp.org.

Advertising For advertising rates, please visit http://www.aacp.org/news/academic pharmnow/pages/advertisingwithaacp.aspx. Š2016 by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. All rights reserved. Content may not be reprinted without prior written permission.

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Art Director

Tricia Gordon

tgordon@aacp.org

Web Assistant

Sean Clark

sclark@aacp.org

Senior Advisor, Outreach and Communications

Stephanie Saunders Fouch sfouch@aacp.org

Freelance Writer

Athena Ponushis

Freelance Writer

Jane E. Rooney

Volume 9 2016 Issue 3

@AACPharmacy a look inside

community impact

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Refuting a High-Risk Claim UF researchers find ADHD drug does not heighten suicide risk despite FDA warning.

6 8

Medications That Don’t Mix More elderly using dangerous drug combinations.

Have Passion for Pharmacy, Will Travel A new global health opportunity at UW–Madison aims to advance the profession and ignite a spark in future faculty.

campus connection

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Informatics In Demand A growing need for tech-savvy pharmacists means health IT is being interwoven into pharmacy school curricula. And as a result, graduates are becoming leaders in the use of healthcare technology.

@AACPharmacy

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Welcome to Academic Pharmacy Get to know the newest members of the AACP staff.

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#PharmEd16 Sneak Peek Academic pharmacy is gearing up for its premiere event, Pharmacy Education 2016, July 23–27. Take a look at just some of the meeting highlights that are sure to educate and inspire.

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2016 Issue 3

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community note publisher’s impact

Dear Colleagues: Earlier this month I completed several commencement events, wishing the Class of 2016 Pharm.D. graduates and their colleagues completing graduate studies many years of rewarding professional pursuits. It is truly one of my favorite activities as a leader in academic pharmacy. I return to a theme at the end of almost every commencement address that expresses my genuine envy for these graduates. There have been so many changes in the profession and society in the decades since I crossed the stage to receive my pharmacy diploma, but the magnitude of change that will occur for these pharmacists and scientists is almost unfathomable.

Two articles in this issue of Academic Pharmacy Now bring my message into sharper focus. Certainly technology is a driver of change across all sectors, and healthcare is no exception! Pharmacists will be able to provide much more effective patient care services as health information technology (HIT) matures to connect their work with the work of patients’ other providers. Ensuring that pharmacists have access to these systems, which increasingly will include data generated by consumers’ own health devices, places the nation’s most accessible healthcare professional in an amazing position to serve as the primary resource for a range of wellness, prevention, primary care and chronic care management services.

Pharmacists were among the first to adopt computers in their delivery of prescriptions and other services. It is natural that they will champion the use of integrated technology and be among the most willing and able health professionals to use it for both individual and

population level analysis and activities. This requires sufficient focus in the curriculum and, as profiled in the magazine, potentially the need for advanced education or postgraduate training for those who seek to make a career specifically in HIT. Pharmacists must also participate actively in policy development at the local, state and national level. This is not a new idea by any stretch of the imagination, but the stakes are higher today than ever before. Why? Because pharmaceutical health policy is a more significant component of policy discussions and decisions at every level. AACP celebrates Jeanette Roberts’ commitment to participate in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Policy Fellowship this year and encourages all faculty to seriously consider how they might engage more deeply in similar activities to augment their careers.

AACP leaders and staff look forward to seeing many of you at Pharmacy Education 2016, the annual meeting in Anaheim. In addition to being a fabulous networking and learning platform, the meeting provides the opportunity to reflect on our successes of the past year and set the direction for the year to come. You won’t want to miss a minute!

Sincerely,

Lucinda L. Maine, Ph.D., R.Ph. CEO and Publisher

www.ajpe.org

Help Shape the Future of Pharmacy Become a Reviewer for AJPE

A complete list of reviewer instructions can be found on AJPE’s Web site at www.ajpe.org.

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community impact

Refuting a High-Risk Claim

UF researchers find ADHD drug does not heighten suicide risk despite FDA warning.

For more than a decade, a black box warning from the Food and Drug Administration has accompanied the ADHD drug atomoxetine cautioning users of an increased risk of suicidal thoughts. But University of Florida College of Pharmacy researchers found no evidence that children taking atomoxetine were at an increased risk of suicide or suicide attempts.

“Parents generally struggle to weigh the risks and benefits associated with ADHD drug treatment options,” said Dr. Almut Winterstein, a professor and chair of pharmaceutical outcomes and policy at the College of Pharmacy and co-author of the study. “Having the suicidality safety concern studied and shown that it does not exist will help parents and doctors make more informed decisions related to the treatment of ADHD.” UF researchers evaluated a half million children with attention-deficit hyper-

activity disorder, or ADHD, in 26 states for four years. The study assessed whether atomoxetine, which is not classified as a stimulant, was associated with an increased risk of suicidal events when compared with stimulant drugs typically prescribed for ADHD. The findings, which showed no increased risk of suicide attempts among 5- to 18-year-olds treated with atomoxetine compared with those receiving stimulant treatment, were published in the journal Pediatrics.

Stimulants are the most commonly prescribed medication for ADHD. Stimulants can temporarily increase energy levels and concentration, alleviating symptoms of ADHD such as inattention and hyperactivity. Doctors have long prescribed stimulants, despite side effects that include increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure and addiction concerns.

Almut G. Winterstein, R.Ph., Ph.D., professor and chair of pharmaceutical outcomes and policy at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy.

Of the 300,000 children UF researchers studied using atomoxetine or stimulants as a first-line treatment, 140 suicide events were observed. For the 220,000 patients taking atomoxetine as a second treatment option, 90 suicide events were observed. UF researchers found no statistical significance in these results that suggested atomoxetine increased the risk of suicidal events compared with stimulants.

“The massive safety concern associated with the drug label warning probably affected the prescription choices made by physicians,” Winterstein said. “Our study’s findings indicate that increased suicidal event concerns are not warranted, and some adolescents might benefit from having the black box warning removed from the medication.”

To read more about this research, visit http://bit.ly/1TaWLON. P

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community impact

Medications That Don’t Mix More elderly using dangerous drug combinations.

By Sam Hostettler One in six older adults now regularly use potentially deadly combinations of prescription and over-thecounter medications and dietary supplements—a two-fold increase over a five-year period, according to new research at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy.

Dr. Dima Mazen Qato, assistant professor of pharmacy systems, outcomes and policy, and her colleagues examined changes in medication use in a nationally representative sample of older adults between the ages of 62 and 85.

In contrast to many existing studies of medication use by the elderly, these investigators conducted in-home interviews to accurately identify what people were actually taking.

According to the study, older adults using at least five prescription medications (a status known as polypharmacy) rose from 30.6 percent in 2005 to 35.8 percent in 2011.

Supplement Use on the Rise

vast majority of these interacting drug combinations.

Despite limited evidence of their clinical benefit, dietary supplements are be- Cardiovascular prevention efforts and ing used by a growing number of older treatment guidelines promoting priindividuals, the study found—an inmary prevention may be undermined by crease from 51.8 percent to 63.7 percent these interactions, Qato said. over the same time period, with nearly a 50 percent growth in the number of “Many older patients seeking to improve people using multiple supplements. The their cardiovascular health are also largest increase was found in the use of regularly using interacting drug combiomega-3 fish oils—a dietary supplement nations that may worsen cardiovascular with limited evidence of cardiovascular risk,” she said. “For example, the use benefits—which rose from 4.7 percent of clopidogrel in combination with the of people surveyed in 2005 to 18.6 perproton-pump inhibitor omeprazole, cent in 2011. aspirin, or naproxen—all over-thecounter medications—is associated Fifteen potentially life-threatening with an increased risk of heart attacks, drug combinations of the most combleeding complications, or death. Howmonly used medications and suppleever, about 1.8 percent—or 1 million— ments in the study were also identiolder adults regularly use clopidogrel in fied. Nearly 15 percent of older adults interacting combinations.” regularly used at least one of these dangerous drug combinations in 2011, Counseling is Critical compared to 8 percent in 2005.

Healthcare professionals should

carefully consider the adverse effects More than half of the potential interof commonly used prescription and actions involved a nonprescription Factors that may account for the rise nonprescription medication combinamedication or dietary supplement, include the implementation of Medicare tions when treating older adults, Qato Part D, changes in treatment guidelines, Qato said. Preventative cardiovascular said, and counsel patients about the medications such as statins (cholesterand the increased availability of generrisks. “Improving safety in the use of ol-lowering drugs, particularly simvics for many commonly used drugs. interacting medication combinations astatin), anti-platelet drugs (such as has the potential to reduce preventable, As an example, the use of simvastatin clopidogrel and aspirin, used to prevent potentially fatal, adverse drug events,” (Zocor)—the most commonly used pre- blood clots), and supplements (specifishe said. scription medication in the older adult cally omega-3 fish oil) accounted for the population, which became available as a generic in 2006—doubled from 10.3 percent to 22.5 percent, Qato said.

According to the study, older adults using at least five Zocor is used to treat high cholesterol prescription medications (a status known as polypharmacy) and may reduce the risk of heart attack rose from 30.6 percent in 2005 to 35.8 percent in 2011. and stroke.

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community impact

While it is not known how many older adults in the U.S. die of drug interactions, Qato said, “the risk seems to be growing, and public awareness is lacking.”

Co-authors of the research, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, are Jocelyn Wilder of UIC; L. Philip Schumm and Victoria Gillet of the University of Chicago; and Dr. G. Caleb Alexander of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

“Improving safety in the use of interacting medication combinations has the potential to reduce preventable, potentially fatal, adverse drug events.” ­— Dr. Dima Mazen Qato

The National Social Life, Health and Aging Project is supported by grants R01AG021487 and R01AG033903 from the National Institutes of Health, including the National Institutes on Aging, the Office of Women’s Health Research, the Office of AIDS Research, and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research. P Sam Hostettler is associate director in the News Bureau, where he covers the UIC colleges of Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy.

More than half of potential interactions involved a nonprescription medication or dietary supplement, says Dima Mazen Qato, Pharm.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of pharmacy systems, outcomes and policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy.

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community impact

Have Passion for Pharmacy, Will Travel A new global health opportunity at UW–Madison aims to advance the profession and ignite a spark in future faculty.

By Athena Ponushis Dr. Jeanette Roberts lives by the ethos: You will never know the extent of your reach. Growing up in Pennsylvania, her high school chemistry teacher sparked her interest in science. She later found her perfect blend of chemistry and biology in medicinal chemistry.

Presently, Roberts is in Washington, D.C., immersed in Congress as a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow, right at the crossing where health sciences education and practice collide with policy and politics.

In between her youth and having a voice in health policy during her work with Congress, Roberts served as dean

of the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy in Madison for more than a decade. She’ll return to Madison in September to serve as director of the new UW Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education.

“One of my priorities as dean was to expand the global health opportunities that our students could experience during their rotations, and so we deliberately set about finding international partners,” Roberts said. “I firmly believe that you have to step out of your comfort zone, and hopefully your own back yard, before you really can consider yourself an educated person.”

Among other sites, two new global

health rotations were set up in South Africa at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town and Potchefstroom University near Johannesburg. UW chose South Africa because administrators thought they could make an impact there, while simultaneously learning lessons they could apply back home.

Plus, they wanted to continue to grow a layered portfolio of opportunities in global health work.

Shortly after stepping down as dean, she traveled to South Africa to lay the groundwork for a new level of partnership with the University of the Western Cape School of Pharmacy. Together, they launched a novel postgraduate pharmacy fellowship, which in her mind will mold a whole new generation of clinician scientist to address future problems and create brilliant faculty members in the future.

“We wanted to focus the fellowship on principles of quality improvement and system strengthening, among others, and there definitely needs to be system strengthening in healthcare in South Africa. We thought we could really contribute while learning ourselves,” she said.

After serving as dean at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy, Jeanette Roberts, Ph.D., M.P.H., traveled to South Africa to lay the groundwork for a new level of partnership with the University of the Western Cape School of Pharmacy.

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community impact

“There are a lot of gaps in our knowledge about the use and misuse of antibiotics and the problems that’s creating with resistant organisms.” ­— Dr. Jeanette Roberts

“The UW pharmacy fellowship is fairly unique not because it’s a pharmacy fellowship, there are many available, but because of its focus. I don’t know of any other postgraduate opportunity in pharmacy that’s focused on global health, and further, on system strengthening and quality improvement. That’s what makes our offering unique.”

Her Pathfinding Mission Someone needed to go to South Africa and gain firsthand experience of the healthcare system in order to best plan for the fellowship launch. Roberts traveled there twice, gleaning a real, in-depth experience with the politics of healthcare, the nature of and issues with the system, especially as it related to pharmacy, and the delivery of pharmacy services and products.

and so forth. I pretty quickly came to the conclusion that a research project in the area of antibiotic resistance and stewardship would be extremely valuable both to the people in South Africa, as well as the U.S. and Wisconsin,” Roberts said. “The point was to whittle down potential research project opportunities into something that we could really get our hands around, so we did that, focusing on antibiotic stewardship.”

During her second trip to South Africa, she spent time in Johannesburg, interacting with national leaders in health as well as a number of universities and schools of pharmacy, broadening her experience so she could see the issues the country was facing from a national view.

“We then started to search for an appropriate fellow to take on this task “My first trip was focused in Cape Town, and one of our own UW graduates where I visited hospitals and clinics and immediately came to mind, although talked to the provincial government people, many NGOs (non-government organization), pharmacy, public health, and medical faculty, and all kinds of different folks. I tried to get a sense of what was happening, what they desired to be happening, what issues there were

we had additional applicants,” she said. Dr. Laurel Legenza (Pharm.D. ’13) soon accepted the offer to become the inaugural Comparative Global Health Pharmacy Fellow.

Advancing Leadership and the Profession’s Global Reach Legenza is nearing the end of the first year of her two-year fellowship. She has been to South Africa once already and will be traveling back in July for several months. She’s working with a number of public sector teaching hospitals, tracking antibiotic use and observing stewardship efforts. She intends to map antibiotic resistance patterns in Wisconsin and may apply the same technique in South Africa. She will also earn a Ph.D. from the University of the Western Cape, becoming one of the clinician scientists of tomorrow that Roberts foresees.

University of Wisconsin–Madison administrators chose South Africa for global health rotations because they felt the sites allowed them to both make a local impact and learn lessons applicable back in the United States.

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community impact

The University of Wisconsin–Madison plans to host a South African pharmacy fellow in the future, who will have a corresponding experience, and in this capacity, Roberts sees the benefits of health work abroad moving beyond the fellows.

ington Post on May 27, 2016, describing a Pennsylvania woman who is the first person in the U.S. infected with a strain of E. coli resistant to colistin, an antibiotic of last resort.

The Future of Global Health

“We need to work together to expose the Work problems of antibiotic resistance and As much as Roberts believes an expericonvince the global community that ence overseas may enrich the life of we’re really shooting ourselves in both a student, she also sees global health feet in terms of our use of antibiotics in work as an equally valuable experience humans and food animals…and inapfor pharmacy faculty. propriately overprescribing and overus“Seeing how practice is accomplished ing these agents in such a way that elsewhere shines a light on how we opthey’re losing their ability to do their erate and ways we can improve patient intended work on infectious disease,” care, so it’s equally beneficial, I think, she said. “I think there’s an underlyfor faculty development and research ing global awareness-raising need that applies to every country on the planet.” activities,” she said. “Global health presents a wealth of such opportunities.”

She points to the article in the Wash-

Photos taken by Roberts in South Africa. Global health presents a wealth of opportunities to improve patient care, she says.

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As far as impacting patient care, Roberts says if we can develop a straightforward, easy-to-use system to record antibiotic prescribing and administering, and mine the data to unveil patterns of resistance, we may be able to understand what the bugs are doing and to what drugs they are becoming resistant. We can only know that if we better track the use of antibiotics from the beginning. That’s not done well in South Africa or even in the U.S., she said. “There are a lot of gaps in our knowledge about the use and misuse of antibiotics and the problems that’s creating with resistant organisms.” The hope is that the UW fellowship will help close these gaps. P Athena Ponushis is a freelance writer based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

5th FIP Pharmaceutical Sciences World Congress Melbourne, Australia 13-16 April 2014

The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) is hosting the first-ofits-kind Global Conference on Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Education. Together we will set the future milestones for education and workforce development of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists.

Join as an individual

Why China?

FIP has selected 40 country delegations in order to have a broad representation of the different needs of the pharmacy workforce, education systems, cultural and language aspects.

But you as an individual may also join the conference to give important input into the discussions.

China is the right place to host the first Global Conference on Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Education because the country is going through a major reform in pharmacy education, and the international community can benefit from the findings of this rapidly evolving, innovative environment.

You will also have full access and are able to take part in the workshops.

The only difference is that individuals are not able to vote.

The conference will create a dialogue and consensus among practice, science, education leaders and regulators on how pharmaceutical workforce competence can be assured through education. There is a maximum of 300 individual participants worldwide.

Sign up today and join!

Conference participants will also have the chance to visit the campus of the China Pharmaceutical University – the biggest pharmacy school in China, with more than 15,000 full-time students. This is a unique opportunity to learn from a leading institution, known for its high level, pioneering methodologies and advocative role.

Creating a global vision for a global workforce JOIN US IN NANJING AND SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE PROFESSION

Venue

Sign up

The conference will take place at the Purple Palace Nanjing Hotel.

For more information and bookings, please visit: www.fip.org/nanjing2016

For any questions, please email Ms Joana Carrasqueira, FIPEd coordinator: joana@fip.org

Organisers

Sponsors FIP thanks the following organisations for their support: American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

FIP Corporate Roundtable on Education members Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Associations of Japan // GlaxoSmithKline // McCann Health // Nagai Foundation // Academic Pharmacy NOW  2016 Issue 3 Pfizer

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campus connection

Inform

IN DEM

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Academic Pharmacy NOW  2016 Issue 3

campus connection

matics

EMAND

A growing need for tech-savvy pharmacists means health IT is being interwoven into pharmacy school curricula. And as a result, graduates are becoming leaders in the use of healthcare technology.

By Jane E. Rooney

Information technology is inextricably linked to almost every facet of our daily lives, and healthcare is no exception. Setting standards, maintaining databases, e-prescribing and medication dissemination are just a few examples of the myriad ways that technology is changing the pharmacy landscape.

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campus connection

“The push to adopt electronic health records has allowed all health professionals to increase their use of different types of technology and recognize that they need to be involved in these national movements.” ­— Dr. Kevin Fuji

“The push to adopt electronic health records has allowed all ing. Employment sectors ranging from health systems and health professionals to increase their use of different types hospitals to community pharmacies to healthcare administraof technology and recognize that they need to be involved in tion are hiring for positions that require the ability to evaluthese national movements,” according to Dr. Kevin Fuji, asate, develop, and interface with healthcare informatics tools. sistant professor of pharmacy practice, and director, Center Wanted: Healthcare IT Expertise for Health Services Research and Patient Safety, at CreighIncreased technology use in the pharmacy setting ideally ton University. “Pharmacy has always been a technology-focused field; electronic health records build upon pharmacists’ means improved safety and quality of care. Greater interoperability allows for a more complete picture of each patient. existing technology use and are a gateway to interacting “All graduates need to have a baseline level of informatics with other types of technologies such as clinical decision support, computerized provider order entry, barcoding, etc.” knowledge,” Fuji emphasized. “They are going to be interacting with some type of technology no matter what practice IT systems now help pharmacists with automation, prescrip- setting they are in.” That means understanding technology’s tion and order fulfillment, setting standards for medication benefits as well as its limitations, he added. “Take e-prescribdistribution, prior authorizations and quality assurance. ing as an example. Handwriting is often illegible. Now you Standards 2016 dictates that training address automation have a technology where you don’t have to worry about legand analytics so students are prepared for careers that inibility issues. We are inherently limited as humans, so these volve working with tools and systems that give pharmacists technologies are complementary to the expertise of pharmareal-time, point-of-care information. cists. It provides more effective ways to use our knowledge.”

The flip side, he said, is making mistakes that lead to uninTechnology’s widespread application across the entire tended consequences. “A lot of e-prescribing programs use healthcare sector means that today’s pharmacists require drop-down menus. It’s really easy for a prescriber to select knowledge of health informatics. Dr. Armen Simonian, asa patient, medication, or dose right above or right below the sistant dean and chair of clinical and administrative sciences one they intended to select. Pharmacists need to understand and associate professor, Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) that the potential for these types of errors exist.”

School of Pharmacy, believes every pharmacy school should incorporate an informatics course into the curriculum.

Dr. Beth Breeden, associate professor, department of phar“There has to be at least some basic teaching of principles macy practice, and director of graduate studies in healthcare such as knowledge of electronic health records and automainformatics at Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy and tion. These are tools that every pharmacist will use when Health Sciences, said informatics career opportunities are they go out and enter practice,” he said. expanding with positions opening across all sectors. “You’ll Pharmacy schools are beginning to heed this advice as students seek out curricula that offer more specialized IT train-

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see the need for clinical informatics in any city.” She added that she’s observing more practitioners who are already in

campus connection

“There is a need across many sectors, including the community pharmacy sector with larger pharmacy chains. I also see opportunities in the EMR vendor sector as well.” ­— Dr. Beth Breeden

the workforce coming back for additional training to maximize their career opportunities, as well as obtaining more advanced certifications in pharmacy informatics.

The ability to evaluate data and develop solutions using technology also presents an opening for budding entrepreneurs.

“In many cities you’re starting to see significant venture capital available for start-ups who are filling a need,” Breeden said. “Informatics is a perfect training ground to hone in on those entrepreneurial elements.”

Immersed in Informatics Lipscomb offers a multi-tiered health informatics curriculum, which ensures that graduates possess core competencies in the subject but also provides advanced education and training opportunities. The college of pharmacy is unique in that it offers a dual Pharm.D. and Master of Science degree in Health Care Informatics.

Student pharmacists complete required courses in health informatics and elective courses in consumer health informatics and project management. Introductory and advanced experiential education rotations are available at locations which allow students to be fully incorporated into the daily workflow and evaluate areas such as systems integration, personalized medicine, predictive analytics, and associated informatics elements. Site locations include academic medical centers, specialty pharmacies and corporate entities.

“We offer an informatics internship for rising third-year students, which includes 8-10 weeks in a large academic medical center in Nashville,” she continued. “Students really immerse themselves in that process to see how systems are working.” Projects can include work on clinical decision sup-

port, computerized provider order entry, barcode medication administration and data analytics.

The school also offers a yearlong residency in informatics. Breeden said there are about 20-25 PGY2 informatics residencies across the country but she expects to see more develop in order to meet demand. “There is a need across many sectors, including the community pharmacy sector with larger pharmacy chains. I also see opportunities in the EMR vendor sector as well.”

The KGI School of Pharmacy offers a required course and an elective certificate program in health IT. “We have a required second-year course that involves 30 hours of classroom time and our certificate program is probably among a very few,” according to Simonian.

Students are exposed to a broad range of pharmacy informatics topics including electronic health records, e-prescribing and clinical decision support. “We cover automation and different technologies that are used, and the medication use process,” he explained. “We also teach data analytics and explore the administrative side of selecting, implementing and optimizing systems. In the third year, we offer a series of six courses that are focused on health information technology starting with electronic health records, then a separate course on clinical decision support systems. We also address topics such as the application of technology to the medication use process, and robotics and applications that help pharmacists do their jobs like prescribing, dispensing medications and monitoring.”

Simonian said that because medication safety is paramount, the school also focuses on minimizing risks through in-

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campus connection

formatics. One course specifically addresses maintaining patient privacy and information security. In addition to the 12 credits of didactic instruction represented by these 6 HIT certificate courses, students also take 15 credits of experiential education. At the end of their second year, each HIT certificate student participates in a 3-week introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE), shadowing an informatics pharmacist. During their third year, each HIT certificate student completes two, back-to-back, 6-week advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) rotations for a total of 12 weeks of HIT APPE precepted by a pharmacy informaticist.

A Growing Field

“There has to be at least some basic teaching of principles such as knowledge of electronic health records and automation.

These are tools that every pharmacist will use when they go out and enter practice.” ­— Dr. Armen Simonian

Simonian emphasized that the industry needs to stay current as technology evolves, and that starts at the curricular level.

“Patients are becoming more involved with mobile applications and there is a lot happening with telepharmacy and being able to interact with patients remotely. Some trends indicate that we’ll have more involvement in this specialty area of informatics.”

With the government offering incentives to hospitals and others in acute care settings for implementing electronic health record systems, pharmacists with informatics knowledge are in high demand. “You must have experts to implement systems in a meaningful way to meet the government requirements,” Simonian said. “Vendors that are providing these EHR systems need pharmacists within their organizations to continue to develop their systems.”

Breeden concurred that there is widespread need for pharmacists with informatics training and pointed out that nationwide metrics on available positions are currently very favorable. “We want students to realize a rapid return on investment through securing higher level positions and salaries,” she said.

Given the certainty that graduates will interact with technology no matter what the practice setting, Fuji said it’s critical that students understand HIT so they can apply that knowledge wherever they land. “We need to see some type of integration across the curriculum,” he noted. “Students could use an electronic health record to review a patient’s profile and process a medication order, which deals with a drug interaction. I’d like to see those concepts tied together more closely—they can’t be taught in a bubble. You have to be able to use this wide range of skills in order to provide the best care for your patients.” P Jane E. Rooney is a freelance writer based in Oakton, Virginia.

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@AACPharmacy

Welcome to Academic Pharmacy Get to know the newest members of the AACP staff.

Charles A. Johnson, MSMIM

Academic Affairs and Operations Manager

Latoya Casteel

Membership Services Coordinator

Q: What are your main responsibilities at AACP?

Q: What are your main responsibilities at AACP?

My work here is focused in two main areas: For academic affairs, I work with the associate executive vice president and senior director to assist them with meeting logistics, editing materials for programs such as CAPE and GAPEnet, and any other areas within AACP that they’re working with. As operations manager, I ensure AACP facilities are amenable for staff to work effectively and efficiently.

Currently, they are member services. I respond to member calls and e-mails on behalf of AACP and coordinate guests visiting the office. I’ll be helping to maintain the membership database and run queries and reports, but right now, I’m still getting familiar with the system. I’ve also played a role in registering attendees for the Annual Meeting.

Q: How have your previous experiences prepared you to work at AACP? I previously worked as an independent consultant with several firms across the country, and across various industries, from finance to healthcare. But across all sectors, there was a common factor that a strong focus on efficiency and effectiveness in work was critical to success.

One of the things that excited me most about AACP was the opportunity to work with an organization that has regional, national and even international implications, as it pertains to pharmacy education.

Q: Is there anything about yourself that you would like to share?

Q: How have your previous experiences prepared you to work at AACP? At my previous job, in member services for a science-based non-profit, I learned a lot about structure and database skills. That organization had more than 180,000 members, so I’m excited to be able to have a more personal relationship with AACP’s members.

Q: What do you do for fun outside of the office?

Exercise. I’m taking cardio-kick-boxing right now—I wanted to do something different than just going to the gym all the time. It’s a lot of cardio!

Latoya can be reached by e-mail at lcasteel@aacp.org or 703-739-2330 ext. 1004.

I strive for growth, development and excellence. It’s important to continue to grow professionally as individuals within the organization, so we’re able to translate and share it with our members, as well as grow the organization and profession.

On a personal level, I’m a native Washingtonian and huge local sports fan. The Redskins, University of Maryland, Georgetown, too—I support all the local teams that play here.

Charles can be reached by e-mail at cjohnson@aacp.org or 703-739-2330 ext. 1013.

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@AACPharmacy

#PharmEd16 Sneak Peek Academic pharmacy is gearing up for its premiere event, Pharmacy Education 2016, July 23–27. Take a look at just some of the meeting highlights that are sure to educate and inspire.

Industry Influencers Opening General Session

Science Symposium

Innovation is Everybody’s Business…and Our Future

From Bench to Main Street: Translating Discovery Science into Tomorrow’s Cures

Tuesday General Session

Drew Dudley Robert B. Tucker

Lawrence Hurley, Ph.D. (moderator)

Robert B. Tucker, president of The Innovation Resource and a renowned global futurist, will discuss innovation, growth, change management and thriving in the workplace.

Organizations and academic institutions are in constant need of individuals with the abilities and skills to think ahead of the curve and get new projects done. While professionals with functional skills abound, those with Innovation Skills are emerging as the most valuable talent. In this practical, highly interactive session, Tucker provides powerful tools and strategies to help you hone your Innovation Skills (I-Skills). You will learn to spot emerging opportunities, demonstrate initiative, add value, create unconventional solutions and get new things done more effectively and efficiently.

Mike Jacobson, Ph.D.

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Ellen Beasley, Ph.D. Dr. Lawrence Hurley, previous Dawson Award recipient and distinguished professor at The University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, will be joined by two outstanding scientists in this “fireside chat” on how to advance research from the bench to the bedside and beyond. Panelists include Dr. Mike Jacobson, founding dean at the University of North Texas College of Pharmacy and founder of Niadyne Pharma, and Dr. Ellen Beasley, chief science officer at Genomic Health. The group will discuss the discovery and commercialization of new diagnostic and therapeutic agents.

Topics of discussion include their experiences with translational sciences, challenges they have faced, balancing academic and translational goals, future opportunities for students and faculty in pharmaceutical sciences, and bringing the next generation of products into healthcare for the benefit of patients and others. The panel’s comments will be followed by a period of Q&A from the audience.

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2016 Issue 3

Drew Dudley, former coordinator of the largest academic leadership program in Canada, believes “leadership cannot be taught. It can only be learned.” In this session, Dudley will help participants explore what leadership means to them and their communities. He will explore the concept of creating cultures of leadership by helping organizations and their people plan to matter. At the heart of the “planning to matter” approach is the belief that cultures of leadership are created when our leadership values are used to drive our behavior. It takes planning to ensure that happens. In this session, learn how to change the definition of leadership, and create an action plan to ensure that leadership is fostered, acknowledged and rewarded in homes, workplaces, and communities.

@AACPharmacy

AACP Annual Meeting/July 23–27, 2016

Anaheim Marriott / Anaheim Convention Center / Anaheim, California www.aacp.org/PharmEd16

New This Year Get More Out of Annual Meeting

The Power of Pasta

Jumpstart your learning at the 2016 Annual Meeting with three outstanding pre-sessions on Saturday, July 23:

This year, AACP has partnered with Anaheim celebrity Chef Bruno’s Caterina’s Club in a new community service event held throughout the conference. The organization serves more than 1,800 low-income children a nutritionally balanced meal of freshly made pasta and vegetables five nights a week all year long.

Teachers Seminar: Dialogue on Foundations of Teaching 8:30 a.m.–3:15 p.m.

Joseph T. DiPiro Excellence in Publishing Workshop 8:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.

Enhancing Your Impact as a Scholar: Learning the Art and Science of Being an Effective Reviewer 1:00 p.m.–3:15 p.m.

Ways to donate: •

Use the AACP donation link to make a contribution online: http://www.caterinasclub.org/#intro. Click on the AACP logo under the Cause List.

•

Bring the following items to the AACP Registration and Pathable Help Desk: vegetable marinara sauce (Barilla brand preferred as mass quantities will be made at one time) and/or any style of uncooked pasta (Barilla brand preferred as mass quantities will be made at one time).

Spotlight on Excellence Sunday Robert K. Chalmers Distinguished Educator Award Terry L. Schwinghammer, Pharm.D. West Virginia University School of Pharmacy Lawrence C. Weaver Transformative Community Service Award The University of Arizona College of Pharmacy Distinguished Teaching Scholars Naser Z. Alsharif, Pharm.D., Ph.D. Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions David A. Holdford, Ph.D. Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy Melissa S. Medina, Ed.D. The University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy Reza Mehvar, Pharm.D., Ph.D. Chapman University School of Pharmacy

Monday Paul R. Dawson Award Albert Wertheimer, Ph.D. Temple University School of Pharmacy Volwiler Research Achievement Award Julie A. Johnson, Pharm.D. University of Florida College of Pharmacy Distinguished Service Award Institute for Safe Medication Practices Accepting the award: Michael R. Cohen, R.Ph., M.S., FASHP, President

Tuesday

Rufus A. Lyman Award L. Douglas Ried, Ph.D. University of Texas at Tyler

Charles A. Douglas, Ph.D., MBA Texas A&M Health Science Center

AACP TechXPO & Product Theater Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from cutting-edge companies in the TechXPO & Product Theater. Experts will present a featured product, service, research study or program information in a highly innovative format that is particularly relevant for education technology and any new product/ services offered to academic pharmacy.

On Twitter? Follow us! Tweet @ AACPharmacy with #PharmEd16

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Coming This Fall September 26–28 2016 AACP Fall Institute: Strengthening Holistic Review in Pharmacy Admissions Sheraton Charlotte Hotel Charlotte, N.C.

October 17–19 2016 AACP Encore Institute:

Leading Edge: Transforming Experiential Education Hilton Washington Dulles Airport, Herndon, Va.