student ACCOMPLISHMENTS continued College of Pharmacy Student Presents at Tennessee Pharmacist Association’s Annual Convention Fred O’Neal, a Belmont University College of Pharmacy student, was one of six student presenters at the Tennessee Pharmacist Association’s Annual Convention in July. In his presentation, “OTC Medication Clinical Pearls and Therapeutic Updates,” O’Neal educated more than 120 pharmacists and students about allergic rhinitis, the determination of allergy severity and recommendations on the best products for use. At the end of his 15-minute presentation, O’Neal provided several examples and a poll to encourage audience participation.
Alexander Kreimer proudly displays the Belmont University all campus intramural trophy won by the second year pharmacy class. Six events were included in the competition. The trophy is currently displayed in the trophy case in room 216 McWhorter Hall.
Student Pharmacists Participate in APhA-ASP On October 16, 2015, the College of Pharmacy APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists co-hosted one of the nation’s largest student pharmacists meetings in Nashville. The theme of the program was “Live your why.” The mission of the APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) is to be the collective voice of student pharmacists, to provide opportunities for professional growth, to improve patient care and to envision and advance the future of pharmacy. A major focus of the organization this year and next is promotion of the collaborative practice for pharmacists in the U.S.
Pharmacy Students Certify with HIMSS Belmont College of Pharmacy students Michael Nixon and Brian George (not pictured) recently became certified by examination in the area of health care informatics. The Certified Associate in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CAHIMS) is a new Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) health IT certification designed for emerging professionals within the industry. This certification demonstrates knowledge of health IT and management systems, facilitating entrylevel careers in health IT and is designed to be a career pathway to the Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CPHIMS) credential. Belmont’s sponsor of the CAHIMS certification initiative is Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Informatics and Analytics in the Department of Pharmaceutical, Social and Administrative Sciences Anthony Blash, PharmD BCompSc, CPHIMS. Blash has created a four-course sequence of classes to prepare Belmont student pharmacists for health care informatics and to sit for the CAHIMS certification. The college saw its first two students certify at the CAHIMS level, and expects 2030 students to certify each year moving forward. “Nashville is considered by many to be home to the U.S. health care industry, with nearly 300 companies providing health care synergies found in few other places.” said Blash. “If your interests lie in pharmacy and informatics, our program stands apart. With experiential rotation sites at the headquarters of the largest health care organizations in the world, faculty with experiences in the corporate boardrooms of many American health care companies and a Pharmacy / Health Care Informatics experience facilitated by the current national chairman of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ Educational Steering Committee on Informatics and Technology, our faculty represents the pinnacle of teaching experience. As an HIMSS Approved Education Partner, Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy becomes the only pharmacy school in the world with a health care informatics concentration leading to an internationally recognized certification in health care informatics which may be obtained before experiential rotations, residency inquiries and job searches begin.” Michael Nixon
Anthony Blash
Pharmacy Students Counsel on Medicare Choices Belmont University College of Pharmacy has partnered with the Tennessee State Health Insurance Assistance Program (TN SHIP) to provide student volunteers to assist with counseling senior citizens on drug and health plan choices. Belmont is one of three pharmacy schools in Tennessee working with TN SHIP to help individuals with their decision-making during the Medicare Part D Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) in the fall. Four Belmont pharmacy students including Leah Dickerson, Emily Russell, Sara Thompson and Chris Kepinski (not pictured) participated in AEP events last year as part of their rotation at Walgreens. The group completed the project for their academic concentration in pharmacy missions and public health, one of four areas of specialized study within Belmont’s PharmD program. In August, additional students received training to assist individuals in the coming months.
Leah Dickerson
Emily Russell
Belmont University College of Pharmacy | 4
Sara Thompson