Academic Pharmacy Now: 2015 Issue 2 by AACP

Academic Pharmacy NOW

The News Magazine of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

Volume 8 2015 Issue 2

Highway to the

Discovery Zone As pharmacy schools

pursue innovative work,

they become economic engines

generating inventions and products that benefit patients and communities. 16

Also in this issue: Booming Patient Care 6 Taking Action on Knowledge Management 24

American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Discover 路 Learn 路 Care : Improve Health

who we are

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

NOW

CEO & Publisher

Lucinda L. Maine

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.

Editorial Director

Lynette R. Bradley-Baker

Editor

Maureen Thielemans

mthielemans@aacp.org

Letters to the Editor We welcome your comments. Please submit all letters to the editor to communications@aacp.org.

Editorial Assistant

Kyle R. Bagin

kbagin@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.

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Art Director

Tricia Gordon

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Web Assistant

Sean Clark

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

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Academic Pharmacy NOW ď&#x201A;§ 2015 Issue 2

Senior Advisor, Outreach and Communications

Stephanie Saunders Fouch sfouch@aacp.org

Volume 8 2015 Issue 2

a look inside

campus connection

West Virginia University Helps Students Recognize Global Responsibility

Booming Patient Care Providing care for older adults means more than just managing medications, and future pharmacists should be ready to serve the needs of this important patient population.

community impact

USC Awarded First-ever NASA Grant

Research project also marks historical first for the study of fungi.

Highway to the Discovery Zone As pharmacy schools pursue innovative work, they become economic engines generating inventions and products that benefit patients and communities.

Mixing Metals With Genetics Parkinson’s gene link may aid battle against disease.

@AACPharmacy

Hello! My Name Is… AACP recently welcomed three new members to the staff. Academic Pharmacy Now asked them how their unique skills H E L LO my name and experiences will is positively impact their work.

Pharmacy Education Today and Tomorrow Today’s game changers in technology and healthcare are primed to inspire attendees at the 2015 AACP & AFPC Annual Meeting.

Taking Action Sewell Fund Fellow sets sights on optimizing AACP’s knowledge management to meet member needs.

2015

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

publisher’s note

Dear Colleagues: Reading Sarah Barden’s in-depth article on geriatrics in the pharmacy curriculum propelled me down memory lane. My passion for pharmacists’ roles in hands-on patient care was ignited while at Auburn University in my B.Pharm. program. It was an awakening that older adults were among the most vulnerable individuals to medication errors. Preparing myself to “do something” about this growing challenge convinced me to pursue my Ph.D. in the Kellogg Clinical Pharmaceutical Scientist Program at the University of Minnesota. My first clinical faculty position after graduate school aimed to establish geriatric pharmacy interventions for a population of 10,000 Medicare “risk” enrollees at a multi-specialty group practice. I often think about how my career started with a strong focus on medication use in the older adult population and then turned into almost 25 years of association management! I also think about the amazing mentors I had to help me identify the opportunities to make a contribution to improving medication use for vulnerable individuals. One was Peter Lamy from the University of Maryland, who generously took me under his wing and guided my early work in the field. The other was a pediatrician (go figure) who was the co-director of the Kellogg program and a leader at the practice where I

began my career. What are the lessons? Don’t hesitate to approach leaders in your chosen field and ask for guidance; Dr. Lamy was a world-renowned geriatric specialist and yet he stood ready to mentor and advise. In the case of Dr. Batalden in Minnesota, the lesson is mentors may not be in your field but they may still be able to influence your career in significant ways. I am excited that AACP is kicking off a new mentoring model at our meeting in July. More than 100 attendees have already indicated that they would like to find a meeting mentor, and an equal number indicated their willingness to serve in that role. I am confident that some truly marvelous relationships will take seed and grow as a result. The AACP staff and Board of Directors are excited to be hosting all of our attendees at the Gaylord National Harbor beginning July 11! See you soon. Sincerely,

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

Register to Attend the October 2015 IPEC Institute The Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) is pleased to announce the next Faculty Development Institute focused on Interprofessional Education: Building a Framework for Collaboration on October 7–9, 2015, at the Dulles Hyatt in Herndon, Va. Faculty teams are invited to come together for a guided learning experience, team-based planning activities and dedicated time to create actionable plans for implementing projects that advance interprofessional curricula, clinical training and population health experiences and student assessment. For more details on institute objectives, team composition and program format, visit the IPEC Institute Web site at https://ipecollaborative.org/2015_Fall_Institute.html. Those interested in attending are encouraged to register their teams early, since institutes reach enrollment capacity quickly. Team leaders should be identified and register all members of their team at one time. Register at www.ipecollaborative.org. For more information, contact Program Manager Shelley Porte at sporte@aacn.nche.edu.

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

campus connection

West Virginia University Helps Students Recognize Global Responsibility West Virginia University has made diversity recognition a priority, and the School of Pharmacy is following suit. In late 2014, the Health Sciences Center (HSC) held its first-ever Diversity Week Poster Competition, and four first-year student pharmacists took the top prize. For the competition, the HSC asked students from all five schools, including nursing, dentistry, public health and medicine, to respond to the question, “What does diversity mean to our school/ department regarding healthcare?” and the thoughts were presented on posters. The WVU School of Pharmacy team poster also included state, national and world maps with thumbtacks identifying the hometowns of each member of the Class of 2018. Ten states and five countries were represented.

The competition is part of a week-long effort by the university dedicated to celebrating diversity. However, opportunities to recognize and learn about diverse cultures related to healthcare aren’t limited to just one week. The HSC established the Global Engagement Office about four years ago, which provides funding to global health programs to help support diversity training for students in the health sciences. Mission trips abroad, International Pharmacy Student Federation exchanges and interinstitutional collaborations are just some of activities the office supports. Dr. Mary L. Euler, professor and associate dean of student services, offered guidance and encouragement to the pharmacy student teams participating

in the poster competition and underscores the importance of diversity training in pharmacy education. “The university wants our students to recognize that our responsibility to healthcare is global,” she said. “We need to help students understand different cultures and different attitudes toward healthcare, so they’ll be prepared when they work with patients in future practice.” Euler expects more students to participate in next year’s Diversity Week activities as the opportunities for international learning grow. “The university is working hard to raise funds for students to do things outside of West Virginia. I think the momentum has started.” P Maureen Thielemans is Associate Director of Communications at AACP and editor of Academic Pharmacy Now.

Winners of the WVU Health Sciences Center Diversity Week Poster Competition (L to R) student pharmacists Tori Zambito, Bethany Moore, Catalina Saenz and RJ Jacobs.

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

campus connection

Booming Patient Care Providing care for older adults means more than just managing medications, and future pharmacists should be ready to serve the needs of this important patient population. By Sarah M. Barden, 2015 Pharm.D. and Certificate in Aging Studies Graduate, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy

Imagine a room full of streamers, girls in fancy dresses and men in proper suits. Add some music, dancing shoes and fruit punch. It sounds like a traditional high school dance anywhere in the country, but it’s the start of a new tradition in Richmond, Virginia: a “Senior Prom.” Members of the Student Association of Consultant and Geriatric Pharmacists (SACGP) at Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) School of Pharmacy have partnered with their local Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) to bring student pharmacists and older adults together to socialize and learn from each other. Students in this group, which is a chapter of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP), believe it is important to care for older adult patients as whole people—encompassing all of their biological, social, psychological and spiritual needs—rather than seeing them as just a collection of diseases. Events like the Senior Prom allow the students to interact with older adults on many levels. Indeed, these students make extra efforts outside of their required pharmacy school courses to gain experiences that will shape them as future practitioners.

Did You Know? Baby Boomers—born between the years 1946 and 1964—are indeed aging. By 2030, more than 20 percent of the United States population will be over 65 years of age. The 90-and-older population has been growing more rapidly than those aged 85–89 and other younger age groups among the older population aged 65 and over.(1,2)

The Whole Picture The terms “Silver Tsunami” and “Age Wave” are just two terms to depict the aging of the Baby Boomers, who are working and living longer. Many of them have achieved financial success, but others were hit hard by economic downturns and are struggling to make choices between paying for healthcare, including expensive medications, and being able to afford food and housing. Baby Boomers have effected major social and economic changes throughout their lives. They have demanded better services to meet their needs. They will do the same in aging as they realize the current standards of care and living do not meet their expectations.

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

campus connection

What do these changes in the population mean for the future of healthcare, and more importantly, how are colleges and schools of pharmacy preparing future pharmacists to serve the needs of these patients? Practitioners must be well-versed in physiological changes over time and must understand how those changes affect both medical and social needs. Older adult patients can be very complex because of multiple comorbidities. People are living longer, and as a result, the compounding of chronic diseases and their long-term ramifications are increasingly common. This means pharmacists must be well-versed in how the physiological changes in aging affect drug therapy. When a new symptom appears, the pharmacist is often a patient’s first encounter with a practitioner, and can ask whether the new problem could be a result of a medication—even one the patient has been taking for a long time, because the body may no longer be able to handle it the same way. Finally, pharmacists can make big impacts one patient at a time. Medication therapy management (MTM) is an example of how pharmacists can positively impact the lives of older adults. Conducting an MTM session by phone allows pharmacists to offer services to older adults who may lack the means (whether financial, transportation, or due to poor health) to physically come to the pharmacy. This service can still be critically important to a patient.

“We go way beyond the knowledge in the classroom to teach students how they can apply it to really help patients. There is nothing better than knowing that students are looking at their patients as people.” —Dr. Erica Estus University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy

A Juggling Act Consider the case of Mrs. S., a real patient counseled by a fourth-year student pharmacist. This student, who was on her community pharmacy rotation, called Mrs. S. because her insurance company identified her as eligible for an MTM session due to multiple comorbidities. When the student spoke to her, she learned that Mrs. S. was not only caring for her husband, who had just had surgery, but was also caring for her mother-in-law, who is in her 90s and was recovering from an acute hospitalization herself. Mrs. S. was feeling overwhelmed with her situation and had not been taking her medicines as prescribed because she needed to pick them up at a pharmacy that was not her preferred location. The student was able to get Mrs. S.’s prescriptions transferred to a single location that was close to her home so she could resume taking her important medications for depression and hypertension. Mrs. S. was so appreciative for the phone call because the student really listened to her problems and treated her respectfully, while helping resolve a medication-access problem.

Different Approaches, One Goal Pharmacy schools across the country are approaching geriatric education in different ways. Some schools integrate it within the curriculum, often meaning there is some amount of time spent dedicated to older adults within a pharmacotherapy topic area. Others offer elective courses for students specifically interested in geriatrics. Following is a snapshot of how some pharmacy schools are using their own roadmap to guide geriatrics within their curriculum.

Web Exclusive:What is a Geriatrician? Pharmacists are among the most trusted and accessible healthcare professionals, which means they are in an excellent position to educate the public. Johns Hopkins University physicians asked people in Baltimore if they knew what “geriatrician” meant. Visit the AACP Web site to view the video: http://www.aacp.org/news/academicpharmnow/ 2015issue2/Pages/campus_connection.aspx

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

campus connection

At the VCU School of Pharmacy, geriatrics education has changed over time. Initiated as an elective, the approach to geriatric education was changed during the 2008 curriculum revision. Guided by Drs. Jeffery Delafuente and Patty Slattum, geriatrics information was integrated into the required curriculum throughout all of the disease state modules. It also became part of select courses focused on special populations. VCU’s commitment to geriatric education continued with the addition of two more full-time geriatric faculty members in 2012, bringing the total number of geriatric-focused faculty members to five. Dr. Kelechi C. Ogbonna, along with Dr. Emily Peron, both assistant professors in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science at VCU, created a new elective in 2013, in addition to the required curriculum, for students specifically interested in this population to explore complex topics related to geriatric care in greater depth. VCU’s required geriatric APPE rotation for all students was introduced into the curriculum in 1998. “It is an expectation, not just an elective,” said Ogbonna, “and speaks to our commitment to geriatric education.” One of the reasons that VCU has successfully integrated geriatrics education into both the didactic and experiential components is its commitment to hiring passionate geriatric faculty members, as well as community outreach. The school also offers a dual-degree Certificate in Aging Studies through VCU’s Department of Gerontology, as well as a Ph.D. program in geriatric pharmacotherapy. This program takes an interprofessional look at geriatrics beyond just medical needs to help students understand more about social and psychological factors that impact health and well being.

Geriatrics education has also been evolving at The University of Arizona. Dr. Jeannie Lee, assistant professor in the Colleges of Pharmacy and Medicine, has been teaching an elective course titled “Perspectives in Geriatrics” since 2009. The college also has an IPPE program called SOAR (Student Older Adult Relationship) in which two first-year students meet weekly with two older adults living in an independent or assisted living community to discuss health questions, medications and other tools in geriatrics screening. According to Lee, Arizona will be merging these two programs into a single, required course titled “IPPE: Perspectives in Aging” with both a didactic and experiential component for first-year students. “Understanding and optimizing polypharmacy and medication adherence as part of managing chronic conditions is one of our key roles as pharmacists,” Lee said. “Older adults use more medications for their multiple chronic diseases than any other patient cohort. We have to be leaders in polypharmacy assessment and improving patient adherence.” Lee found in two survey studies that student attitudes and opinions change as a result of participating in the elective course. “Students who participated in the course had higher knowledge and more positive attitudes regarding geriatric care and training, as well as better perception of quality of life of older adults compared to those who had not taken the course.”(3,4) Currently, Lee and colleagues are conducting a pre- and post-course survey study on Aging and Healthcare among multiple colleges of pharmacy that offer a geriatrics elective course.

Ogbonna sets specific outcomes for his students: “What I want students to walk away with is an understanding that an older adult is not the same as an adult, just like a child is not a just a little adult.” There are four main concepts he focuses on: 1. Older adults require special expertise and attention that should be differentiated from other patients. 2. Older adults have high chronic disease burden so pharmacists need to prioritize based on guidelines for the benefit and risk profile for the individual patient. 3. Pharmacists must watch for the prescribing cascade, identify it, and expose the problems. 4. Improving care across the spectrum of settings is critical to meet the needs of older adults where they need them the most, which is often in the community. By focusing on these concepts, Ogbonna feels he is helping prepare students for these patients in a variety of settings.

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

Open for Interpretation The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) released Standards 2016 earlier this year, which guide the development of pharmacy school curricula. While the new standards don’t offer explicit guidance regarding geriatric education in the curriculum, they do reflect the need for education to cover diverse patient populations. The Standards state: “Diverse populations: In the aggregate, APPEs expose students to diverse patient populations as related to age, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic factors (e.g., rural/urban, poverty/affluence) and disease states.”

campus connection

The University of North Texas Health Sciences Center (UNTHSC) has taken an interprofessional approach to teaching health professions students about older adult patients. Dr. Janice Knebl is the chief of the Geriatrics Section/Service Line and a professor of internal medicine. While she works primarily through the medical school, she interacts with student pharmacists during their first and second years when they work in teams with other health professional students from UNTHSC (medicine, physician assistant, and physical therapy) and students from Texas Christian University (nursing, dietetics, and social work). The students participate in a program called SAGE—Seniors Assisting in Geriatric Education—which places them in seniors’ homes for six visits over the course of two years. These seniors serve—on a completely voluntary basis—as the students’ first “patients” from a medical perspective, but they also educate the students about communication, empathy and non-medical challenges they face. According to Knebl, one of the main takeaways she hopes her students learn from the experience is that older adults are not alike. Their needs are divergent, rather than convergent, meaning each person must be cared for as an individual. “The ages of 65 and 85 only represent how long you have been on the earth. Those numbers do not mean anything else in terms of your health and illnesses,” said Knebl. Knebl says she’s impressed seeing how the students work on an interprofessional team, appreciating the knowledge base and skill sets that other students have and bring to patient care. Because the teamwork is introduced so early and is focused on actual people, the students overcome many of the biases that plague seasoned practitioners dedicated to their discipline specific silos.

Another school, Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), has a geriatric curriculum team that meets on an annual basis to make recommendations about content and resources that should be included in other courses. Within its curricula, students receive six hours of geriatric-specific education, which allows them to focus on treating the whole person, plus time on spent on diseases that primarily manifest or are particularly debilitating in older adults, such as dementia and delirium. NEOMED also offers an elective course for up to 25 students taught by Susan Fosnight,

The University of Connecticut (UConn) has a similar structure to VCU, offering a required four-credit-hour course in special populations that includes one credit of geriatrics. Dr. Sean Jeffery, clinical professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and director of Clinical Pharmacy Services, Integrated Care Partners, Hartford Healthcare, was the Curriculum Committee chair when the university was revamping its Pharm.D. curriculum. Because of this role and the support of existing faculty members and mentors, he was able to embed geriatrics into the curriculum as a required component. “Now it is part of the core, baked in, and hard to get rid of even if I left the school,” Jeffery said. Other aspects that have led UConn to success in geriatrics education are the addition of geriatric-trained faculty members and its affiliations with other organizations. Two additional professors have geriatric residency training and another is a nephrology specialist with a geriatric-focused practice site. The university is also strongly connected with the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, which offers a geriatrics residency, and partners with senior centers in New Haven, Conn., along with community pharmacists through the Coalition for Safe Medication Use. One of Jeffery’s main goals is to help students see that working with older adults is an opportunity to make a difference. “I want them to aspire to go into [geriatrics] because it’s a way that they can impact cost and value in a positive way.” His goal is to break down stereotypes and help students understand that older adults are in all settings, so it behooves all pharmacists to know how to best care for them.

associate professor of pharmacy practice and clinical lead pharmacist in geriatrics at Summa Health System in Akron, Ohio. During the course, students read key articles about geriatric syndromes and talk about pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments for patients. There is an interprofessional approach to the material, with discussions on the role of pharmacists on the healthcare team. Physicians, nurses, physical therapists and social workers help teach in the class to emphasize how they must all work together to solve some of the complex challenges facing older adults.

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

campus connection

Working Together The long-standing AACP Geriatric Pharmacy SIG provided input into the 3rd edition of the ASCP Geriatric Pharmacy Curriculum Guide, which was released earlier this year and serves as a valuable resource for pharmacy educators. The guide “links foundational geriatric principles of care necessary for pharmacy students with the AACP CAPE Outcomes and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education’s Accreditation Standards and Guidelines.” To download the guide, visit https://www.ascp. com/articles/geriatric-pharmacy-curriculum-guide

Dr. Erica Estus, clinical associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Rhode Island (URI) College of Pharmacy has been at URI since 2007 as a full-time faculty member. Upon her arrival, Estus established a geriatric pharmacotherapy elective with several other faculty members. It has grown to include multiple sections that fill up each semester. She uses active learning to immerse students in working with real patients. Students know that her class is a lot of work—there are multiple group projects and out-of-class assignments interacting with older adults in the community. Based on feedback, students value the knowledge gained both in and out of the classroom. URI also incorporates geriatrics into its experiential education, though the geriatric IPPEs and APPEs are not required. These rotations are highly requested and many students seek these experiences in addition to enrolling in the geriatrics pharmacotherapy elective. “We go way beyond the knowledge in the classroom to teach students how they can apply it to really help patients,” Estus said. “There is nothing better than knowing that students are looking at their patients as people.”

Drs. Angela C. Riley and Diana Isaacs are both assistant professors in pharmacy practice at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy. Riley is also the IPPE coordinator for the Office of Experiential Education and Isaacs is a clinical pharmacy specialist in ambulatory care at the Oak Lawn VA Clinic (part of the Hines VA). They have had great top-down support from the dean, who has a geriatric care background. Chicago State has integrated geriatric information into most courses and some in very unique ways. For example, in the Public Health Practicum-PI spring semester, students are placed in hospice and long-term care facilities as care assistants and activity coordinators to gain first-hand experience. In the Drug Action Structure & Therapeutics courses, students are taught aspects of medicinal chemistry, pharmacology and therapeutics as they pertain to older adult patients. The Ambulatory Care Elective includes a chronic disease state simulation where every student plays the role of an older patient with multiple chronic disease states taking multiple medications. Students simulate monitoring blood pressure and blood glucose, and following complicated medication regimens. Likewise, in the Care of the Geriatric Patient Elective, students are partnered with community dwelling older adults for broader opportunities to understand the aging adult, while improving their communication, assessment and medication management skills. “We want our students to eliminate ‘ageisms’ and treat each older adult as an individual,” they said. “Students are often able to adjust medications based upon renal function or may memorize the Beers’ Criteria, but a patient will never accept a recommendation if you don’t treat them as an individual and understand their beliefs and their perception of healthcare first.”

Challenges Still Exist Despite the many unique approaches to and the examples of both integrated and elective geriatrics education, there are challenges facing pharmacy schools that have not been adequately addressed, according to one educator. Dr. Joseph T. Hanlon, of the University of Pittsburgh, is an innovator and champion/provider/ preceptor of geriatric pharmacotherapy education for multiple types of healthcare professional students/residents/fellows including pharmacy for more than 25 years. He is currently professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatrics in the School of Medicine with a secondary appointment in Department of Pharmacy and Therapeutics in the School of Pharmacy. He is also a health scientist in the Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, and Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System.

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

campus connection

Hanlon currently teaches within the medical school—not Ogbonna says the biggest change will come once geriatric the School of Pharmacy. He teaches medical students in both education plays a larger role in the accreditation standards. their pharmacology and clinical pharmacology courses. He Lee and Jeffery both agree that having curricular requirealso teaches third-year medical students as part of their ments for geriatric education is critical to make widespread week-long block of geriatric-specific education. There he changes. presents a case-based lecture focusing on taking good mediHanlon credits Campbell University as another good excation histories and critically evaluating the quality of older ample of including geriatrics education in the pharmacy curpatients’ drug regimens. He and other faculty then facilitate riculum, thanks to the dean’s support. Reaching that critical a small interdisciplinary group that may also include nursing mass of people who want to make changes happen will drive and student pharmacists who work together to evaluate a drug regimen of an elderly case and write a one-page consult it forward, and having dean support is pivotal in making that to recommend changes to optimize the case’s pharmacother- transition from idea to reality. apy. The School of Pharmacy at this time has a well-trained “We are running out of time,” Hanlon said. Indeed, if Baby geriatric clinical pharmacist faculty member, Dr. Christine Boomers begin demanding a level of service that pharmacists Ruby-Scelsi, who coordinates the neurology section of the are unprepared to provide, the profession will be scrambling Pharmacotherapy core curriculum that includes geriatric to meet the demand. Changes are needed urgently to ensure topics such as Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia. Both prothat future graduates are prepared. vide clinical pharmacy services in separate geriatric ambulatory care clinics. Drs. Ruby and Hanlon co-direct a geriatric Predicting the Future pharmacotherapy fellowship that has trained two past felJeffery asks his students to think about this question, “In your lows who are now faculty at two U.S. schools of pharmacy. career, who are you going to be caring for?” The reality is that most pharmacists will be caring for a growing number of older In his article, “Perspective: Is Pharmacy Ready for the Baby adults. Understanding this population—as diverse as they Boomers?”, published in the February 2010 issue of the Ameriare—is essential for effective and appropriate patient care. can Journal of Geriatric Medicine, Hanlon discusses the dearth of pharmacists in the pipeline focusing on geriatrics. In To properly prepare students to be competent and compasschools of medicine, according to a 2007 study he cites, there sionate pharmacists, pharmacy education must adapt to is an average of 9.5 geriatric medicine physician faculty mem- ensure that new graduates can meet patient needs. Schools bers per school but only 0.5 geriatric clinical pharmacists. looking to incorporate geriatrics into their curricula can

Plan of Action How can geriatrics become fully integrated into pharmacy education? Those who are already on the frontlines have some recommendations. “Students need to be taught how medications can contribute to geriatric syndromes and impact the outcomes of geriatric patients.” They also need to be taught what alternatives are available for these patients. “We have chosen to not only provide a focused geriatric session in the curriculum but also provide faculty with yearly geriatric updates to make sure that they are aware of the newest geriatric focused materials to incorporate into their lectures where appropriate,” said Fosnight. She also notes that scholarship about best practices is critical to create change.

look to leaders in the field and existing innovative models for guidance. They can also develop their own unique solutions— as long as the education meets the needs of students, which most importantly, meets the needs of patients. P Sarah M. Barden is the 2015–2016 Executive Fellow at the Michigan Pharmacists Association.

1. The Baby Boom Cohort in the United States: 2012 to 2060 (Issued May 2014) By Sandra L. Colby and Jennifer M. Ortman 2. 90+ in the United States: 2006–2008 American Community Survey Reports (Issued November 2011) By Wan He and Mark N. Muenchrath 3. Augustine J, Shah A, Makadia N, Shah A, Lee JK. Knowledge and attitudes regarding geriatric care and training among student pharmacists. Currents in pharmacy teaching & learning. 2014; 6:226-232. 4. Gilligan AM, Loui JA, Mezdo A, Patel N, Lee JK. Geriatric quality-of-life: A comparison of active older individuals and pharmacy student perceptions. Am J Pharm Educ. 2014 Feb 12;78(1):article 10.

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

community impact

Help Shape the Future of Pharmacy Become a Reviewer for AJPE A scholarly journal's reputation is built on the quality, relevance and strength of the papers it publishes. Peer reviewers are invaluable to this process. A thorough and thoughtful review helps authors with focused peer-feedback that strengthens their work. It also helps editors assemble content for the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education that reflects the exciting range and depth of current work by scholars in academic pharmacy. And of course, the work of reviewers ultimately helps advance the field of pharmacy education and in turn, the broader world of healthcare professionals and the patients they serve.

What makes a good reviewer?

Good reviewers understand the importance of lending their expertise in the various capacities of pharmacy education to ensure and enrich the quality of the field’s literature.

What are the requirements? Above all, reviewers must have knowledge and passion for pharmacy education. Reviewers agree to receive 2-4 papers per year, spend 2-3 hours on each paper, and to return completed reviews within three weeks.

What are the benefits of reviewing?

Reviewing for AJPE enhances your professional reputation and hones your scholarly aptitude by keeping you abreast of new research and emerging themes in pharmacy education. It can also provide a path for mentoring junior colleagues, residents and students. And of course, the work of reviewers ultimately helps advance the field of pharmacy education and in turn, the broader world of healthcare professionals and the patients they serve.

A complete list of reviewer instructions can be found on AJPE’s Web site at www.ajpe.org. You can sign up at any time by contacting Amanda Thomason at athomason@ajpe.org or 703-739-2330 ext. 1049.

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

www.ajpe.org

Spread the Word Tell respected colleagues to review for AJPE, the premier scholarly journal of academic pharmacy. You will be sharing the opportunity to advance professionally while keeping the Journal fresh and relevant with a diversity of ideas from the Academy.

community impact

USC Awarded First-ever NASA Grant Research project also marks historical first for the study of fungi. The University of Southern California School of Pharmacy is taking its research to new heights with a new, three-year $600,000 grant from NASA’s Space Biology Program. This is the first time the School of Pharmacy has received grant support from NASA.

produce drugs. “Organisms produce different drugs under different conditions. They are smart, and they only make drugs when they need them.” Wang will be looking specifically at fungi, marking the first time in history any study of fungi in space will be undertaken.

Photo credit: NASA

Dr. Clay Wang, professor at the School of Pharmacy, will be partnering with experts from the Jet Propulsion Labora- “I hope that my research will lead to the tory in Pasadena to research how micro- discovery of new drugs that could be gravity climates impact drug discovery. used in space, as well as the potential for drug creation in space,” he said. “NASA is interested in the biology Only 26 proposals from across the naof organisms—their DNA, RNA and metabolic levels—and how they behave tion received funding. Wang’s proposal is unique in that it is the only one that in space,” explained Wang, whose area is taking on a project from a drug disof expertise is natural organisms that covery point of view. Approved research

projects will be conducted aboard the International Space Station, with organisms studied at the lab at USC sent to the ISS by way of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where students will hand deliver them to the launch pad. “The research will help uncover new basic knowledge that other NASA researchers and engineers can use to solve problems confronting human exploration of space, or that could lead to new biological tools or applications on Earth,” said NASA in a statement. In addition to NASA, Wang has also received funding from the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy and the NIH.

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

community impact

Mixing Metals With Genetics Parkinson’s gene link may aid battle against disease. A research lab at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) has found a link between a genetic mutation and Parkinson’s, a disease with no known cure that affects as many as one million Americans, according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. Dr. Somshuvra Mukhopadhyay, assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy, led the interprofessional research team that focused on the gene SLC30A10 and its role as a “door opener” in helping to remove elevated levels of the metal manganese from cells. Prior to his work at UT Austin, Mukhopadhyay studied protein trafficking as a postdoctoral student at Carnegie Mellon University. His research there led to two accidental, but important, discoveries. The first was that a part of the cell called the Golgi plays a critical role in regulating the cell’s level of manganese, to ensure it doesn’t reach a harmful amount. He also discovered that low levels of manganese can protect against dangerous bacterial infections. “Manganese is essential for life, but elevated levels are toxic,” Mukhopadhyay said, adding that excessive amounts of the metal eventually make their way into the blood stream and then the brain, where they kill neurons and cause parkinsonism.

A Risky Combination Most forms of Parkinson’s usually occur because of a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Exposure to the metal manganese is an environmental factor known to cause parkinsonism in humans. Manganese-induced parkinsonism is most often seen in individuals with documented exposures to manganese. Exposures may originate from occupational sources such as in welding and mining professions; through environmental sources such as consuming tainted drinking water and food sources; and as a result of disease such as cirrhosis of the liver and alcoholism, which block manganese excretion. Prior studies of a cohort of European families that exhibited hereditary parkinsonism led earlier researchers to look at a genetic link. The families’ genomes were sequenced, leading to the discovery that all family members with the disease had mutations in SLC30A10. The gene was believed to be a key element, but its role and function were not determined.

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

New developments in Parkinson’s research: Dr. Somshuvra Mukhopadhyay, assistant professor in the UT Austin College of Pharmacy, led an interprofessional research team that focused on the gene SLC30A10 and its role as a “door opener” in helping to remove elevated levels of the metal manganese from cells.

New Knowledge, Better Treatments With support from a National Institutes of Health grant awarded to Mukhopadhyay, his UT Austin team discovered that the protein coded by the gene resides on the surface of the cell, and works as a transporter to escort or remove excessive levels of manganese from the cell. Mutations of the gene, as seen in the research family, impede this function, as they cause the gene to become trapped within the cell and thus fail in its work to transport excessive metals from the cell. Patients then retain excessive amounts of manganese within their cells and develop parkinsonism because of manganese toxicity.

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“The gene basically acts as a door opener to release the excess metal from the cell,” the researcher said. “For those individuals who have this genetic mutation, no additional exposure to manganese is needed to develop Parkinson’s because it’s in common sources such as water, air, nuts and vegetables,” he said. The study was published in the Oct. 15 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, and prior to these findings, there was little information on how the body regulates its levels of manganese, Mukhopadhyay said. Understanding how SLC30A10 plays a fundamental role in controlling the body’s amount of manganese provides a molecular target for drug design. Researchers can now focus on generating effective treatments by developing drugs that enhance the efflux activity of the gene to treat patients who carry mutations in this gene. Such treatments also are expected to be beneficial for patients who suffer from manganese-induced parkinsonism stemming from exposure to elevated manganese but who do not have mutations in SLC30A10.

Cross-country Teamwork The UT Austin cohort worked in partnership with a team from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, led by Dr. Michael Aschner. Others from UT Austin involved in the study include: Dinorah Leyva-Illades, a former postdoctoral student; Charles E. Zogzas and Caleb D. Swaim, graduate students; Jonathan M. Mercado, an undergraduate student; and Steve Hutchens, lab manager for Mukhopadhyay. Dr. Richard Morrisett, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology, provided technical expertise. Mukhopadhyay underscores the importance of interprofessional team work and inter-institutional collaboration. “To me, this research is a representation of the way science should be done, when people collaborate, rather than compete, which led to a much stronger paper and comprehensive story.” P Edited by Maureen Thielemans, Associate Director of Communications at AACP and editor of Academic Pharmacy Now.

Members of the Mukhopadhyay Lab at UT Austin.

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

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Highway

Discovery 16

Academic Pharmacy NOW ď&#x201A;§ 2015 Issue 2

Innovation is one of those buzzwords that seems to apply to all sectors, from business to technology to healthcare. In academia, innovation is a vital part of teaching and learning that has tangible outcomes for an institution. At pharmacy schools across the country, inventions and discoveries coming out of classrooms and laboratories affect faculty and students alike in terms of tenure, funding, future job opportunities and better patient outcomes. A discovery or patent can lead to clinical trials or eventually a new treatment or drug, which can also translate into a boost to the local and state economies.

to the

Zone

In 2012, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued 4,797 utility patents (i.e., patents for inventions) to U.S. colleges and universities compared with only 594 in 1985, according to a report from USPTOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Patent Technology Monitoring Team. A significant number of those focused on biotechnology and pharmacy. As schools of pharmacy continue to encourage faculty in their entrepreneurial pursuits, more institutions are reaping economic benefits that extend beyond the campus to the larger community. This article explores how a university obtaining one patent can lead to a research center or lab on campus or eventually a partnership with a company, and how this evolution can ultimately give rise to a strategic plan that is shaped by discovery and innovation.

As pharmacy schools pursue innovative work, they become economic engines generating inventions and products that benefit patients and communities. By Jane E. Rooney Academic Pharmacy NOW ď&#x201A;§ 2015 Issue 2

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Kick-Starting Creativity Even once a school of pharmacy secures one or more patents, the research and clinical trial phase can move slowly. It can be financially and medically advantageous to develop a research center so new drugs or treatments can be licensed and make their way to patients more quickly. The Oregon State University College of Pharmacy is benefiting from a bioscience boon in the state, now the third-largest growth industry in Oregon. The sector contributed $1.7 billion to the state’s economy in 2010 and continues to expand. OSU recently opened a research lab on its campus in Corvallis in partnership with the Oregon Translational Research and Development Institute (OTRADI), a nonprofit organization that receives some state support to work with researchers to develop and commercialize pharmaceutical drugs, diagnostics and medical devices. “This laboratory was set up to find new drug leads, and it’s also a bioscience incubator that can kick-start new companies,” explained Dr. Mark Zabriskie, dean and professor, OSU College of Pharmacy. “It allows us to support basic discoveries at our university and try to add value and get [treatments and diagnostics] to the point where they could be commercialized.” The OTRADI South facility “provides much greater access and is a lower barrier energy-wise for researchers from Oregon State University and others not close to Portland to access OTRADI’s main laboratory.” Zabriskie said he invested in pilot projects and made money available to fund several faculty proposals to encourage them to innovate and tap into their creative potential. According to Dr. Mark Leid, professor of pharmacology and associate dean for research, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the college is supporting eight faculty projects that use OTRADI’s screening facility, which primarily seek to identify new drug leads for difficult-to-treat cancers and infectious diseases. “We envision four types of benefits will be realized from these pilot projects in drug discovery,” Leid said. “We hope that faculty will identify new therapeutic agents to treat important diseases; establish relationships with the pharmaceutical industry; use data from these screens to strengthen new and resubmitted proposals to federal agencies and private foundations; and establish a new research focus or invigorate an existing research program.” Zabriskie noted that local companies can take advantage of the lab as a resource but also emphasized that this is a huge investment in the college’s faculty and students. “It’s a resource that faculty will find makes grant applications more competitive, and it’s valuable for the additional train-

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

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ing it provides to students,” he said. “We would benefit greatly if there was intellectual property that came out of this that was commercialized or licensed, but that’s far down the road. It’s also important as a means of establishing greater awareness of the presence of biomedical research on this campus. Bringing in people from departments and colleges outside of ours, and elevating the visibility of this type of research on campus, are valuable benefits.” For students, the OTRADI lab offers not only access to a state-of-the-art biotech facility but also the chance to work with individuals who are not necessarily academics. “It advances their skills and makes them much more marketable,” said Zabriskie. “Students learn how to work with data and glean what’s useful. It’s all part of this drug discovery process, which is more complete now that we can offer this.”

An Entrepreneurial Approach In 1992, when Dr. Anne Pereira had just become an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, she was fresh off her discovery (and subsequent patent) that a peptide or small region of the CAP37 protein had the ability to kill bacteria. For Pereira, who is now both dean, graduate college, and professor of pharmaceutical sciences, associate dean for research, College of Pharmacy, a concern that the pipeline of available drugs for treating antibioticresistant infections was dwindling led her to consider a new approach to her research a decade ago. Once she secured many additional patents around her discoveries involving the role of peptides, she took the somewhat unusual step at the time and established a company to commercialize her discoveries. Biolytx Pharmaceuticals Corp., in operation since 2005, focuses on targeting serious hospital-acquired infections.

“The most exciting thing has been working with people in all different backgrounds and realizing how much knowledge they have in taking a drug to market.” —Dr. Anne Pereira University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center “At that time there were entrepreneurs in Oklahoma who were interested in developing biotechnology in the state,” Pereira said. “It became apparent that if we were to actually look at this as a business and how we could take it to the market more quickly, it would be in the best interest of and benefit to the public to move this into a startup company.” The university holds the company’s intellectual property filings and has an equity share, and the state has contributed funding to move the drug to the next step. “The university has been instrumental in promoting my research,” she continued. “There’s oversight and advice, which I think is important for a startup company. That’s been a transition for universities—working with academic scientists who are entrepreneurs as well. As time has moved on, I see that many more universities have bought into the innovative aspects of research.” For Pereira, “It’s been a wonderful marriage of academia, biotechnology and industry.” Although the company doesn’t generate revenue, there are economic benefits to the university and the local community. State grant funding to Biolytx provided support for post-doc fellows and research assistants. “In a startup we do a lot of outsourcing,” she said. “If we’re not capable of doing something ourselves, we outsource to companies in the state, so in that way it generates revenue and the money is dispersed. It trickles down and supports other companies in the area.” Pereira attributes much of her company’s success to the interdisciplinary partnerships she’s formed. “We’ve consulted with clinical physicians, chemists, people in industry and others in contract research organizations,” she said. “It’s brought together a huge number of people with diverse areas of expertise. That’s really the only way we got to this stage. The most exciting thing has been working with people in all different backgrounds and realizing how much knowledge they have in taking a drug to market.”

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Patent Focuses on the Small, Could Yield Big Rewards At the University of Puerto Rico School of Pharmacy, researchers were interested in certain proteins that are involved in cell migration specifically related to breast cancer cells. Working with another pharmacy professor, as well as a colleague within the school of medicine, Dr. Cornelis Vlaar, chair, Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, Medical Sciences Campus, helped discover a compound that could limit the protein and inhibit the metastasis of the cells. Last November, the School of Pharmacy received a patent— its first—covering a small-molecule inhibitor targeted to metastatic breast cancer. “The potential benefit [of receiving the patent] is of course that there would eventually be a new treatment for metastatic cancer,” Vlaar said, noting that receiving recognition and having the freedom to focus on innovative work brings other benefits as well. “This allows us to directly impact students’ training to prepare them for the next phase of their career. It also benefits society, because students who graduate with this background can contribute to local development.” Vlaar said the research process was a collaborative effort. “The whole process has to be an interdisciplinary activity because each component has its own specialty,” he noted. Although more funding is needed and it could be several years before drug development occurs, the School of Pharmacy is looking ahead and encouraging faculty to pursue innovative discoveries. “We are establishing a program to further stimulate research activity within the school,” Vlaar said. “It’s hard to predict whether we’ll have more patents. We want to be creative in other ways and contribute to scientific models.”

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

Go Forth and Discover The University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy is no stranger to starting pharmaceutical companies and getting products to market. College of Pharmacy faculty have formed more than 20 companies, several of which have been purchased by external entities. The college has commercialized many products and several more are in clinical trials. UK Provost Dr. Timothy Tracy said faculty are developing new therapeutics for cocaine and narcotic overdose, nicotine addiction and methamphetamine abuse, among others, many working in partnership with commercial entities. “The university benefits from the sales and royalties, but the larger community benefits as well, in particular from the commercial products through the improved therapeutics to treat important diseases,” Tracy said. Students are involved in many projects that lead to discoveries and share in patent applications where appropriate. Given that research partnerships with outside entities are becoming commonplace, Tracy said students’ training reflects the changing environment.

“We certainly educate pharmacy students, and graduate students in particular, about entrepreneurism, patents, intellectual property and public/private partnerships, and how they can be leveraged to the benefit of all,” he said. UK supports faculty who want to pursue innovative research in several ways. “Faculty can apply for an ‘entrepreneurial leave,’ which allows them to get six months of half-time release to pursue commercial ventures, and this can be renewed for an additional six-month period,” Tracy explained. “In addition, the Commonwealth of Kentucky will provide matching funds for STTR grants from the National Institutes of Health to further the research toward commercialization.” While there can be a financial return on investment, he added, there is also a rewarding intellectual component when new technologies or therapies are discovered that will benefit patient health.

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Incentive to Innovate Fostering an environment where innovation and creativity thrive goes deeper than building a lab or a research center. Support for research endeavors needs to come from the top and become part of the culture. At The University of Arizona, expanding research and discovery is a key priority—so much so that it is integrated into the university’s strategic plan. UA revised its intellectual property policy and its promotion and tenure policy to enhance commercialization activities while also ensuring that the university is more inclusive about the type of scholarship that is rewarded. Patents and inventions can now be considered when departments weigh promotion and tenure options. Dr. Todd Camenisch, director of economic development for UA’s College of Pharmacy, estimated that at any given time, about 50 percent of faculty are disclosing intellectual property or filing patents. Internal support from the dean geared toward economic development and fostering partnerships help faculty pursue innovative research. Camenisch pointed

to the college’s Medication Management Center as an example of an innovation success story. Established in 2006 to give patients and providers a system to help manage medications with integrated software, the center grew to a point that was beyond the university’s capacity. The university spun it out into a company—SinfoniaRx, part of Sinfonia Healthcare. “They handle the business component and have expanded it far beyond what we could have done, but we still provide the academic medication management part,” he explained. “It’s a unique business model. The benefit is that we’re able to impact millions more lives in a positive way because Sinfonia is growing the business, but we’re able to maintain excellence and train future pharmacists. There is also a financial benefit because we have part ownership in the company. As it succeeds, the university and the college succeed.” In addition, SinfoniaRx hires graduates from the College of Pharmacy, keeping talent and jobs in Tucson.

The strategic plan also integrates interprofessional education into the curriculum, which includes pharmacy, medicine, public health and nursing. The college offers several dual degree programs. “The goal is that students interact early in their training and get used to a team approach of interprofessional practice,” Camenisch said. “Ultimately, that improves patient outcomes.” With some students becoming more interested in pharmacy’s entrepreneurial side, training in cutting-edge technology and areas such as discovery and development will help when it’s time for them to enter the workforce. The main goal, Camenisch emphasized, is that “we foster that creativity and discovery gene in all our students. This creates a ripple effect as they train the next generation and come up with new discoveries wherever they go.” P Jane E. Rooney is a freelance writer based in Oakton, Virginia.

“We certainly educate pharmacy students, and graduate students in particular, about entrepreneurism, patents, intellectual property and public/ private partnerships and how they can be leveraged to the benefit of all.” — Dr. Timothy Tracy University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

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Hello! My Name Is… AACP recently welcomed three new members to the staff. Academic Pharmacy Now asked them how their unique skills and experiences will positively impact their work.

HELLO

my name is

Joan M. Lakoski, Ph.D.

Vice President of Research and Graduate Education and Chief Science Officer Q: What do you see are the biggest challenges or opportunities as the Chief Science Officer? Joan: I see the opportunities being centered on partnerships with the schools and colleges of pharmacy, to enhance research programs and research education and training. We are in difficult fiscal times, with budget constraints for a number of federal agencies including NIH, among others. So, the Academy faculty are feeling a tremendous amount of stress and pressure. I hope to bring some fresh ideas to enable AACP to better support our faculty.

Q: How does your background influence how you will tackle those challenges? Joan: My training as a pharmacologist—not a pharmacist (though some of my neighbors think I’m a pharmacist)— has always made me passionate about research and research education. Addressing research funding constraints will require us to network more effectively with some of our funders. Most recently, my work with faculty professional development has contributed to my belief that faculty, post-docs and professional students benefit from learning new professional skills. And of course, the pharmaceutical sciences are well-positioned to be integrated across many different domains. That potential for new partnerships with non-traditional funding sources for education, like industry, represents another potential exciting area to explore. Joan can be reached by e-mail at jlakoski@aacp.org or 703-739-2330 ext. 1040.

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

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Kirsten Block, Ph.D.

Associate Director of Research and Graduate Programs Q: You were a researcher before joining AACP? Kirsten: Yes, I was a post-doctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Before that I was a graduate student at Yale. But I guess I’m still a research trainee in the grand scheme of researchers!

Q: How would you say that those experiences influence your work with AACP? Kirsten: It definitely helps to have that background in research in order to understand researchers’ needs and personalities, and to be able to communicate with them freely. It gives me a lot of perspective on issues surrounding graduate education and needs that we can fill here at AACP. Whether the training specifically brought me here is another story. I think I’m not your average researcher. I like to interact with a lot of people, and I like to help and communicate with others. Those traits benefit me here a lot! Kirsten can be reached by e-mail at kblock@aacp.org or 703-739-2330 ext. 1042.

Colleen M. Miglio, B.A.

Governance Programs Assistant Q: What are your main responsibilities at AACP? Colleen: I work very closely with Melinda ColÓn, director of governance programs and meetings. Currently, we’re working on Annual Meeting programming, Board of Directors meeting preparation, awards planning, as well as working closely with Section and SIG leaders on projects such as the governance elections.

Q: How have your previous experiences prepared you to work at AACP? Colleen: I was most recently with Hyatt hotels, working on the hospitality side of event management. It’s really interesting for me to see the other side of planning an event because at Hyatt, I worked in hotel set-up, food and beverage, and A/V. Now I’m involved in meeting programming and am experiencing what attendees did when they came to a meeting. It’s a completely different ballgame! Colleen can be reached by e-mail at cmiglio@aacp.org or 703-739-2330 ext. 1039

Web Exclusive Find out more about Joan, Kirsten and Colleen, including who is a pilates instructor, by visiting: http://www.aacp.org/news/academicpharmnow/2015issue2/ Pages/@AACPharmacy.aspx

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

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Taking Action Sewell Fund Fellow sets sights on optimizing AACP’s knowledge management to meet member needs. By Kyle R. Bagin Dana Thimons has an action figure of librarian Nancy Pearl on her desk, and as the new Grace and Harold Sewell Memorial Fund Learning Partnership Fellow at AACP, she is beginning to earn an action figure of her own. The fellowship tasks information professionals with gaining a better understanding of how information sciences can be effectively applied to the work environment outside of traditional libraries. At AACP, she has accepted the challenge to focus on building partnerships with AACP staff, leaders, member institutions and affiliate partners, as well as assisting in the conceptualization and formation of AACP’s approach to knowledge management. Academic Pharmacy Now spoke with Thimons, reference and academic support services librarian in Nova Southeastern University’s Health Professions Division Library, at the start of her yearlong fellowship about how she plans to accomplish this mission.

Q: What is knowledge management? A: AACP is defining knowledge management (KM) as “a dynamic process of creating, capturing, evaluating, organizing and sharing information based on the needs of the user.” Information can be databases, documents, policies, procedures, expertise and experiences. When preparing to speak at the Board of Directors meeting, I found two good quotes about the definition. One expert said that when two or three people talk about knowledge management, they often have completely different understandings of what the term means and what it will look like in an organization. Another said there are probably as many definitions of knowledge management as there are people trying to define it.

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

Q: Is knowledge management properly prioritized in the workplace? A: It is at some workplaces. From what I’ve read, knowledge management started in the business sector in the early '90s. When companies lose employees, they’re losing both knowledge and money. Companies wanted to start managing that knowledge loss, should it occur. Individual employees each have a great deal of knowledge. Sharing that knowledge with other employees makes companies more efficient by reducing redundancy and learning from what did or did not work well in the past. Recently, I was at a DC Special Library Association event and I met two other librarians whose jobs were specifically to oversee knowledge management at associations. SLA has a KM division and several universities offer a master’s degree in KM, so it looks like more workplaces are starting to make it a priority.

But I do not think it is typical for every workplace, especially smaller organizations, to have a knowledge management plan or strategy. It’s a good thing that we’re working on that here at AACP.

Q: What is the charge of the Sewell Fellowship? A: The mission of the Grace and Harold Sewell Memorial Fund is to increase librarians’ identification with medical, pharmaceutical and healthcare professionals. The purpose of Learning Partnerships is to place experienced librarians and information professionals within leading healthcare or research organizations in order for both partners to gain a better understanding of how information sciences can be effectively applied in each environment. The Learning Partnership program enables librarians to become immersed in that healthcare environment in order to identify with and further the goals of the host organization.

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Q: How are staff adapting to the proposed changes? A: Everyone’s had a really great reaction to knowledge management. I’ve really been impressed by how helpful everyone has been. Staff and members have been very open and willing to provide their input. They have a lot of great ideas, so I think that’s definitely helpful.

Q: What are the biggest differences between your work at Nova Southeastern and at AACP? Nancy Pearl, Librarian Action Figure, sits on Dana Thimons’ desk at AACP, inspiring her to tackle knowledge management with super-hero skills.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish while at AACP? A: My main goal is to create a knowledge management strategy for AACP. This requires determining the people, technology and workflow involved. In the first quarter, I’ve been figuring out what our needs are, what critical knowledge we want to capture, how does that need to flow in the organization, and so on. Specifically, I’m looking at AACP’s records retention, communications enhancements, internal document storage, the AACP intranet and other information resources like reports and awards. The next step is to work with governance groups like the Sections and SIGS, who have a lot they want to share, and help them determine the best ways to do so. Creating a KM plan is a huge undertaking, and fully implementing the plan can take several years. Like any organization change, KM is an ongoing project. So part of the plan will be

determining the people and processes to make the strategy successful after my fellowship ends. Another goal I have through the Sewell Foundation is to write and submit an article for peer-review to increase the understanding of the value of information professionals.

Q: How will your work here benefit pharmacy education? A: AACP members are doing great things. If they are better able to share that knowledge, other members will benefit from that and be able to build upon it. A searchable institutional memory and knowledge sharing will create an environment for members and staff that encourages innovation and collaboration. Knowledge management will increase effectiveness and reduce redundancy by ensuring that the appropriate knowledge is easily accessible and available, which will propel the profession forward.

A: It’s very different to work at an association, because in a university library, I spend most of my day in the library’s reference office. I might have some committee meetings, but I’m primarily focused on assisting students and faculty with their information requests. At AACP, I am not providing traditional library services. When I was talking to staff to learn about their roles and responsibilities, I was amazed by the variety of work that each person does. There are a lot of opportunities to work on different types of projects, utilizing a variety of skillsets. There is also much more travel involved with my work at AACP than as a reference librarian. I attended AACP’s Interim Meeting in Austin, Texas, and leadership forum in Anaheim, California. I also have plans to visit several schools of pharmacy located near AACP’s office. I am incredibly grateful both to AACP and the Sewell Memorial Fund for this amazing opportunity. Not only do I get to expand my knowledge and work with a talented and intelligent group of people, but I get to experience living in the D.C. area. Kyle R. Bagin is communications coordinator at AACP.

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

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Pharmacy Education Today and Tomorrow Today’s game changers in technology and healthcare are primed to inspire attendees at the 2015 AACP & AFPC Annual Meeting. Pharmacy Education 2015 promises to be bigger and better than ever. Presented in partnership with the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada, we’ll bring an expanded global focus, as well as more opportunities for learning and networking, which have been the meeting’s hallmarks for 116 years.

Limitless Learning Opportunities Jumpstart your learning at the Annual Meeting with three outstanding pre-sessions on Saturday, and conclude your meeting experience with a new post-conference session on Wednesday: Teachers Seminar: Beginning with the End in Mind: Developing the Self-Aware Pharmacist

Saturday, July 11, 8:30 a.m.–3:15 p.m.

Joseph T. DiPiro Excellence in Publishing Workshop

Saturday, July 11, 8:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.

New Faculty Program: Basic Skills for Becoming Effective Reviewers

Spotlight on Excellence Sunday Robert K. Chalmers Distinguished Educator Award John E. Murphy, Pharm.D. The University of Arizona College of Pharmacy Lawrence C. Weaver Transformative Community Service Award Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy

Monday Paul R. Dawson Award Marie A. Chisholm-Burns, Pharm.D., M.P.H., MBA, FCCP, FASHP The University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy Volwiler Research Achievement Award Kuo-Hsiung Lee, Ph.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Saturday, July 11, 1:00 p.m.–3:15 p.m.

Tuesday

Global Workshop

Rufus A. Lyman Award David A. Holdford, Ph.D. Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy

Wednesday, July 15, 8:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Web Exclusive AACP and Walmart share the commitment to help pharmacy schools ensure there is an adequate number of well-prepared individuals who aspire to join the faculties at institutions across the country. The AACP Walmart Scholars Program is designed to empower its scholarship recipients to launch an academic career. Visit the AACP Web site to see pharmacy’s bright future: http://www.aacp.org/career/grants/ Pages/walmart.aspx

Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

Student Community Engaged Service Awards Cedarville University School of Pharmacy Chicago State University College of Pharmacy Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions Union University School of Pharmacy

New Faculty Mentoring Program Get the most out of the meeting with the New Faculty Mentoring Program, which pairs new or junior faculty with experienced meeting-goers to understand programming, learn about networking opportunities and share daily experiences.

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2015 July 11–15

AACP & AFPC Annual Meeting Gaylord National Resort National Harbor, Maryland & Convention Center (Washington, D.C. area)

Compelling Content, Dynamic Speakers

Opening General Session

Science Symposium

Tuesday General Session

SuperBetter: Unlocking the Psychology of Games as a Pathway to Better Health

From Hypothesis to Health: Understanding the Power of the Patient Partnership

Freeman A. Hrabowski III, Ph.D.

Jane McGonigal, Ph.D.

In her forthcoming book SuperBetter, Dr. Jane McGonigal reveals a decade’s worth of scientific research into the ways all games change how we respond to stress, challenge and pain. At the Annual Meeting, she will explain how we can cultivate new powers of recovery and resilience in everyday life simply by adopting a gameful mindset.

Debra R. Lappin, J.D. (moderator) Principal, Faegre BD Consulting

Over the past several decades, the role of patients and patient advocacy groups has changed dramatically. Researchers and clinicians alike must comprehend and embrace the significance of patient and public participation in the full range of research efforts, from hypothesis to health. A distinguished panel of researchers and advocates will discuss how the full engagement of the public in research on health is transforming this element of our mission.

New this year, the Tuesday General Session packs one more opportunity to learn into the Annual Meeting. Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski III, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will showcase his efforts and provide guidance in developing and sustaining programs providing educational opportunities for underadvantaged learners. Following Dr. Hrabowski’s presentation, D.C. comedy group, The Capitol Steps, will entertain with musical satire befitting our time near the nation’s capital.

For more information, visit www.aacp.org/PharmEd15 Academic Pharmacy NOW  2015 Issue 2

Now health professions students around the world can learn together.

Introducing MIMYCX, an innovative way to incorporate team-based learning into your curriculum. This interactive learning platform uses video game technology to bring multiple students from different healthcare professions together to solve real-world scenarios. And it enables your students to communicate with other health professionals worldwide. Players must work collaboratively to communicate, plan, exchange ideas and develop options for solving the kind of challenges theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll one day face in real-life

practice settings. MIMYCX provides feedback to students and faculty on individual and team performance, offers measurable and quantifiable assessments, and has the potential to build new professional relationships and promote knowledge exchange. MIMYCX has been developed by Professions Quest, a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. To learn more and to schedule a demonstration, please visit www.professionsquest.com.

The future of interprofessional education is now.