4 minute read
Faculty Spotlight
Scott Perkins
Campbell University’s Drug Information Center (DIC) provides service to healthcare professionals and experiential training for student pharmacists. Dr. Scott Perkins serves in various capacities within the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences (CPHS), but his main responsibility is co-director of the DIC. Campbell pharmacy students who choose to complete a DIC rotation work closely with Perkins as they learn more about offering consultations in a research based environment. Perkins encourages student pharmacists to become competent in data retrieval, literature evaluation, and written and oral communication skills. The DIC receives 100-200 drug-based requests per month. Pharmacy students research and gather literature on the topic in question. The students help Perkins retrieve reliable health information and deliver an evidence-based response to healthcare professionals. “It is not too common for academic based DIC to exist, but Campbell has remained steadfast in their commitment to providing this service to providers across the state and allowing student pharmacists to take part in this experience,” Perkins commented. Through his time at Campbell, Perkins has developed and maintained a relationship with Cape Fear Valley Health. Cape Fear Pharmacy Residents complete rotations at Campbell’s DIC, allowing them to learn important aspects of specific medications through research. In addition to his local connections, Perkins also represents Campbell at a national level. In 2016, Mercer University began establishing a network of DICs so that clients would have a broader scope when seeking information. Campbell, Mercer, Idaho State, Touro University, University of Kansas, and University of New England are all a part of this specific pharmacy network. Perkins collaborates with directors from the respective schools once a month. He shared, “these relationships and discussions have been beneficial to the direction of our Center and so professionally rewarding.” Originally from Concord, NC, Perkins opted to stay close to home and attended UNC Charlotte for his undergraduate coursework. He graduated from Wingate’s Pharmacy School in 2012, completed a specialty residency in drug information, and began working at Campbell in 2014. In addition to his DIC responsibilities, Perkins is the co-advisor forthe Campbell chapter of the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP). He is the course director for two courses for first year pharmacy students and is the course director for a P2 course, Pharmacogenomics II. Perkins guest lectures for other courses and is also in charge of the Top 100 exams: a longitudinal series of quizzes and tests that takes place throughout the P1 year. This series instills fundamental knowledge of commonly prescribed drugs to create a foundation for the integrated pharmacotherapy courses. Perkins serves on multiple University committees including an Interprofessional Education (IPE) hub, Educational Resources, and ADHOC Board Review Week. He is also the chair of the Tech Committee for CPHS and the chair of the Library Committee for Campbell. He serves on the North Carolina Association of Pharmacists’ (NCAP) Membership and Communications Committee. Nationally, he is a member of the Library and Information Sciences Committee for the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) and contributes to the Basic Resources for Pharmacy Education, which provides guidance for resource selection to pharmacy schools across the U.S. In 2019, Perkins and Kathryn Collins (’20 PharmD) built Pharmacy Internet Radio (PIR), an interview video cast. Collins interviewed various faculty members about their education, time as a student, and career choices. While COVID-19 put a halt to PIR, this will not be the end of Perkins’ videos. He hopes to tie his videography hobby to the DIC by interviewing pharmacists across the state who are serving in unique roles. “Students have become more curious about fellowships, residencies, and unique roles for pharmacists. I want to help them explore these opportunities,” Perkins reported. In spring 2021, APhA-ASP student members adjusted to COVID-19 restrictions and hosted a virtual health fair for the community. Perkins advised student leaders Phoenix Riley (’22 PharmD Candidate) and Sarah Wood (’22 PharmD Candidate) in the creation of this resource. He edited some of the video content with the help of his co-editor Linda Nguyen (’23 PharmD Candidate). Sessions touched on heart health, diabetes, women’s health, immunizations, health lifestyles, over-the counter medication, and substance use disorder. Electronic pamphlets were available for community participants. Perkins shared, “I am proud of the students for coming up with an innovative solution to COVID-19 restrictions.” Perkins received an Internal Research Grant in May 2021 for his research project “Development and Assessment of an Evidence-Based Rubric to Facilitate Faculty-Created Educational Pharmacotherapy Videos.” This grant funds coursework in instructional design. Perkins started this coursework in August at the University of North Carolina – Charlotte and is concentrating in online teaching and learning. He plans to use this training to help develop more effective and engaging online video content for students and develop some instruments to help other faculty at Campbell follow suit. In December 2021, Perkins received the first-place CPHS Innovation Award for his efforts and implementation of an electronic health record (EHR) to determine if the utilization of an EHR for patient case studies stimulated critical thinking. The Innovation Award was established to recognize faculty who were engaging students to think critically. The EHR has been used to challenge students to think more critically during patient case studies while practically applying what they have learned during real life situations. Perkins strives to help students succeed both academically and experientially. The DIC is an excellent resource for healthcare professionals as well as students and residents who are interested in exploring the research side of pharmacy.
