F L O R I D A' S C O L L E G E S O F P H A R M A C Y
The University of Florida College of Pharmacy University of Florida College of Pharmacy Profile During one of the most challenging semesters in our history, the University of Florida College of Pharmacy has responded to adversity and risen to the occasion in support of our students, patients, alumni and each other. COVID-19 disrupted many of our plans, including commencement ceremonies for our graduating students, but it never broke our spirit or our commitment to imDean Johnson prove the health of others. Pharmacists are among the nation’s most accessible health care professionals, and we have shown the world the critical importance of our profession during the pandemic. We’re proud of our alumni and all of you who have worked on the front lines to provide essential health care services. As we have for nearly 100 years, the UF College of Pharmacy will be here to serve Florida pharmacists and train the next generation of pharmacy leaders. Julie Johnson, Pharm.D. Dean and Distinguished Professor UF College of Pharmacy Rising to the Challenge of COVID-19 When the spring semester began in January, no one in the UF College of Pharmacy could have predicted how it would end in May, but the college successfully moved the curriculum online, identified innovative ways for fourthyear students to complete their advanced clinical rotations and fulfilled a commitment to provide high quality pharmacy education. Additionally, researchers in the college have contributed to the growing literature of understanding COVID-19 and clinical pharmacy faculty have expanded their roles to better serve patients and the UF Health system. New COVID-19 Website Launches for Health Care Professionals A COVID-19 website developed by the University of Florida College of Pharmacy Office of Continuing Pharmacy Education, or CPE, launched in late March to provide practical, relevant and timely information about the global COVID-19 pandemic. The website featured video updates from experts 34
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FLORIDA PHARMACY TODAY
explaining foundational science and epidemiological concepts about COVID-19, as well as practical issues affecting pharmacists on a day-to-day basis. More than 50 advanced pharmacy practice experience students and 13 preceptors helped to build a library of brief COVID-19 drug information summaries. The website registered more than 30,000 page views from nearly 10,000 users in its first month. In addition, the Office of Continuing Pharmacy Education provided more than 1,000 contact hours of CPE credit to Florida pharmacists at no charge through the website and discounted CPE offers for UF faculty, preceptors and alumni. Answering the Call: UF College of Pharmacy responds with call center support during pandemic The battle against COVID-19 took place on many fronts, including a sprawling four-story office building on the east side of Gainesville, which houses the University of Florida College of Pharmacy’s Center for Quality Medication Management. Inside the call center, licensed pharmacists, technicians and pharmacy residents supported UF Health’s COVID-19 phone lines early in the pandemic by triaging patients and scheduling telehealth appointments with physicians. CQM began its COVID-19 operations on March 30, and in the first month 1,150 patients concerned about whether they had COVID-19 were screened by phone. Pharmacists and staff used a series of questions to determine whether a patient needed to be evaluated by a UF Health physician via
Clinical pharmacist Carolina De Los Ríos, Pharm.D., R.Ph., is among a team of pharmacists and staff in the Center for Quality Medication Management who are supporting UF Health’s COVID-19 phone lines.
