Pharmacy Funding

A substantial new scholarship program will support first-year students in the College of Pharmacy

Already one of the top programs in the country— currently ranked No. 14 by U.S. News & World Report—the U’s College of Pharmacy is about to become even more appealing to entering students. The new First Year Free scholarship initiative will grant one-year, full-tuition scholarships to all first-year students, beginning fall 2023. This is made possible thanks to a generous grant from The ALSAM Foundation, founded by L. S. and Aline W. Skaggs.

First Year Free scholarships will be available to first-year students regardless of residency status and will slash the overall tuition cost of a four-year PharmD degree by at least 25 per- cent. After their first year, nonresident students in the PharmD program may qualify for in-state tuition until they graduate. Additionally, students may still apply for other earned scholarship opportunities for years two through four.

“As the first pharmacy school in the U.S. to provide full-tuition scholarships to all first-year students, we expect this initiative will quickly make the U a destination for top students from around the nation,” says Randall T. Peterson, dean of the College of Pharmacy. “Our students are already among the best. The First Year Free initiative will ensure that tradition continues long into the future.”

Aspirin Use May Prevent Ovarian Cancer for Some

Frequent aspirin use is linked with lower ovarian cancer risk in individuals with multiple risk factors, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

“Ovarian cancer is the most fatal gynecologic cancer. Most known risk factors of ovarian cancer—such as family history, mutations in the BRCA1 and 2 genes, and endometriosis— can’t be modified,” says Britton Trabert, investigator and researcher at the U’s Huntsman Cancer Institute.

“Daily, or almost daily, aspirin use was associated with a 13 percent reduction in ovarian cancer risk, and we found that aspirin benefited most subgroups. This research also provides further evidence that ovarian cancer chemo - prevention with frequent aspirin use could benefit people in higher-risk subgroups.”

Subgroups were defined by individual risk factors including endometriosis, obesity, a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, pregnancy, oral contraceptive use, and tubal ligation, and by number of risk factors: none, one, and two or more.

Prior research reported that daily aspirin use is linked with reduced ovarian cancer rates. However, individual studies have not been able to see whether aspirin would be beneficial to people at varying risk of disease.

Trabert hopes patients and clinicians use this research to have an informed conversation when discussing potential preventive measures for ovarian cancer. Women should consult their health care providers before beginning any new medication in order to appropriately balance potential risks with benefits.