Students Join to Create 100 Soldier Care Packages    

Kim Allen, a fifth-year student, decided to get StLCoP involved with sending care packages to soldiers overseas when she saw how easy it was through the Web site www.anysoldier.com. “On this site, soldiers who don't get much sign up, so they can get care packages,” Allen says. “I thought this was really cool. I started sending a package a week, and after I showed my classmates the site, they became interested.” Kim, her classmates, and 11 student organizations, gathered donations and created 100 care packages for soldiers who were on the site and recommended by faculty, staff and students. Forty-five of those packages went to loved ones and friends of students, faculty, and staff.

Allen did a lot of the organizing prior to the November 4 elections. "I told students ‘I know we're all in different classes, voting for different presidents, and part of different organizations or fraternities, but I think we all can work together to support the people who are fighting for our country while they are away during the holidays,’" she says.

In addition to putting the care packages together, Allen effortlessly raised around $800 from the sales of T-shirts she created to help cover shipping costs. “Today’s society seems to have become more about wanting than giving,” Allen adds. “But I'm pretty sure after shipping off these packages; the students really understood the meaning of the holidays and a better understanding what the troops overseas go through.”

StLCoP Holds Boo Fest 2008  

On Sunday, Oct. 26 the St. Louis College of Pharmacy quad turned into Pumpkin Park for Boo Fest, a safe Halloween

event for area children with diabetes. The College partnered with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and St. Louis Science Center to create the event for St. Louis-area diabetic children. More than 150 kids participated, many of who were wearing Halloween costumes. “Since the main highlight of Halloween is candy, Boo Fest turned the excitement away from the forbidden carbs to enjoyable games and non-food prizes, so the children associated with JDRF could still have a fantastic Halloween,” says Emily Stenger, a third-year student who volunteered at the event.

StLCoP students presented educational information to the kids and parents and provided activities and games for the families. Activities include the Science Center’s “Creepy Chemistry Lab,” a costume contest, bounce house, face painting and temporary tattoos. “Seeing the smiles and hearing the laughter of the children playing the games were proof that this year’s event was a success,” Stenger says.

 

College Welcomes Young Democrats and College Republicans  

St. Louis College of Pharmacy students have taken a step in the right, and left, direction by bringing political awareness

College Republican's president David Marcum and Young Democrat's president Sam An

to campus, hosting debate watch parties, and encouraging voting in the upcoming election. This fall students established chapters of the Young Democrats and College Republicans on campus. “Our school is focused on a profession that has much at stake within the political world,” says Patrick Harper, president of Student Council who helped bring the two organizations to campus. “What we do, how we do it, and how we are reimbursed for our knowledge and service are all controlled by legislative decisions. Any groups that can help educate students to this reality are a necessity on our campus. Also, our school is in a nationally recognized swing state.  Political advocacy has a huge impact here on a very large scale.”

The two groups have kept busy promoting their prospective party and encouraging colleagues to register for the November election. “I wanted to be president of College Republicans because I feel the need to raise awareness among fellow students about how politics directly effects our profession,” says David Marcum, fourth-year student. “I also want to be an advocate or middleman between the student population and politicians. A vision I have is to have fellow students voice their concerns to our group, so we can relay it to a particular politician, that way he or she can see what policies, laws, etc. matter to college-age students.”
 
Both organizations agree that students should take advantage of their constitutional right to vote. “Those before us have fought for the right to vote, and Congress lowered the voting age to 18 from 21 for a reason,” says Sam An, second-year student and president of StLCoP’s Young Democrats. “Let's go out and take advantage of that!” While student excuses for not voting range from not having time to the  hassle of absentee ballots, An and Marcum both think that the overlying reason is that students are apathetic about politics and do not think their vote matters. “By not voting you are silencing yourself,” Marcum says. “There are numerous laws and policies that will directly influence us and our practice when we get our degree either directly or indirectly.”

On Election Day, members from both groups plan to assist at the polls, remind students to vote, escort students to the polls, “and stay up late watching the results trickle in as I have done after the past three elections; yes, I was watching these things at age 6,” An admits.

 

StLCoP C.A.R.E.S.  

On Saturday, Sept. 27, 315 St. Louis College of Pharmacy students participated in a variety of clinical and community activities for StLCoP C.A.R.E.S. (Community Awareness Reaching Everyone in St. Louis) day.

Clinical activities included performing blood pressure and diabetes screenings and educating the public on upcoming flu shot opportunities at Shop ‘n Save locations in Shrewsbury and Maplewood. They also educated shoppers and their children at a St. Louis Walgreens on the differences between candies and medications while five students handed out heartburn preventatives and pamphlets at the Missouri Chili Cook-off in Westport.

In addition to helping residents, students participated in community improvement projects as well. They mulched, pulled weeds, and planted at Pagoda Circle in Forest Park; processed 15,356 pounds of food to provide 12,536 meals for the city’s hungry, did yard work at Gateway Greening’s Bell Community Garden, cleaned the grounds and built wheelbarrows for Operation Brightside’s Louie Lake, and performed yard work around the Ronald McDonald House off Park Avenue.

The students raised money at a faculty auction the previous week to buy the supplies and screening materials they used throughout the day. “Considering students had to get up early on a Saturday morning, they worked really hard in our community,” says Stephanie Seaton, fourth-year student and coordinator of the day’s events. “I think each student took something away from this experience. Hopefully the students were able to witness that they can make a difference in people's lives.”

SPA Faculty Auction Raises Money for Shriner's Hospital    

St. Louis College of Pharmacy’s Student Pharmacists Association (SPA) collected $2,897 during its annual faculty auction on September 24. Faculty donated an array of items and services for students and other faculty and staff members to bid on. The money raised went to Shriner’s Hospital of St. Louis and bought supplies for StLCoP C.A.R.E.S. (Community Awareness Reaching Everyone in St. Louis).

More than 35 students and several faculty members contributed to the total number, topping last year’s amount of $2,000 raised. Michael Spinner, fourth-year student and coordinator of the event, says the most coveted items included mortar and pestle sets donated by Dr. Ken Schafermeyer, dinners and outings with faculty members, and an annual garage party hosted by Drs. Naeger, Hurd, and Zlatic.

 

Lambda Chi Alpha Participates in Light the Night Walk    

On Friday, September 12, 2008, StLCoP’s Lambda Chi Alpha, Pi Lambda Zeta chapter gathered 38 students and faculty members to participate in The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk in Forest Park. Among the walkers was Pi Lambda Zeta advisor, and leukemia survivor, Dr. Ken Schafermeyer, professor of pharmacy

administration. Even more impressive, the fraternity was able to raise more than $1,200 for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society this year, making a grand total of more than $2,100 that the chapter has been able to raise since it first started walking in this event in 2006. The money will go towards finding and funding cures for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, as well as improving the lives of patients and their families.

The Society's nationwide Light the Night walk was created to build awareness of blood cancers, and celebrate survivors, and honor those whose lives have been touched by cancer and ranges from two to three miles.

 

College Welcomes Class of 2014  

The class of 2014 started its first day of classes at St. Louis College of Pharmacy on Wednesday, August 27. The

Students gathered at the Welcome Back BBQ and Resource Fair on Aug. 28.

College set a record this fall with a total of 1,190 students enrolled for the 2008-09 school year.

Class of 2014 by the numbers:
• 237 first-year students were chosen from 599 applicants
• 63% of the class are female; 37% are male
• 16 states(including Alaska) and Korea are represented by
        first-year students
• 7 first-year students have siblings attending the College
• 184 first-years are living on campus
• 10% of first-years were valedictorians at their high school
• 3.81: average first-year high school GPA
• 28: average first-year ACT score

 

Society Honors StLCoP Student and Faculty Member  

The St. Louis Society of Health-System Pharmacists (StLSHP) chose StLCoP’s Dr. Julie Murphy as Pharmacist of the

Sixth-year student and StLSHP Student of the Year and Dr. Julie Murphy, assistant professor, Pharmacy Practice, and StLSHP Pharmacist of the Year.

Year and sixth-year student Kim Meyerhoff as Student of the Year. The two were selected because of their peer recommendations and their contributions to health-system pharmacy, the StLSHP, the Missouri Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP), the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), and the St. Louis metro area.

Murphy has been part of the StLCoP faculty for the past six years; she is currently associate professor of Pharmacy Practice and a preceptor for StLCoP’s Introductory Practice Experience students and Advanced Practice Experience students at St. John's Mercy Medical Center, where she has practiced since 2006. Murphy has been a member of the StLSHP since 2004 and served as its treasurer from 2005-07. Murphy also is involved with the ASHP and MSHP.

A St. Louis native, Meyerhoff has been a member of StLSHP for the past year; however, she has worked in community pharmacies for the past six years. ”Kim has a strong interest in improving patient care and is excited about the future of the our profession ,” says Joel Hennenfent ‘96/’97, past president, StLSHP. “She has been valuable in promoting Health System Pharmacy at StLCoP and recruiting students to attend StLSHP meetings.” Meyerhoff currently works at Dierberg’s Pharmacy. She plans to do a residency after she graduates in 2009 and then go on to do clinical work.

The two will be presented their awards at the September 11 StLSHP meeting.

 

StLCoP Professor Organizes Free Health Screenings  

Nimita Thekkepat, assistant professor of Pharmacy Practice, has brought together sixth-year StLCoP students, the American Liver Foundation, the City of St. Louis Health Department, and Walgreens to offer free Hepatitis C and HIV testing for St. Louis residents.

The confidential screenings are performed once a month at the Walgreens on Lindell Boulevard in St. Louis. The health department tests patients for HIV, while the American Liver Foundation screens for Hepatitis C. Sixth-year students encourage area residents and shoppers to participate in the screenings and often sit in on the screenings to learn more about the process and ask questions of the patient or test administrator.

Thekkepat organizes and oversees the screenings to help the residents of St. Louis. “Recently, we have had a pretty high infection rate of Hepatitis C and HIV in the city,” she says. “I really want to get this program going at our current location and get many people involved. Eventually I would like to see students who are currently involved with the screenings take the program with them to their future employers."

Patients who test positive for Hepatitis C or HIV are referred to Thekkepat who schedules them with a local physician and follows up with the patient once he or she is prescribed medication. “I show patients the proper technique for taking their prescribed medication, explain to them possible side effects and make sure they get their prescribed doses each month,” she says. In addition, if patients do not have prescription coverage, Thekkepat works with drug companies and social workers to ensure the patient has access to the appropriate medication.

College Welcomes 2008-09 Pharmacy Practice Residents  

St. Louis College of Pharmacy held an orientation and welcoming reception for the 2008-09 St. Louis metro-area Postgraduate Year One (PGY-1) and Postgraduate Year Two (PGY-2) pharmacy residents on July 23, 2008.
Postgraduate residencies are accredited programs that build a participant’s knowledge, skills, attitude and abilities. Year-one residents enhance their general competencies in managing medication-use systems, and support optimal medication therapy outcomes for patients with a broad range of disease states. In the second year, residents increase their knowledge and skills in medication therapy management and clinical leadership.

Upon completion of the program, residents are prepared to pursue board certification.

The following residents will join the College as full-time Clinical Instructors of Pharmacy Practice for 2008-09:
Kacie Ballantini, Pharm.D. (StLCoP) –PGY-2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Resident at John Cochran St. Louis VA Medical Center.
Ryan Camden, Pharm.D. (StLCoP) – PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident at John Cochran St. Louis VA Medical Center
Andrew Crannage, Pharm.D. (StLCoP) – PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident at Mercy Family Medicine/St. John’s Mercy Health Center
Jennifer Flesner, Pharm.D. (StLCoP) – PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident at John Cochran St. Louis VA Medical Center
Kala Gallagher, Pharm.D. (Creighton) – PGY-2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Resident at John Cochran St. Louis VA Medical Center
Gregory Hughes, Pharm.D. (St. John’s) – PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident at Jefferson Barracks St. Louis VA Medical Center
Jamie Reski, Pharm.D. (Drake) – PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident at Mercy Family Medicine/St. John’s Mercy Health Center
Matthew Pitlick, Pharm.D. (Drake) – PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident at John Cochran St. Louis VA Medical Center
Lauren Roberts, Pharm.D. (StLCoP) – PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident at Jefferson Barracks St. Louis VA Medical Center
Erin Williams, Pharm.D. (Nebraska) – PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident at St. Louis County Department of Health

Summer Programs Introduce High School Students to Pharmacy 

While the majority of St. Louis College of Pharmacy students are away for the summer, several area high school students have arrived on campus eager to learn more about a pharmacy education and the profession. On June 16, 25 high school students began the four-week Career Explorers Program and 30 students began the BESt Summer Pharmacy Institute’s classes.

Sponsored by Walgreens and the College, the Career Explorers Program is designed to increase the interest of students from underrepresented groups in pharmacy. During the four weeks, students learn about pharmacy classes, how to read prescription abbreviations, and how to fill prescriptions. They also participate in compounding exercises, take hospital tours, learn about the retail pharmacy system and spend time as a pharmacy technician at a local Walgreens. “Once students finish [the program], they have a broad view of pharmacy,” says Freddie Wills, the program’s coordinator and assistant director of multicultural student services at the College. “They leave saying this is something they’d like to one day pursue.”

At the same time, 30 multicultural students from 16 area high schools began classes at the College through the BESt Summer Pharmacy Institute. BESt is a collaboration between Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Express Scripts and StLCoP and was designed to motivate minority students to pursue pharmacy school by increasing their exposure to college life and creating a support system. In addition, the program aims to improve the chemistry and math base of the selected students and improve ACT/SAT scores. The selected students were chosen from more than 100 applicants because of their GPA, participation in extra-circular activity and interest in pharmacy school. Program organizers hope increased diversity in the pharmacy profession will improve access to health care and health care quality for minority patients

StLCoP Students Place 1st in NASPA Event 

On June 14, four StLCoP students participated in a National Alliance of State Pharmacy Association-sponsored OTC jeopardy game at the Missouri Pharmacy Association convention in St. Louis. Three teams participated: students and alumni from UMKC School of Pharmacy, professional pharmacists from Missouri, and St. Louis College of Pharmacy students. “The StLCoP students handily won the competition,” says Nimita Thekkepat, StLCoP assistant professor, Pharmacy Practice and a judge at the game. “I was so impressed by the level of knowledge our students had.”

The students on the StLCoP team included Clifford Rich (third year), Joel Henneberry (second year), Steven Fuchs (third year), and Nicole Brougham (second year). The team received a glass plaque for placing first in the jeopardy game.

 

12th Annual Alumni & Friends Golf Classic The Alumni Association’s 12th Annual Alumni & Friends Golf Classic was held Sunday, June 8, at the Norman K. Probstein Community Golf Course in St. Louis’ Forest Park. The Golf Classic raised around $34,000 through tournament play, donations and the sale of raffle tickets. The money will go towards student scholarships. StLCoP’s fifth-year students Chris LaFleur and Chris White and fourth-year student Will Call - all brothers in Lambda Chi Alpha - took home the first-place trophy at the end of the day. The championship took the team by surprise, as they admit they only get a chance to play a couple times a year. However, the students will get plenty of practice this year. La Fleur also won a round of golf at Fox Run for the team in the raffle, and Call won a round of golf for two at Forest Park for winning the closest-to-the-pin contest. “We also get to display the trophy at our places over the next year, and we will have bragging rights for the year!” La Fleur adds. To view photos from the tournament, visit www.alumni.stlcop.org, and click on View Photo Galleries.

Amy Hall Finishes 11^th at NAIA National Marathon

In a field of 33 entrants, St. Louis College of Pharmacy’s Amy Hall took 11th place at the NAIA marathon championships held in Edwardsville, Ill., on May 26. Her time of 3:13:44 smashed her previous marathon personal best of 3:21:42 from last year’s national marathon championship in Fresno, Calif. Hall, a third-year student at StLCoP, qualified for the national marathon competition this year by crushing the NAIA “A” qualification standard of 1:33 with a 1:28:39 finish in the Spirit of St. Louis half-marathon race on April 6. The 2008 marathon was Hall’s fifth appearance at an NAIA national championship including two NAIA track & field championships in the marathon and three NAIA cross country championships. Hall is the only StLCoP student athlete to qualify and compete in a national championship.

12th Annual Alumni & Friends Golf Classic Annual Alumni & Friends Golf Classic Is scheduled for Sunday, June 8, 2008 at the Norman K. Probstein Community Golf Course in St. Louis’ Forest Park. The Golf Classic is a reunion for students, alumni and friends of the College as well as a major fundraising effort for the Alumni Association’s student scholarships. The day’s schedule will be as follows: 8 a.m. Breakfast 9-11 a.m. Continuing Education Program 11 a.m. Golf Registration Begins 12 p.m. Lunch 1 p.m. Shotgun Start Dinner will be served in the clubhouse after the tournament. Attendance prizes will be handed out at this time. Individual player and sponsorship packets are available. Please visit the alumni site for more details and to register today! Commencement 2008 On Saturday, May 17, 2008, St. Louis College of Pharmacy graduated 158 students at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel. The traditional ceremony began with the procession of the John Ford Highland Pipe Band followed by the entrance of faculty and administration and the graduates, who were all led by Faculty Marshal Evelyn Becker-Meyer, Pharm.D. Dr. Becker-Meyer also was presented with the 2008 Outstanding Educator award. Chairwoman of Christiana Health Care System and Founder of Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carol A. Ammon, presented the commencement address. The graduates included 156 Doctor of Pharmacy degrees and two Master of Science in Managed Care Pharmacy degrees. Five Students Selected for Clinical Research Training Program StLCoP students Nick Ferder, Niti Patel, Kremer Rampley, Stephanie Seaton, and Michael Spinner are among 22 health care students selected to participate in the 2008 Predoctoral Interdisciplinary Clinical Research Training (PICRT) program. Washington University School of Medicine offers the program to train individuals in the health care profession to become outstanding patient-oriented researchers. “I am looking forward to working with students and mentors from other areas in health care,” Ferder says.  The selected students have previous experience in research and an interest in a career in research. “I find research to not only be fascinating but rewarding and necessary to the advancement of medical outcomes,” says Seaton, who is currently working in the Office for Research on Aging. “This additional training will provide the foundation upon which I can build future formal training in clinical and translational research.” In addition to taking courses in research design and data analysis, the students will be working with faculty mentors from StLCoP and WUSM on a variety of research projects for a two-month period beginning in June. “It is difficult to say for sure that research is something I want to do after I graduate,” Ferder says. “These two months will give me an opportunity to help shape my career goals.” Spinner agrees, adding that he is looking forward to applying his current research skills in a real pharmaceutical setting. The students hope the program also will make a difference in the medical field. “By performing research and understanding physiological and drug mechanisms, we can improve the design and development of medicines and create outcomes that will have a direct relationship with improving the quality of life,” Patel says.   Student Organizations Plant Trees for Earth Day In celebration of Earth Day, the Outdoor Club, with the help of Kappa Psi and the Environmental Action Committee, planted 50 trees in Forest Park’s Kennedy Forest on Saturday, April 26. The groups also planted a cherry tree on campus. “I wanted to do a community service project that was fun and would allow people to volunteer for without having to pay money,” says Jessica Bowermaster, president of the Outdoor Club. The Forest Releaf of Missouri donated the trees, which included a mix of oaks indigenous to the St. Louis area. Crain Tree Farm & Nursery in Caseyville, Ill., donated the Yoshino cherry tree.      Lambda Chi Alpha Holds 1st  Watermelon Bash at StLCoP Members of Lambda Chi Alpha, Pi Lambda Zeta chapter, held the first annual Watermelon Bash at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy on Thursday, April 24. “Every year, Lambda Chi Alpha chapters contribute to the North American Food Drive,” says Jason Wang, vice president, external affairs. “Each chapter has its own way of collecting food. This year, we decided to not only hold a spring and fall food drive, but as a spin-off of our fall Pumpkin Bust, we decided to hold something similar to what other Lambda Chi chapters hold in the spring, the Watermelon Bash.” Students, staff, and faculty members formed teams of six and competed in five different watermelon themed events. For the Wild and Crazy Kids event, team members took turns getting as much watermelon in their mouths as they could, running 15 feet, and spitting it in a bucket. The team that accumulated the most watermelon in its bucket after two minutes won. The philanthropy ended with a tug-of-war competition, in which the losing team ended up in a small pool of busted watermelons. Other events were the Watermelon Toss, the Watermelon Carry, and a coin find in a pool of melons. Teams accumulated points for their placement in each event. The fraternity also sold T-shirts and collected donations. Money raised from the event benefitted the Arnold Food Pantry, which can purchase 10 pounds of non-perishable foods for every dollar donated. “At this time, we have raised about $601.50,” Wang says. “However, since the goal of this fundraiser was to collect food for the hungry, the money raised translates into 6,015 pounds of food for Arnold Food Pantry to distribute.”   Mock Health Care Trial Conducted by Students As part of a directed research project under W. Thomas Smith, Pharm.D., J.D., assistant professor of pharmacy law, student pharmacists held a mock trial on the constitutionality of the health care laws involving conscientious objection and the freedom of a health care professional to voice his/her religious beliefs on April 22. “The students, who prepared for the trial since January, wanted to explore some of the constitutional provisions that impact the profession of pharmacy,” Smith says. “We decided to use the materials that were the basis of the National Health Law Moot Court Competition, held in Carbondale, Ill., in the fall of 2007.” The mock case was set in the fictional state of Lincoln, U.S.A. Pharmacist Frank Goody lost his license to practice because he violated two Lincoln statutes. The first statute states, in pertinent part, that a pharmacist must fill emergency contraceptives without delay. Goody refused to fill Plan B for a 17-year-old patient who presented him with a valid prescription. Goody also violated a second Lincoln statute that states, in pertinent part, that a pharmacist shall not inflict upon his patients his moral objectives to filling emergency contraceptives, after passionately sharing his moral objections to filling the patient's prescription for Plan B. Goody challenged the constitutionality of the two Lincoln statutes mentioned above in district court and was unsuccessful. The mock trial was Goody’s appeal. Fifth-year student Kevin Dudenhoeffer and third-year student Nathaniel Stephenson represented Pharmacist Goody while fifth-year student Priya Patel represented the state of Lincoln by dressing and acting the part of attorneys while presenting the case to peers. “It’s an interesting perspective for a pharmacy student to see the conscience clause argument from a new angle,” Smith says. “We’ve seen in the news cases involving pharmacists and conscientious objection. Many pharmacists have lost their jobs or quit their jobs based on this very issue.”   Students and Faculty Participate in APhA Annual Meeting   Several faulty and 40 students attended the American Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting in San Diego this March. Of those attendees, several participated in and were recognized at the meeting. Drs. Nicole Gattas, Nimita Thekkepat and Charles Taylor presented their poster titled, “Fostering Learning and Growth Through Innovative Teaching Strategies in a Self-Care Course,” for which they were given the APhA Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management Presentation Merit Award. The merit award was one of six given out among 130 judged poster presentations. Dr. Nimita Thekkepat also presented a poster titled “Innovative Collaboration in a Community Pharmacy to Increase Detection of, Awareness of, and Vaccination Against Hepatitis." Dr. Tommy Smith presented a poster titled “Medical Malpractice Litigation in the Profession of Pharmacy” with students Prya Patel, Nick Gelyana, Nate Stephenson, Eric Venker, Stephanie Seaton, and Davin Patel; and fifth year students Anastasia Roberts and Andrea Maier presented their poster “Evaluation of an Inpatient Admission Medication Reconciliation Process.” Other awardees included Leah Dial, who was officially presented her One-to-One Patient Counseling Award, and Dr. Ken Schafermeyer, who received the Fellow of the American Pharmacists Association Award. In addition, sixth year student Jennifer Rushing participated in the National Patient Counseling Competition. College to Hold Major Conference on Medication Safety   The safe use and distribution of pharmaceuticals in the United States is a critical issue for health care professionals as well as federal, state, and local policymakers; the media; and the public. An aging population, international influences, and the accessibility of quality health care are just some of the reasons for the increasing importance of appropriate use of high-quality medications in our society. According to the federal government, every week four out of five U.S. adults use prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, or dietary supplements. Many people take multiple medications each day.   On April 17 in Whelpley Auditorium on the St. Louis College of Pharmacy campus, noted experts from the Food and Drug Administration, the National Library of Medicine, universities, corporations, and non-profit organizations will participate in the inaugural St. Louis Forum on Medication Safety. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Please call 314.446.8399 or e-mail medicationsafety@stlcop.edu for more information or to reserve your place at the forum. Please see the conference agenda for a detailed description of the forum and the speakers.

Strategic National Stockpile Drill Held at College On Tuesday, March 18, the state conducted a large-scale emergency response drill in the St. Louis College of Pharmacy gymnasium to test the Strategic National Stockpile. The drill tested Missouri’s readiness in responding to a public health emergency, such as a bioterrorist attack or large-scale disease outbreak. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services; the State Emergency Management Agency; local public health agencies in Missouri and Illinois; city, county, state and federal agencies; BJC Healthcare; Scott Air Force Base in Illinois; and other state emergency response organizations were involved in the exercise.

Student Council donation to Ronald McDonald Charity

Every Homecoming, the College’s student council raises money for charitable organization. This year’s chosen charity was the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Metro St. Louis. Patrick Harper, a fourth-year student from Nashville, Ill., and president of the student council, said Ronald McDonald House was chosen because of its health care focus; the organization provides housing for families of seriously ill children in need of medical treatment at metro-area hospitals. In February, the student council held a Homecoming t-shirt and pizza sales to benefit the charity and combined this year’s collection with last year’s to equal $5,000, which they presented in a check to the Ronald McDonald charity.

“Because of the profession we’ve chosen, and regardless of the fact that Homecoming week is usually when you think about ball games, having fun and activities for the student body, this provides a tremendous opportunity to impact the community in a positive way,” Harper says. “That’s what the pharmacy profession is all about – serving the needs of the community. Pharmacists are always thinking about the community.”

“At Ronald McDonald House, families are afforded everything they need when they come to St. Louis to get care for their children,” Harper says. “The house gives them a place to live and call home while in town. It helps them to avoid the high costs of hotel rooms and eating out. All of the council members were really excited about giving to such a great charity – especially after we were educated about the purpose and goals of Ronald McDonald House. The donation was our way of showing that we constantly think about the community.”

First Annual Writing Center Banquet Honors Pharmacy Students’ Papers

First place 2007 fall semester Norton Awardfor Writing Winner Jordan Cresswell (left) and 2007 spring semester first place Norton Award for Writing winner Kayla Woelfel On Tuesday, Feb. 19, the Writing Center held its first annual Writing Banquet for students and the staff members who nominated them. Professors nominated the students based on an outstanding paper they had written in their Writing Emphasis courses. Each student at St. Louis College of Pharmacy must complete two Writing Emphasis courses, which require a minimum of twenty pages of writing and a minimum of three different writing assignments. Usually, third- through fifth-year students take Writing Emphasis courses. After reviewing all of the nominations, faculty and staff judges chose first and second place papers from the courses. The winners were presented with the campus’s Norton Award for Writing. The 2007 spring semester first place winner was Kayla Woelfel for her paper titled “Civil War Medicine,” which she wrote for her Writing Emphasis course History of Medicine and Pharmacy. Casey Robison took second place. Jordan Cresswell won first place for the fall semester with her paper “American Civil War and Its Impact on the Evolution of Pharmacy, Surgical Procedures, and Other Medical Practices,” also a paper from the History of Medicine and Pharmacy Writing mphasis course. Alex McMullen placed second for the fall semester.    Writing Emphasis courses give students the opportunity to work more in depth with course materials by learning through writing and provide students with opportunities to improve their communication skills. The College currently offers more than 20 writing emphasis courses.

Student Duo Participates in National Clinical Skills Competition

Sixth-year pharmacy students, Emily Dotson and Erica Russell, winners of the St. Louis College of Pharmacy Clinical Skills Competition, traveled to Las Vegas this past December for the National Clinical Skills Competition.  Friends since their first year at StLCoP, the two women had previously planned on attending the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting in Las Vegas, Nev., to look at residency programs. Encouraged by a professor to enter the College’s clinical skills competition for the chance to compete in the national competition during the Vegas meeting, the two signed up thinking it would be well worth the experience. The two admit that while excited, they were a little nervous that the national competition would be a little too complex, but in the end, their education and rotation experience helped them. “They presented us with a very complex scenario, and we went in circles trying to decide what would be the most appropriate plan for the patient and which plan the judges thought would be best,” Dotson says. Russell adds that the College’s competition prepared them very well for the National Competition. “I believe our therapeutics courses at the College helped us efficiently work-up patients, which was important because the competition was timed,” Russell says. “We also had experience prioritizing patient problems based on severity, from working our clinical rotations, which was another way our performance was judged.” While in Las Vegas, Dotson and Russell also enjoyed sightseeing, shopping and seeing “The Producers” at the Paris Las Vegas hotel.    Although the St. Louis duo did not finish in the Top 10, which were the only placements announced, the national competition made them realize how much the College and their pharmacy experiences are preparing them for their career. Emily and Erica both encourage younger pharmacy students to enter future skills competitions. ”You have nothing to lose and much to gain,” Russell says. “And it is important to make sure that you have fun with these competitions because that is what it is meant to be.”

 

"Be the Best" Speaker Harvey Alston Visits Campus

As part of a multicultural speaker series at St. Louis College of Pharmacy, Harvey Alston, former educator and coach, came to campus on Wednesday, Feb. 20, to present his “Be the Best” message to students and faculty. A full-time speaker since 1989, Alston’s program stressed his message of “solitary achievement, shared accomplishment, and the dignity of human beings.” Alston ended his program by reminding the students “We need to be the best at what we do.” More information on Alston can found at www.harveyalston.com.

Homecoming Week Activities Raise Funds for Ronald McDonald House

Last week, St. Louis College of Pharmacy students, faculty and staff showed their school pride during the annual Homecoming festivities. “Being a professional school, a lot of the emphasis here is on class work,” says Patrick Harper, Student Council president and fourth-year student. “The College strives for students to have the complete college experience, and Homecoming is one of those classic college things.”

This year students dressed to a different theme each day and participated in special events that took place throughout the week. The annual Olympiad games, banner contest, chili cook-off, and pie-eating contest brought together six different teams as they competed for the coveted homecoming trophy and cash prizes. Homecoming T-shirt and pizza sales helped raise more than $2,500 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Metro St. Louis, this year’s chosen charity. The week concluded with a men’s basketball game and a night of food, drink, and games at a nearby bowling alley.

Pharmacy students participate in the Human Pyramid competition
during the 2008 Homecoming Olympiad Games.

The 2008 Olympiad Homecoming Winners are:
Banner Contest: Half and Half (a freshmen residence hall team)
Pie-eating Contest: Lambda Chi Alpha
Chili Cook-off: Lambda Kappa Sigma
Olympiad Winners: Kappa Psi

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