The Dean’s Compound

Dean David Allen

Recently, I had the honor and pleasure of participating in the University of Cincinnati’s Rho Chi induction as keynote speaker. The occasion of making such a presentation inevitably brings some reflection. As I thought about the path that led me from college to community pharmacy to graduate school to my previous position at Texas Tech and to dean of the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Pharmacy, I also thought about the things that I wish I had known before I began the full-time phase of my professional life.

I thought about things I discovered by accident or through experience, or by making mistakes or missing opportunities. And so I urge you to heed the advice of Eleanor Roosevelt: “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”

I invite you to take a few moments to ask yourself a very important question: What will be your legacy as a pharmacy professional? Because you will leave a legacy, whether you intend to or not. In the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enveloped by it. I encourage you to be a vibrant, contributing part of your legacy – and to consciously choose your legacy.

While there are a number of things I wish someone had told me, chief among them is: I wish someone had emphasized how important it is to give back to your profession. I realized that I needed to be pro-profession—to be proactive about learning, and in some instances, even shaping, what was going on in the field of pharmacy. People count on pharmacists to make choices – and to make decisions informed by the most complete and up-to-date data available.

What and how you give back are less important than giving back. Be an active, engaged student, faculty member, preceptor or alumnus. Serve as a mentor for pharmacy students. Volunteer your expertise and share your knowledge with the underserved. Conduct research. Join a professional organization. Write to your congressman. Understand the regulatory and legal environment in which every pharmacist must operate.

I also did not realize that I could have an impact and give back to my profession even as a pharmacy student. Our students are among the best ambassadors for our profession and our College of Pharmacy. I encourage our students to begin giving back to their profession now.

The chance to be an engaged professional, and to work hard at work worth doing, is one of the best rewards life has to offer. I thank you for your hard work and your commitment to our College and our profession.

David D. Allen, R.Ph., Ph.D., FASHP
Dean
Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Pharmacy

In preparation for a long-term, strategic planning process, both the institution and the College of Pharmacy have adopted new mission statements and codified their respective visions and values.

The Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy

Mission: The Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy improves the health, economy, and quality of life in northeast Ohio through the medical, pharmacy and health sciences education of students and practitioners at all levels; the development of new knowledge through research in the biomedical, community health and behavioral sciences; and the provision of community service and health education throughout the northeast Ohio region.

Vision: To be the premier community-based interprofessional health sciences university in the United States.

Values: Our values are reflected in the Five Cs of our educational, research and work environment: Competence, Communication, Caring, Character and Community.

The College of Pharmacy

Mission: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Pharmacy prepares highly skilled pharmacists who play an indispensable role in a team-oriented approach to patient care and medication management services. Our unique curriculum intermeshes with that of the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine to set new standards for interprofessional education and collaboration.

The College of Pharmacy will promote innovative collaborative research in education, biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. Our faculty, staff and students will:
• Reflect the diversity and culture of northeast Ohio
• Embody competence and caring
• Display strong communication skills
• Exhibit professional ethics and character
• Provide service to the community
• Demonstrate dedication to lifelong learning

Vision: The Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Pharmacy will be recognized as the premier institution and leader in the interprofessional education of exceptional pharmacist patient-care providers.

Values: Our values are reflected in the Five Cs of our educational, research and work environment: Competence, Communication, Caring, Character and Community.

Thank you to those who are serving as preceptors for our students’ community
pharmacy experiences: (more…)

Drs. Jeff and Shelby Poploski, who are both pharmacists at Walgreens, chat with President Nora at the diversity gala.

Thank you to Walgreens for sponsorship of the annual Diversity Leadership Awards Dinner held April 5. All proceeds benefit scholarships for students underrepresented in the health professions.

On Friday, April 18, the College of Pharmacy hosted its first Career Fair. Special thanks to the following organizations for their participation:

Akron General Medical Center
CVS Pharmacy
Discount Drug Mart
Giant Eagle
K-mart Pharmacy
Kroger Pharmacy
Marc Glassman, Inc.
Medco Health Solutions
Member Health
Ohio Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Portage County Health Department
Rite Aid Pharmacy
Summa Health System
University Hospitals
Walgreens

The College of Pharmacy has formed two professional organizations: the American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Students of Pharmacy (APhA – ASP) and the Student Society of Health-System Pharmacists (SSHP). To date, membership has been recruited (48/31 respectively), governing documents have been established by each organization, organizational activities conducted and future activities continue to be planned.

Professional Organization officers for the 2007-2008 academic year are:

APhA – ASP Executive Committee Members
Brian McNeeley – President
Stephanie Ratliff – Vice President
Kristin Lehotsky – Secretary
Sachin Makati – Treasurer

SSHP Executive Committee Members
Stephanie DeFrancks – President
Joe Dikun – President Elect
Rebecca Corsi – Secretary
David Hamer – Treasurer

Louis D. Barone, Pharm.D., vice chair for experiential programs, Department of Pharmacy Practice, and J.F. Groves published a book chapter, “Case Study on Measuring and Improving the Medication Use System,” in Medication Use: A Systems Approach to Reducing Errors, Second Edition. (Porche’, R.A., ed. 2007:91-102)

Congratulations to Anupam Bishayee, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences, and Richard Carroll, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences. Bishayee and Carroll each received an allocation from the College of Medicine and Pharmacy’s Ohio Board of Regents Incentive Funds to further develop their research. Bishayee is working on the effects of resveratrol, a natural product from grapes, on preventing liver cancer. Carroll is developing a cell-based model of Rett Syndrome.

Anupam Bishayee, Ph.D., visited India as a guest of the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Calcutta. Bishayee, an alumnus and former researcher of Jadavpur University, presented “Radiopharmaceuticals for therapy of painful bone metastases: Making the right choice.” His presentation was enthusiastically attended by the faculty, research scholars, students, clinicians and scientists from the national cancer treatment and research institutes. He initiated research collaboration and discussed other possible collaborations between Jadavpur University and the College of Pharmacy.

In addition, Bishayee’s collaborative project on the treatment of ovarian cancer with resveratrol has been approved for an Akron General Medical Center pilot research grant. This grant allows him and co-investigator Dr. Kimberly Sloan Stakleff to generate preliminary data in preparation for seeking future research funding.

Sue Fosnight, R.Ph., CGP, BCPS, assistant professor of pharmacy practice, recently met all of the eligibility requirements for recertification in pharmacotherapy. Through board certification, pharmacotherapy specialists demonstrate a defined level of education and training, as well as mastery of the knowledge to meet the public’s demand for expert pharmaceutical care.

Kristen L. Longstreth, Pharm.D., BCPS, clinical pharmacy specialist, Department of Internal Medicine and pharmacy practice residency director, St. Elizabeth Health Center, presented a poster, “Impact of an inpatient pharmacy service on anticoagulant risk reduction,” at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting, Las Vegas, Nevada, December 2007. Longstreth also has a book chapter, “Pulmonary Embolism,” in preparation for publication in Pharmacotherapy Casebook: A Patient-Focused Approach. (Schwinghammer TL, Koehler JM, eds.. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008, in press)

Cornelis J. (Neels) Van der Schyf, D.Sc., DTE, chair and professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, was invited to present a seminar April 21: “Drug delivery challenges to the brain: Disease modifying drugs in neurodegeneration” to members of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. The audience included research staff of AFRL’s Materials & Manufacturing Directorate and the Human Effectiveness Directorate. Dr. Van der Schyf also met with individual investigators to explore future research collaboration opportunities in nanomaterials applications and opportunities for graduate student exchange.

May 10 - The Body and Beyond: Health Fair for the Community

“The Body and Beyond” health fair will be held Saturday, May 10, from 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the Ralph Regula Conference Center. The health fair, which is free and open to the public, will include free health screenings, a relaxation station, anatomy lab, expert presentations on important health topics and special activities for children.

May 12 - 2008 NEOUCOM Foundation Annual Golf Outing

Don’t miss this opportunity for lunch and 18 holes of golf at Firestone Country Club’s North Course! Registration and lunch begin at 11:30 a.m., followed by a shotgun start at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. reception. This event is held in memory of Glenn H. Meadows. All proceeds benefit the Blue Fund and support academic programs, scholarships, research, equipment and other needs of the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy. The cost is $325 per person ($88 is tax-deductible). To register, please call 330-325-6663.

June 6 – Last day of classes and end-of-year picnic
Inaugural year for the College of Pharmacy comes to a close with a Giant Eagle-supported picnic for students, faculty and staff. Thank you, Giant Eagle!

Sept. 3 – White Coat Ceremony for the Class of 2012
Join faculty, family and friends as the Class of 2012 begins its studies.

If you would like to share additional information about the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Pharmacy with a prospective student, please visit http://www.neoucom.edu/PharmD. Prospective students can find a wealth of material including an overview of the program, admissions requirements, videos about the College and the profession of pharmacy. To request additional information, please contact:

Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Pharmacy
Office of Admissions
330-325-6270
pharmacy@neoucom.edu