SPOKANE, Wash.—Kimberly McKeirnan, Pharm.D., has been selected for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation Faculty Scholars program.
McKeirnan will receive a $2,500 research grant from NACDS and is currently working on a research proposal that involves expanding the clinical services provided by pharmacists in chain pharmacies.
“NACDS provides opportunities for us to create and implement programs locally to improve patient health through increased access to care,” said McKeirnan. She is hoping that her participation in the Faculty Scholars program will lead to an on-going research relationship with the NACDS, which provides extensive research funding every year nationally, she said.
“Community pharmacy practice as it relates to public health is my primary research interest area,” said McKeirnan. “We are lucky to be part of such a great community here in Spokane which is very supportive of our efforts.”
McKeirnan is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy at the Washington State University College of Pharmacy. She is from Pomeroy, Washington, and joined the faculty at WSU in 2013 after spending the previous five years working as a community pharmacist.
“After working in community pharmacy I wanted the opportunity to put my own stamp on the profession and help train future pharmacists.” That desire is what brought her to WSU, she said.
According to the program outline, each faculty scholar will design and implement a patient-focused research project conducted in a community pharmacy setting.
The NACDS Foundation focuses on community pharmacy and public health research that contributes to improving patient outcomes. The Faculty Scholars program helps new faculty members to get research in this field off the ground, McKeirnan said.
She will be working with Linda Garrelts MacLean as her onsite faculty mentor here in Spokane. MacLean is a clinical professor and an associate dean for the WSU College of Pharmacy.
I am really excited about the collaborative research environment this program will provide. I am looking forward to learning more about community-practice based research and how to implement it locally,” she said.
The NACDS Foundation has provided funding for one other research project at the WSU College of Pharmacy this year that is also focused on providing communities with greater access to health care services.
Details on the NACDS Foundation Faculty Scholars Program: http://www.nacdsfoundation.org/education.html
[July 14, 2015] By: Lori J. Maricle