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Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Pharmacy

Student pharmacists on COVID-19 testing in Pullman

When Misty Lefler and Shayne Fontes got the urgent call from Associate Dean of Professional Education Jennifer Robinson that volunteers were needed for COVID-19 testing at WSU’s main campus in Pullman, the third-year pharmacy students scrambled to organize their peers over one weekend. Only one week into the fall semester, and Pullman was already experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases despite going to virtual learning for the semester. “I get really excited saying ‘I get to help out with this and I get to help our community,’” said Lefler. “As health care providers all we want to do is educate, immunize, and help provide those services.” » More ...

Embedded: Student pharmacist on the frontlines of COVID-19 testing in Yakima

When a spike in COVID-19 cases made Yakima county a West Coast hot spot for the disease, Yakima Doctor of Pharmacy students quickly stepped up to help with mitigation efforts. Working alongside the Yakima Health District and the US National Guard, WSU student pharmacists volunteered to help direct people in improvised testing centers. The college sat down with third-year pharmacy student Brian Wu to hear about the experience. » More ...

Washington State University announces new dual degree and certificates in engineering and pharmacy

Washington State University’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture are pleased to announce a new dual degree and certificate program for students pursuing their Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

Starting fall semester 2020, Doctor of Pharmacy students will have the option to pursue their master’s in Engineering and Technology Management or receive a certificate in six distinct areas. The dual degree program and certificates will prepare students for the growing need in technical management of manufacturing operations in the pharmaceutical industry, health care, and governmental research initiatives, among many … » More …

WSU pharmacist wins esteemed Bowl of Hygeia award

After a 50-year career in pharmacy that included decades of volunteer leadership in the local community, Washington State University alumnus Robert (Bob) Scheidtmann, class of 1966, will receive the prestigious Bowl of Hygeia Award for 2020 from the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA).

Established in 1958, the Bowl of Hygeia Award recognizes pharmacists who possess outstanding records of civic leadership and take active roles in their communities. The award is presented annually by state pharmacy associations and all honorees are recognized nationally through the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).

Scheidtmann, who was born and raised in San Francisco, attended UC Berkeley prior to Washington State University. … » More …

Army combat veteran on her journey to becoming a pharmacist

Monica Sines never imagined a career in pharmacy. As a driver in Tikrit and Mosul in Iraq, transporting Iranian, Iraqi and Pakistani workers safely to their destinations, 19-year-old Sines witnessed harrowing scenes while serving in the military.

“I saw things that people at that age should not see,” said Sines, who is now 35 and a third year at the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences pursuing her Doctor of Pharmacy.

Sines joined the military in November 2002 at age 18, just before the March 2003 invasion of Iraq. After six years of service, Sines left the military in 2008 and received her bachelor’s degree … » More …

Finding the right dosing for children

Prescribe at your own risk. That is the general feeling that most doctors get when prescribing medicine to children. Due to ethical and legal challenges, conducting clinical trials on children has proven to be a major obstacle for drug researchers. In fact, many prescription drugs rarely go through clinical trials using children. As a result, doctors only have two options in pediatric care: 1. Don’t prescribe children drugs shown to be effective in adults, or 2. Prescribe drugs off-label to children at their own risk. That’s where Dr. Bhagwat Prasad, Associate Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences at WSU, is transforming pediatric precision medicine so that drugs … » More …

New technology promises improved treatment of inflammatory diseases

By Judith Van Dongen, Office of Research, WSU Health Sciences Spokane

SPOKANE, Wash. – A study led by researchers at Washington State University has uncovered a potential new treatment approach for diseases associated with inflammation, including sepsis, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, acute lung injury, and atherosclerosis.

Published in the open-access journal Science Advances, their paper describes a novel, patent-pending technology that uses nanosized particles to transport cell-killing drugs directly to activated neutrophils, the cells that drive the exaggerated immune response involved in inflammatory diseases. They also demonstrated the technology’s feasibility at selectively killing activated neutrophils without harming other cell types or compromising the immune system.

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