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Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences News

Geriatric pharmacy expert makes house calls

By Becky Phillips (see video)

“Americans tend to neglect the elderly population,” offers the dark-haired young woman behind the wheel. “I think it’s a cultural thing.”

As a first generation Hmong-American, Dr. Mays Vue grew up respecting the elderly as wise and responsible individuals within her extended family and community.

“They are the roots that hold and support the young so they can grow,” she says. “Sending them off to nursing homes is seen as an insult and abandonment.”

“On the other hand,” she continues, peering through the rainy windshield, “American society generally views old age as something to be feared … » More …

Telephone coaching tried on diabetes patients living in rural areas

phone coaches
Would it improve the health of diabetes patients in rural areas if student pharmacists telephoned them weekly and used motivational interviewing techniques in their conversations? And what kind of impact would the telephone calls have on the students?

Those are questions faculty in the WSU College of Pharmacy and WSU Extension are trying to answer.

Ten pharmacy students voluntarily trained to be telephone coaches and then each called four to five patients a week for eight consecutive weeks.

The students just completed the telephoning phase of the project. All calls were recorded and … » More …

WSU Pharmacy team has role in emergencies

Story originally published in 2009; updated in 2011. (See video story, created in 2011.)

It was in the aftershock of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States that Colleen Terriff became more widely known for her expertise.

“The news was about anthrax and because I had some experience with it, I was contacted by the news media,” said Terriff, a College of Pharmacy faculty member and a clinical pharmacist at Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane since 1996.
Today, Terriff and colleague Brenda Bray teach a class about the role of pharmacists in emergency response, and they have led … » More …

APhA recognizes Helm as pharmacy advocate

Photo of Andrew HelmPharmacy student Andrew M. Helm will receive an award from the American Pharmacists Association for his extensive work in political arenas on behalf of pharmacy.

Helm will be presented with APhA’s 2011 Good Government Student Pharmacist-of-the-Year award at the organization’s annual meeting in March.

Helm’s activities include expanding Washington state’s Pharmacy Legislative Day to include meetings with legislators in addition to the usual health fair ; recruiting and training other students in legislative advocacy; serving as president of the student council of the National Community Pharmacists Association, and completing rotations with NCPA and … » More …

WSU student leading NCPA council

Photo of Andrew HelmGovernment legislation and regulation is the focus Andrew Helm has selected for his year-long term as president of the student council of the National Community Pharmacists Association.
Helm is in the WSU pharmacy class of 2011 and was installed to his new position in May 2010.

Helm has training and experience in talking with legislators and believes the political arena is one way to bring about necessary changes in pharmacy’s role in healthcare. He attended “boot camp” by the Washington Student Lobby before tackling a leadership role in February 2009 at the … » More …

Therapeutic genes need to arrive safely and efficiently

Photo of grant trobridgeIn gene therapy, normal human genetic material stands a better chance of curing a disease if it gets a proper introduction into the patient’s chromosomes.

Dr. Grant Trobridge, assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy, has focused several years of research on perfecting that introduction. Use the wrong transfer agent – known as a vector – and it could make matters worse and even turn a normal target cell into a cancerous cell. The vector needs to be efficient, too. For some diseases a small percentage of corrected cells can provide a cure, … » More …

WSU professor to lead clinical pharmacy group

photo of Lawrence j. CohenPharmacy Professor Lawrence J. Cohen was installed as president-elect of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy in October 2010 at the group’s annual meeting in Austin, Texas. Next year he will be president of the organization and the following year, he will serve as past president.

Cohen first worked in clinical pharmacy 30 years ago while doing a postgraduate residency in psychiatric pharmacy at the Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center. He has continued to work and teach in the field of psychopharmacy since that time. Cohen has been a … » More …

McGinnis Named Outstanding Alumnus

Fred Mcginnis with friend John Oftebro

Above, Fritz McGinnis is presented with the Outstanding Alumnus award by longtime friend John Oftebro at our recent scholarship night. Ironically, McGinnis presented Oftebro with the same award in 1998!

McGinnis Named Outstanding Alumnus

Fred (Fritz) McGinnis of Cheney is the College of Pharmacy’s Outstanding Alumnus for 2010!
Fritz is a 1971 graduate and owner of the Owl Pharmacy in Cheney. He is a past chairman of our Dean’s Advisory Council and is currently a preceptor for fourth-year students who do rotations at his pharmacy.

In addition to giving … » More …

President Floyd Recognizes Pharmacy Alumnus

Holly Whitcomb Henry of Seattle, class of 1978, received an “Alumni Achievement” award from WSU President Elson Floyd at the College’s annual scholarship night in October. The award is presented to alumni who have achieved much in their fields.

Henry is the immediate past president of the National Community Pharmacists Association and serves on the board of the Association of Northwest Pharmacies. She is a past president of the Washington State Pharmacy Association and of United Drugs, a cooperative of independent pharmacies.

In 1999, she was selected by American Druggist magazine as one of the nation’s “Top 50 Most Influential Pharmacists.” She previously received the … » More …