WSU Health Sciences Spokane

Tyler Young grew up in Oakesdale, Washington, a town of about 400 people, and a 45-minute drive south of Spokane. He graduated from high school with only 11 other students in his class and his first job was on the wheat farm where he spent summers from ages 14 to 20 spraying weeds in 90-degree heat, driving a tractor, and harvesting the crop.

Pharmacogenomics, a budding field of personalized medicine, is the study of how genes influence an individual’s response to treatment with medications. Drug-related morbidity and mortality due to unoptimized medication therapy is estimated to cost the United States $528 billion annually. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adverse drug events (ADEs) have been categorized as a leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

As the associate dean of external relations, Julie Akers has helped to connect people in more ways than one. When she is not advocating for the pharmacy profession or teaching […]

Brady Jens, class of 1992, owns the NuQuest Pharmacy in Grand Junction, Colorado. He shares his insight on what nuclear pharmacists do and how future pharmacists can gain experience in this specialty area of pharmacy practice.

Fourth-year pharmacy student Emily Hitt shares her experience with research during her pharmacy education.

Getting involved in research can provide a competitive edge needed to secure postgraduate opportunities after pharmacy school, which is vital if you wish to pursue a career in academia or research. Research experience, presentations, and publications are valued by residency program directors and can provide a competitive edge for opportunities after pharmacy school.

Natasha Olson, class of 2014, shares her professional journey from becoming a pharmacy intern at Rite Aid to manager of clinical initiatives with NCODA (National Community Oncology Dispensing Association). Her passion for patient-centered care led her on a path to oncology pharmacy, where she now shares her experience and best practice with other clinicians. Hear her story to learn about the various opportunities from a career in pharmacy.

As the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread across the country in early 2020, student pharmacists Brooke Kotlarz, Kaitlan Belocura and Kennedy Erickson worked with various stakeholders in the community to educate and empower individuals on reproductive health. They share their experience of pivoting to a virtual campaign in Washington state and discuss the vital role that pharmacists play in helping to inform local communities about reproductive health.