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Washington State University
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences March newsletter

How summer on the lake may impact your liver

As the weather warms, daydreams of summer set in; the sounds of birds chirping, the smell of freshly mown grass, the feel of a cool swim on a warm day. But as the flowers begin to bloom so do algae unleashing a green scum across bodies of water and toxins that can affect the health of anyone exposed to too much.

Microcystin-LR is the most common and the most potent toxin produced by freshwater blue-green algae. It was first identified as a potent liver toxin in the 1980s and has since been linked to liver damage and cancer. Today, levels of the toxin are monitored … » More …

March 2021 Updates

FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP

Publications

United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries (USTUR) Postdoctoral Research Associate Martin Šefl, USTUR Assistant Professor Maia Avtandilashvili, USTUR Director and Professor Sergei Tolmachev, ”Inhalation of soluble plutonium: 53-year follow up of Manhattan project worker,” in Health Physics in February 2021.

Pharmacotherapy Assistant Professor Taylor Bertsch, Pharmaceutical Sciences Assistant Professor Travis Denton, Pharmacotherapy Assistant Professor Nicole Perea (Rodin), Pharmaceutical Sciences Assistant Professor Ayesha Ahmed and Pharmacotherapy Associate Professor Kimberly McKeirnan published, “Drug development and the process of transitioning to team-based learning in a qualitative way,” in the peer-reviewed journal Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning in February 2021.

Kimberly McKeirnan and … » More …

New York Times cites WSU on growing demand for pharmacists and technicians

Vice Dean of External Relations Linda Garrelts MacLean started seeing a growing demand for pharmacy students in April 2020, just two months after the COVID-19 pandemic officially kicked off in the US. First came the requests by public health officials for students to help at COVID-19 testing sites. Soon, the need for student pharmacists and their skills in being able to communicate with patients and knowledge in administering vaccines became a bright spot in a very challenging year of virtual learning.

“We are receiving requests from pharmacies and providers, big and small, for our students. They know our students have the skills they need to … » More …

Use of goldenseal may compromise glucose control in diabetics on metformin

By Judith Van Dongen, WSU Health Sciences Spokane Office of Research
Originally published in the WSU Insider February 8, 2021

SPOKANE, Wash. – Diabetic patients taking the natural product goldenseal while taking the prescription drug metformin may be unwittingly sabotaging their efforts to maintain healthy blood glucose levels. This concern arose from a recent study published in the journal Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

Metformin—the world’s most-prescribed oral glucose-lowering medication—was included in a cocktail of selected drugs given to participants in a clinical study led by scientists at Washington State University’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The study sought to determine the impact of … » More …

Pharmacy’s Angie Stewart to lead interprofessional coalition in Yakima

College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Associate Dean for the Yakima Extension and Associate Professor of Pharmacotherapy Angie Stewart was selected as incoming executive director for the Yakima Valley Interprofessional Practice and Education Collaborative (YVIPEC). Stewart has been an integral part of the YVIPEC since its inception, serving on various committees and leadership positions. » More ...

March 2020 Updates

FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP

Publications

J. Roberts and Marcia Fosberg Distinguished Professor of Pharmacotherapy Danial Baker published, “Drug evaluation – tenapanor (Ibsrela),” in Wolters Kluwer Health’s The Formulary Monograph Service (FMS) in January 2020. Wolters Kluwer Health is a drug and health information publisher, the FMS is a resource used in the formulary decision making process for hospitals and managed care systems on recently released and investigational drugs.

Danial Baker published, “Drug evaluation – trifarotene (Aklief),” in the FMS in January 2020.

Danial Baker and Drug Information Center Resident Brittany Craft published, “Drug evaluation – brolucizumab (Beovu),” in the FMS in January.

Pharmacotherapy Clinical Professor Terri Levien, … » More …

Inspiring change: Linda MacLean’s impact on my life in pharmacy

By Jennifer Robinson, Associate Dean for Professional Education and Clinical Associate Professor for Department of Pharmacotherapy

In late January, the American Pharmacists Association named WSU CPPS interim dean, Linda Garrelts MacLean, as one of their 2020 fellows. This honor is the most comprehensive recognition in pharmacy. To receive the award, members must demonstrate exemplary professional achievements and service to the pharmacy profession. Below is an article written by Jennifer Robinson, associate dean for professional education, about how Linda made an impact in her life.

APhA encourages pharmacists to practice at the top of their education to meet the needs of society. It creates a community … » More …

Dungeons and Dragons inspires a class in pharmacy law

Game over. Those two words have flashed across game screens for decades, challenging gamers of all ages to go back, try again, and do better.

On a crisp, sunny afternoon in February, 163 third-year pharmacy students faced down those very same words. Using their knowledge of pharmacy law, the students spent a class battling medusa, identifying constellations and navigating a labyrinth; all to help prepare them for an exam.

“[Pharmacy Law] has traditionally been a very difficult course, so we’re trying new ways to help students learn this material,” explained Pharmacotherapy Clinical Associate Professor Julie Akers.

To help with this goal, she recruited Pharmacotherapy Academic … » More …

Winning WSU students invited to national compounding competition in Florida

Compounding is the art and science of combining appropriate ingredients to fit the unique needs of a patient. Rather than ingesting a drug in the traditional form of a pill, pharmacists can use innovative methods to help patients take their medicine. This includes creating medicine in the form of lollipops or gummy bears, a more palatable compound for young children, or making drugs more accessible through creams or gels for patients who have difficulty ingesting medicine. For pharmacy students, compounding is one of the vital skills that they learn during their four years in pharmacy school, and where WSU student pharmacists have excelled nationally in … » More …

Shobhan Gaddameedhi promoted to associate professor

Shobhan GaddameedhiSPOKANE, Wash. – Shobhan Gaddameedhi has been promoted from assistant professor to associate professor with tenure, effective July 1, 2020, at the WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Gaddameedhi’s research lab centers on how circadian clock disruption influences anti-cancer drug treatment efficacy, DNA repair, inflammation and environmental carcinogenesis. His most recent research, published in January, suggests that a good night’s sleep plays a significant role in reducing heart damage from radiation therapy. World renowned organizations including the NIH (National Institute of … » More …