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Washington State University
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences sub-featured

Students raise funds for virtual care in Yakima nursing homes

Nursing homes have been ground zero for the havoc caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As of October 11, 60,491 of COVID-19 deaths were nursing home residents. That’s more than a quarter of all deaths nationwide caused by COVID-19. Several pharmacy students from Washington State University have decided to take matters into their own hands by providing virtual care to elderly patients in Yakima Valley nursing homes. While students will be creating videos to advise elderly patients, they need help to raise funds for tablets so that their patients are able to view these videos. The WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences caught up … » More …

Precepting the next generation

For the 1,440 hours spent on rotation during the fourth year of a pharmacy student’s degree, 240 hours are spent with any one preceptor over 6 weeks. In those 240 hours, pharmacy students are taken under a preceptor’s wing to learn first-hand what it means to be a pharmacist. Through teaching and mentorship, preceptors guide pharmacy students as they work with patients in a variety of health care settings. These experiences are pivotal in determining a pharmacy student’s future career. » More ...

HealthChats: Managing diabetes through lifestyle changes

In the United States over 34 million people live with diabetes. Of those 34 million, somewhere in the range of 90-95% have type 2 diabetes while the remaining 5-10% have type 1 diabetes. “For some patients who maybe have been living a really busy lifestyle with lots of stress going on and maybe haven't been paying as much attention to their health as some other aspects of their life, getting the diagnosis of diabetes can be a real wake-up call to re-evaluate their priorities and maybe their lifestyle and might be kind of that extra push that they need to get them on a healthier path,” explained Pharmacotherapy Assistant Professor Cheyenne Newsome at last month’s HealthChats seminar. » More ...

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 ...

Flu season is here: Time to get vaccinated

In no other year has a flu shot been more important. Immunization experts at the WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences warn that the addition of another respiratory illness such as the flu on top of COVID-19 could overburden health care systems, strain local testing capacity and increase the risk of complications from either disease. » More ...

Behind the scenes: Doctor of Pharmacy interviews

By Karen Vo, class of 2023

For Doctor of Pharmacy applicants, the interview is often seen as an intimidating experience, but it doesn’t have to be. We caught up with second-year pharmacy student and student ambassador Karen Vo to share a behind the scenes look at the interview process, while reflecting on her time as an interviewee.

Over two years ago, I was sitting in a conference room as a prospective student practicing my elevator pitch. I was terrified of what my interviewers would ask me later that afternoon; my mind ran through a series of questions- what are my stances on various ethical issues … » More …

Keeping students and faculty connected while socially distanced

As COVID-19 swept through the nation, many institutes of higher education were faced with the prospect of suddenly moving instruction to a virtual setting. The WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (CPPS) was no exception. With only a few days’ notice, the CPPS IT team had to spring to action to provide the IT infrastructure for nearly 700 students and 160 faculty and staff to work from home as the Washington state governor issued a mandated stay-at-home order in March. » More ...

7 things you didn’t know about our Spokane campus

As one of the first four areas of study approved by the Board of Regents in 1891, pharmacy has a long history at Washington State University (WSU). But today’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (CPPS) looks very different than the original School of Pharmacy. Where once the program was housed on the Pullman campus, now the college is centered on the WSU Health Sciences campus in Spokane, Washington, with an extension in Yakima.

Even before WSU set up its first Spokane office in 1989, the pharmacy program had ties to the community. In a time where experiential education and practice rotations were … » More …

Pharmacy researcher’s quest to help homeless during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the integral connection between homelessness and health. To guard against an outbreak among the homeless population, several Spokane shelters have put limits on the number of people admitted to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Ultimately, many of those experiencing homelessness in Spokane have had to find alternative places for shelter.

“A lot of individuals carry their life around with them—two to three shopping carts full of their stuff, multiple backpacks, and move from one place to another. Police crackdown on camping and these individuals can’t go to shelters because of COVID—and can’t camp because there are no camping zones, so … » More …