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College provides means of becoming geriatric specialist through first certification program

When a group of practicing pharmacists enrolls in the College of Pharmacy once again this fall, it won't be because they failed examinations the first time around. Rather, their return to student life is prompted by their search for further education - this time in geriatric pharmacotherapy.

The College is offering its first outreach program this fall in which practitioners can earn a credit-bearing certificate in a focused area of study. Geriatric pharmacotherapy was chosen after two recent surveys revealed it was the most popular topic among certificate programs the College has considered.

Eligible candidates for the new program are pharmacists practicing in Minnesota who want to improve their pharmaceutical care skills for geriatric patients. Program goals are to help pharmacists understand the effects of aging from a medical, social, economic, financial, ethical, and legal perspective. This patient lifestyle evaluation enables pharmacists to ascertain and predict some drug-taking behaviors and medication-related problems, allowing them to prepare and implement effective pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment plans for geriatric patients.

The program also can help pharmacists planning to take certification examinations, such as the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists' geriatric pharmacy practice exam, the Minnesota Pharmaceutical Care exam, and the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties pharmacotherapy exam.

Approximately 30 pharmacists will be admitted to the program each fall. As with the College's proposed nontraditional Pharm.D. program, the cohort model of adult education will be in place. Students will learn through such nontraditional methods as videotaped lectures, case studies, small group activities, and Internet interactions.

With 21 credits, the program is more rigorous than many. Students will earn college credit as well as pharmacy continuing education (CE) hours for work experiences. (Accord-ing to the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy, one college credit equals 10 hours of continuing education.)

Work is split almost equally between classroom (didactic) and hands-on (experiential) education. The course is designed to be completed in two years. Estimated cost for tuition and books is $5,000, and participants must have a computer with Internet access and e-mail.

The quality of the program is comparable to traditional day-school education, according to associate professor Mary Beth O'Connell, who is spearheading the certificate program. Six of the eleven didactic credits involve the same classes as Pharm.D. students take, she explains, and participants may elect to complete the same geriatric experiential rotations as Pharm.D. students. Students can complete equivalent hours at health care centers near their homes over the duration of the program. These overlapping credits may also be applied to the College's nontraditional Pharm.D. degree. Faculty from the traditional Pharm.D. program will teach some of the certificate program classes as well.

Among highlights of the program are the mentors available to students. These mentors are an interdisciplinary group of health care professionals with geriatric practices. Although the students' experiences with these mentors must have the same time commitment and rigor as day-school mentorships, certificate experiential education credits may be customized. For example, a pharmacist could spend a half day every week in a clinic seeing elderly patients over one year, and one day per week doing nursing home consults for half the year. "Pharmacists will have significant flexibility to design their experiential credits, thus having the feasibility to complete this program, continue to work, and have a life while advancing one's knowledge and skills," says O'Connell.

Geriatric pharmacotherapy is the first of several outreach education programs the College is designing for practicing pharmacists.

Dual days honor pharmaceutical care pioneer Strand

Two days last April were designated Linda Strand Day in Minnesota, in honor of the College of Pharmacy associate professor, alumnae, and pharmaceutical care movement pioneer.

First Governor Arne Carlson declared April 19 "Linda M. Strand Day" throughout the state, commemorating festivities in her honor at the Minnesota Pharmacists Association annual meeting. Carlson said Strand has "been recognized worldwide as a thought leader in the articulation of the principles and practices of pharmaceutical care.

A few days later it was Linda Strand's day again, this time at Eastcliff, home of the University of Minnesota president. In the private courtyard of the 1922 estate, Academic Health Center Provost Frank Cerra and Dean Marilyn Speedie lauded the latest recipient of the Remington Honor Medal, given by the American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA) annually since 1918 for "distinguished services on behalf of American pharmacy."

While Strand (B.S., '76; Pharm.D., '77; Ph.D., '83) was officially recognized at the APhA convention last March in Los Angeles, the Eastcliff event was another opportunity for Minnesotans to honor her. Strand said she was especially touched by the presence of students among the crowd of 75. Their enthusiasm for pharmaceutical care, she explained, renews her spirit.

"Students embrace new ideas and forward thinking," said Strand. While they naturally do not accept every idea, students will critique it based on its merits, and not on baggage such as tradition or politics, she added.

In teaching the practice of pharmaceutical care, Strand concentrates on developing students' problem-solving skills, tools that help them apply their knowledge of pharmaceuticals creatively. "Students perpetually change practice and the application of knowledge," she said, "simply by being so receptive and responsive to new ideas."

Since receiving the Remington award, Strand has had time to reflect on its importance. She is most proud of the fact that she received the medal for work that has changed the practice of pharmacy to benefit patients. Strand and University of Florida professor C. Douglas Hepler, co-recipient of this year's award, are the first academicians to receive the medal who developed theory while focusing their research on practice. "True progress in pharmacy demands a connection between theory and practice," said Strand. "We must tie activities inside and outside the College of Pharmacy, and that is no small feat."

But difficult challenges could not defeat members of the Peters Institute of Pharmaceutical Care, a think-tank at the College under the direction of associate professor Robert Cipolle (Pharm. D., '76). Strand, along with professor Peter Morley and dean-emeritus Lawrence Weaver, is an associate of the institute. "This work is their work too," acknowledged Strand.

In 1992 the team began to study the practical application of their pharmaceutical care ideals. Strand said they were truly fortunate to have 54 pharmacists in 20 pharmacies across Minnesota willing to work with them on the three-year, $1.2 million Minnesota Pharmaceutical Care Project.

"There was a superior level of collaboration and cooperation among these pharmacists, the Minnesota Pharmacists Association, the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy, pharmaceutical companies, managed care companies, and the College," said Strand. Their efforts transformed the concept of pharmaceutical care into practice, she said.

"An award like this is usually given at the end of one's career," Strand pointed out. "Yet we are finally at the beginning." While the concept of pharmaceutical care has been widely accepted, its application in everyday practice is just starting.

Commencement: An ending and a new beginning

Class of 1997 profile

Speaking out

Judith Morency was chosen by her classmates to speak on behalf of the Pharm.D. class. "We as pharmacists can and should manage patient care," she said. "Work hard, but remember to laugh."

Leadership was the theme for commencement speaker Frank Cerra, Academic Health Center provost. "Leadership is a noun that is functionally a verb, since it requires action," he said. Leaders are necessarily visionary; possess core values such as respect, compassion, and integrity; and have the ability to create followers, said Cerra. He urged graduates to seize the leadership opportunity for providing pharmaceutical care.

Teachers of the year

Preceptors of the year

Inspirational medal of achievement

Buck-A-Year Club

Staff member receives outstanding achievement award

The College of Pharmacy - and indeed the entire Academic Health Center (AHC) - has a hidden asset in Debra Dykhuis, one of only five winners of this year's University-wide Academic Staff Awards.

A research coordinator since 1992, Dykhuis has been on staff at the College since 1980. One of her key accomplishments has been setting up a model system for managing Professor Daniel Canafax's industry-sponsored clinical trials of drugs.

"Her role in research management has been recognized as a prototype for research facilitators in a university environment," said associate professor Cynthia Gross, one of several faculty who nominated Dykhuis for the award.

The University established the award in 1991 to acknowledge distinguished work of academic professional and administrative staff like Dykhuis. Each award winner receives a $2,000 honorarium plus $1,000 for professional development activities.

Dykhuis was presented the award by University president Nils Hasselmo at a recognition ceremony in May. "Your selection is an appropriate testimony to your high standards, distinguished service, and professional dedication," wrote Jerry Rinehart, chair of the Academic Staff Advisory Committee, in a letter to Dykhuis.

Dykhuis has filled various administrative positions at the College. Prior to her work as a research coordinator, she served as an administrative associate for the PRIME Institute. Her first job at the College was as a program associate in the Office of Continuing Education.

As a research coordinator, Dykhuis reviews research protocols and budgets for clinical studies, maintains complete study documentation, and negotiates with other departments throughout the Academic Health Center for services needed to administer studies. She also has recruited study subjects and arranged for participation and payment. Finally, she helped analyze data and reports that were published.

In one study, Dykhuis helped Gross with a complex patient consent form for a drug trial. "Debra reviewed my draft, and not only revised my wording to enhance communication, but suggested content revisions based on her experience with similar clinical trials and with our Institutional Review Board," said Gross. "With her assistance I rapidly completed a consent form that was not only approved at the University of Minnesota, but formed the basis for approved consent materials for twelve collaborating universities."

For nearly a year Dykhuis has been working on a research support services task force, examining the University's management of corporate-sponsored research. She contributed more than any participant, said Leo Furcht, AHC vice provost and chair of the task force. "Ms. Dykhuis frankly contributed well beyond any expectations," said Furcht in his nomination letter.

In another instance, Dykhuis helped save a working relationship with G.D. Searle Company. Earlier this year, just as the company was ready to underwrite a master clinical trial agreement, principal investigator Daniel Canafax left the University. "Virtually single handedly Ms. Dykhuis kept this relationship intact," said Furcht. A smooth transition of principal investigators occurred, he wrote, "and from my conversations, the company has been exceedingly pleased with the efforts of Ms. Dykhuis. It is clear to me that were she not to have done this, the Univer-sity of Minnesota would have lost $1,225,000."

Traits she brings to work every day - care, dedication, accuracy, intelligence - earned her the award, said Canafax, who also nominated Dykhuis for the award. She has in his view set an example of a work ethic that makes the College, as well as the entire University, very proud.

Nor have her efforts gone unnoticed outside the College of Pharmacy. "You are a shining example of the quality we hope to achieve in the AHC," wrote AHC provost Frank Cerra in a congratulatory letter to Dykhuis. In April, Dykhuis was promoted to associate program director in the health center's new Research Support Services Office, where her expertise will be shared with researchers from throughout the AHC's seven schools. The office will serve as a resource for investigators conducting industry-sponsored clinical trials who need timely advice, assistance, and service.

Beasy receives Distinguished Pharmacist Award

For most of her life, Barbara (Rollins) Beasy has been a leader - a quality that has not gone unnoticed by past recipients of the Distinguished Pharmacist Award, the highest honor given by the College's Pharmacy Alumni Society (PAS).

Candidates for the award are judged by past recipients according to outstanding leadership in pharmacy practice, health care, the College, the University, the Pharmacy Alumni Society, and the community. The recipient is usually a graduate of the College whose career does not center around academia.

And Beasy, without a doubt, fits the bill. A 1984 graduate of the College of Pharmacy, Beasy has been the first female president of two different organizations: the Epsilon chapter of Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity and the College's Century Mortar Club (CMC).

During Beasy's tenure on the Pharmacy Alumni Society (PAS) Board of Directors from 1985 through 1991, she convinced her employer to pay for senior pharmacy students to attend the PAS spring banquet. In addition to serving as PAS president from 1989 to 1990, she's served on the College's Century Mortar Club Board of Directors since 1991. She is a cofounder of Minnesota Women in Pharmacy and a member of the Minnesota Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the American Pharmaceutical Association, and the Academy of Managed Care. Through-out her career she has participated in numerous activities of the College and the Minnesota Pharmacists Association (MPhA).

Before entering pharmacy school, Beasy was a member of the Gopher's fast-pitch softball team from 1979 to 1981. She earned a reputation as a star player at South St. Paul High School, where she also found time to play basketball.

After graduating from the Univer-sity, she joined Glaxo, Inc., now GlaxoWellcome, Inc. Since 1986 she has been the senior accounts manager in the company's Health Management Division. Her accounts include several national managed health care organizations based in Minnesota.

S. Bruce Benson, president of the MPhA, describes Beasy as extremely optimistic and enthusiastic. "I believe that this enthusiasm and support are conveyed to others by Barb," he said in presenting the award at the PAS spring banquet, "helping make her so much more effective as a leader."

Minnesotans surpass national average on board exams

Minnesota was well represented in the latest round of board-certification examinations administered by the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties (BPS).

The percentage of pharmacists from Minnesota who took the test and passed consistently surpassed the national average. On the nutrition support exam, 75 percent of nationwide applicants passed, while 100 percent of Minnesota applicants passed. In pharmacotherapy, 38 percent passed nationally, but more than half of Minnesota pharmacists passed. And on the psychiatric pharmacy exam, 83 percent of nationwide applicants passed while all Minnesota test-takers passed.

Many of those who passed these exams are clinical faculty at the College; others are alumni. More Minnesotans who took the exams passed than did exam-takers in other states.

Certification by the BPS is granted to licensed pharmacists who have three to five years of practical experience and pass the final examination. Specialty areas for certification include nuclear pharmacy, nutrition support, oncology, pharmacotherapy, and psychiatric pharmacy. This marker of expertise can increase credibility and improve career opportunities for hiring and advancement.

Nutrition support

Jennifer LaRock (Pharm.D., '91), a clinical instructor at the College, is among the new board-certified nutrition specialists.

Pharmacotherapy

"While BPS is pleased with the increasing number of candidates, we are concerned that the passing rate on this examination administration was lower than in past years," says BPS Executive Director Richard J. Bertin (Ph.D., Hospital Pharmacy, '67). Although the passing rate has varied from 38 percent to 77 percent, the test has not gotten tougher and the percentage of questions that must be answered correctly has remained the same, Bertin explains. Approximately two-thirds of all questions must be answered correctly for certification.

Included in the list of new board-certified pharmacotherapy specialists in Minnesota are:

Psychiatric pharmacy

"With this being the first administration of the exam, one would expect a significant portion of the candidates to be long-time practitioners," says BPS Certification Administrator Thomas Wilson. In fact, 59 individuals with three to five years of experience, 28 with six to eight years of experience, and 29 with nine to 11 years of experience passed the test.

Included in the list of new board- certified psychiatric specialists are:

From the desk of the dean

As another academic year comes to an end, it is useful to reflect on the past year and on our priorities.

One of the College's top priorities has been our relationship to the pharmacists and the profession of pharmacy in Minnesota. This past year we created a Division of Professional and External Relations and selected an associate dean, Henry Mann, to direct it. Mann has pursued his goals vigorously and has brought a renewed focus to our outreach activities.

The College's primary mission is education, so naturally when we set goals for working with the profession, we look first to the educational needs of practicing pharmacists. One of Mann's top priorities for 1996-97 was to direct a strategic planning effort for the outreach education activities of the College, including the nontraditional Pharm.D. program. With the help of Tom Pollock of University College, the state's pharmacists were surveyed about their interests in such a program. This effort culminated in the April vote of the faculty to approve both a nontraditional Pharm.D. program, which will enroll its first students in September 1998, and a geriatrics certificate program, which will start this fall.

There is much work still to be done to develop the curriculum and courses for the nontraditional Pharm.D., but the commitment has been made to the pharmacists of Minnesota. Work is under way so we can meet our target date. We know that not all pharmacists who are interested in furthering their knowledge and skills will want to pursue a degree option, so we are also exploring additional certificate programs to meet those needs.

Another important project is our Rural Education program. We are well aware of the need for additional pharmacists to serve rural Minnesota. We know the importance of training students in rural settings so that they will select these practice sites after graduation. Two full-time faculty members, Tom Larson and Don Uden, devote much of their time to the development of rural clerkship sites. Larson and Uden helped develop practices at the U's Rural Health School sites in New Ulm, Moose Lake, and Grand Rapids this year, with three more coming next year. Students at these sites train in health teams and stay in the communities for four to six months. Those involved in these clerkships have been enormously enthusiastic about their experiences. Larson and Uden are also developing pharmaceutical care training sites in rural ambulatory settings for our students.

In addition, the College is exploring ways to invest in the development of pharmaceutical care practices in all parts of the state, not just rural areas, that will serve as sites for training students in direct patient care. Because the new Pharm.D. curriculum emphasizes pharmaceutical care in ambulatory settings, we now have additional students to place in clerkships where they can gain this experience. We hope our efforts can support this change in practice in exchange for the commitment to help train the next generation of pharmacists. It seems like a win-win situation to us.

Faculty members from the College, including Mary Beth O'Connell and Don Uden, have been working on the task force that is proposing changes in the Pharmacy Practice Act. This interorganizational task force developed a proposal for possible changes this year and will be seeing the proposal through to possible legislative action next year. I believe this effort is very important for the future of all pharmacy practitioners in the state, and I am pleased that we can help.

We are also very proud of our faculty members who devote time to serving the state's organizations. Bruce Benson has just completed a successful year as president of the Minnesota Pharmacists Association. Penny Lepinski served as president of the Minnesota Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and Mary Beth O'Connell is president-elect of that organization. While I know these individuals spend countless hours of their own time on these activities, I hope the support of the College helps them do these important volunteer jobs.

Finally, Tom Larson and I have been working with government groups, particularly in the Department of Health, to help gain recognition of pharmacy as a primary-care providing profession. I believe that such recognition would be an important step in gaining reimbursement for the patient care that pharmacists provide. Groups such as the Primary Care Workforce Task Force also are trying to quantify the need for more primary care practitioners in rural Minnesota. I'm convinced this work eventually will result in programs to help recruit practitioners to underserved areas. Pharmacy needs to be a part of these programs, and I am pleased that the College can represent the profession at the table.

So what does the College do for the pharmacists of the state? First, we educate the very best pharmacists of the future that we can, pharmacists who will be your employees and your colleagues and the future leaders of the profession. We offer outreach education that provides new skills and knowledge to practicing pharmacists. We work to develop the practice of pharmacy across the state. And finally, we work to promote the profession's standing in the eyes of the public, other health professionals, and the government.

I hope we are making a difference. This fall I will continue my visits to various parts of the state for Pharmacy Nights. I hope you will let me know how we are doing.

- Dean Marilyn Speedie

Students honored with awards and scholarships

An elite group of pharmacy students were honored in May at the annual Scholarships and Awards Recognition Reception, sponsored by Thrifty Drug Stores, Inc. Presenting this year's awards were Dean Marilyn Speedie and Associate Professor Robert Cipolle. Selections were made by the Scholarships, Fellowships, and Awards Committee, chaired by Associate Professor Linda Strand.

Award recipients

Kori Sampson - American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (ASHP) Student Leadership Award for undergraduate with demonstrated interest in institutional pharmacy practice, involvement and leadership in professional organizations, and academic excellence

Seyed-Reza Taheri-Kenari - Award of Excellence in Clinical Communications for Pharm.D. student demonstrating scholastic excellence and superior oral and written clinical communication skills

Kimberly Baldwin - Award of Excellence in Nonprescription Medication Studies for excellence in patient care in community practice

Cheng Seng Lo - Carol A. Beaty Memorial Award for greatest capability and interest in pharmacy computer applications

Meegan Schaeffer - John Y. Breckenridge Memorial Book Award for outstanding scholastic achievement, professional promise, and leadership ability in second-year student

Russell Skifton, Jr. - Hallie Bruce Memorial Award for graduating student with outstanding achievement in hospital pharmacy

Melissa Atwood - Harold H. Carpenter Memorial Award for exceptional interest in rural pharmacy practice; McKesson Drug Company Award for 1996-97 president of ASP; Minnesota Pharmacists Association (MPhA)/ASP President's Award for 1996-97 president of ASP

Jeannine Pluhar - College Board Pharm.D. III Award for outstanding contributions to and involvement in the profession, the College, and its students by a Pharm.D. III student

Jill Huffer - Community Service Award to a graduating student for significant contributions to community education

Jennifer Wheeler - Dean's Award for contributions to goals of the College

Ruth Klatt - Dean's Undergraduate Research Award in recognition of outstanding achievement in research activities

Sarah Vanderlinde-Kuntz - Ole Gisvold Medicinal Chemistry Award for graduating student with exceptional record in chemistry-related courses and potential for graduate studies in medicinal chemistry

Anna Gunderson - Kappa Psi Award to Kappa Psi member for academic achievement and participation; Pharmacy Alumni Society Graduating Student Award to graduating student for scholastic excellence and extracurricular involvement

Heather Lindeman and Julie Norstrem - Kappa Psi Pharmacopa Awards for editors of the 1997 Pharmacopa

Khalid Ibrahim - Deborah A. Kasper Memorial Award for first-year student who has contributed most to class esprit de corps

Vijeev Menon - Izaak M. Kolthoff Rho Chi Research Award for graduating student who has contributed to and shown promise of excellence in research in pharmaceutical science

David Wright - Lilly Achievement Award for graduating student who exemplifies scholastic and professional achievement, leadership ability, and ethical conduct; Phi Lambda Sigma Award for outstanding graduating member of Phi Lambda Sigma

Linda Kramer and Oluwatosin Odumade - Merck Awards for Pharm.D. and B.S. graduating students with outstanding scholastic achievement

Terry Hietpas - Metropolitan Professional Pharmacists Society Award for 1996-97 College Board president; Pharmacy Alumni Society Non-graduating Student Award for undergraduate student demonstrating professional enthusiasm and ability to stimulate personal and professional growth among others

Todd Lemke - MPhA Outstanding Student Award for outstanding second-year student

Laurie Dillow - MPhA Patient Education Award for graduating MPhA/ASP student for skill and ability in public health education; Minnesota Society of Health-System Pharmacists Outstanding Student Award to graduating student for scholastic excellence, contribution, and demonstrated leadership in hospital pharmacy

Caron Wingerchuk - Mylan Pharmaceuticals Excellence in Pharmacy Award for graduating student demonstrating academic achievement, high professional motivation, and superior proficiency in provision of drug information services

James Feist - Pfizer Pharmaceuti-cals Community Pharmacy Internship Award for graduating student demonstrating excellence in community pharmacy internship

Stephanie Yoonsun Im - Pharmacists Mutual Award for first-year student in recognition of scholastic achievement and extracurricular involvement

Mark Haase - Phi Delta Chi Award to graduating member for outstanding service to the fraternity and the College

Jennifer Sanderson - Phi Delta Chi Scholarship Award to student member for outstanding scholarship in the College

Juki Ng - Rho Chi Award for Pharm.D. I student earning the highest G.P.A.

Jennifer Chang - Roche Pharmacy Communications Award to graduating student for outstanding instructions and guidance to patients in clinical practice

Lori Frank - SmithKline Beecham Clinical Pharmacy Award for graduating Pharm.D. student demonstrating superior achievement

Peggy Haselow - Carol Windisch Memorial Award for undergraduate student member of Alpha Chapter of Kappa Epsilon for service to community and fraternity, scholastic achievement, extracurricular activities, and leadership ability

John Anderson, Jeremy Behl, Holly Eig, James Farrell, Brent Gunderson, Reid Horning, Khalid Ibrahim, Carolyn Johnson, Rajani Murthy, Cory Super, and Donald Terhaar - F.J. Wulling First-Year Student Awards for first-year Pharm.D. students with highest grade point average

Brenda Nelson and Jennifer Sanderson - F.J. Wulling Second-Year Student Award for Pharm.D. II students with highest grade point average

Oluwatosin Odumade - F.J. Wulling Third-Year Student Award for graduating bachelor of science student with highest grade point average

1996-97 scholarship recipients

Brad Farrell and Todd Lemke - American Cancer Society Scholarships for leadership potential, maturity, and interest in oncology

Duy Le, Lauren Le, Heather Lindeman, and Quyen Nguyen - Benjamin M. Cohen Memorial Scholarship, based on need and academic achievement

Sarah Vanderlinde-Kuntz - GlaxoWellcome Company Scholarship, based on academic achievement and leadership

Judith Morency - College Board Experiential Scholarship for Pharm.D. IV student enrolled in experiential education courses in greater Minnesota and demonstrating financial need

Shawna Nowels - College Board Scholarship for pharmacy student demonstrating financial need

Kathie Le, Diem Nguyen, Andrew Shim, and Trang Vo - College of Pharmacy Minority and Disadvantaged Student Scholarships for minority or disadvantaged students demonstrating financial need

Eric Hausmann and Jim Polucha - Kappa Psi Scholarships for members demonstrating financial need, activity in the Epsilon Chapter, and participation in community activities

Amy Goller - Keith Keller Memorial Scholarship, based on financial need and interest in community pharmacy

Carrie Dietrich, Mikhail Epshteyn, Michael Haag, Angela Hall, and Thomas Pankonin - Cecil A. Krelitz Memorial Scholarships for first-year students from Minnesota who plan to practice community pharmacy

Brent Gunderson, Christopher Kara, and Vyvy Vo - Abbie N. Larson Memorial Scholarships for students from Minnesota, based on academic achievement and financial need

Ann Donovan - Longs Drug Stores Scholarship for student planning to practice community pharmacy

David Lassen - Sarah Lavitman Mark Scholarship for student interested in hospital pharmacy

John Anderson, Dana Johnston, and Shara Mihm - Claude A. Mather Memorial Scholarships for students from Eveleth, Minnesota, or the Iron Range

Hoa Pham - McKesson Drug Company Scholarships, based on scholastic achievement, leadership, and financial need

Peter Anderson, Leanna Hui, Bao-Chau Huynh, Linda Kramer, Brenda Nelson, Jennifer Sanderson, Monica Stroh, Keith Szymanski, and Jennifer Wheeler - Samuel W. Melendy Memorial Scholarships for top scholars, based on academic performance in previous year

Peter Nyhus and Luke Sherlin - Samuel W. Melendy Undergraduate Research Scholarships, based on scholastic performance and potential to conduct research projects

Jodi Messner, Heather Valiton, and Angela Vorce - Paddock Laboratories Scholarships, based on financial need with preference given to students who are single parents or from single-parent families

Angela Vorce - William M. and Mildred E. Peters Academic Excellence Scholarship for top applicant based on pre-pharmacy G.P.A.

Lori Amborn, Justin Anderson, Andrew Behm, Dale Durham, Anna Gunderson, Daniel Hays, Kelly Keenan, Julie Norstrem, Lance Olson, James Roemer, and Stephanie Trost - William M. and Mildred E. Peters Achievement Scholarships, based on financial need and extracurricular activities

Jennifer Gluth, Peggy Haselow, and Todd Hilgendorf - William M. and Mildred E. Peters Rural Scholarships for students from rural Minnesota, based on scholastic ability, extracurricular activities, and financial need

Le Hong - Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company Scholarship for student from Midwest who plans to practice community pharmacy in a state where the company operates; based on academic achievement and financial need

Robert Haight - Pharmacy Alumni Society Scholarship for deserving student

Meheretabl Abraha - Harold W. Pratt Memorial Scholarship for a deserving pharmacy student

Katherine McCroskey - Max and Rose Sadoff Scholarship, based on financial need and interest in pharmacy law or ethics

Melissa Atwood - Shopko Pharmacy Scholarship for Pharm.D. III or Pharm.D. IV student demonstrating interest in community pharmacy

Kimberly Schnacky - Sigma Scholarship, based on financial need

Jennifer Lomax and Jennifer Olstad - Bert Supplee Memorial Scholarships, based on academic performance, involvement in extracurricular activities, or community service

Andrea Bistodeau, Gregg Carlton, and Michelle Grossman - Thrifty Drug Stores Scholarship for students from Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, or Wisconsin, based on interest in community pharmacy and financial need

Lisa Lash - Wal-Mart Pharmacy Scholarship for student who demonstrates interest in community pharmacy, scholastic excellence, leadership, and financial need

Deborah Frazey - F.J. Wulling Scholarship for a deserving pharmacy student

In the limelight: Alumni awards and honors

Spring means annual meeting time for many professional organizations. And it's also award time. Among this year's selections for pharmacy honors are:

Michael Hart (B.S., '55) - Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratory Bowl of Hygeia Award for outstanding service to the community (Minnesota Pharmacists Association award)

Julie Johnson (B.S., '81) - Harold Popp Memorial Award for a Minnesota Pharmacists Association pharmacist who has demonstrated outstanding service to Minnesota's pharmacy profession (Minnesota Pharmacists Association award)

Roger McDannold (B.S., '89) - Hoechst Marion Roussel Distinguished Young Pharmacist Award (Minnesota Pharmacists Association award)

Laura Miller (B.S., '94; Pharm.D., '95) - 1997 Dupont Pharma Innovative Pharmacy Practice Award for her innovative pharmacist-managed clinic in Paynesville, Minnesota (Minnesota Pharmacists Association award)

Louise Sargent (B.S., '88; M.S., '91) - Managed Care Pharmacist of the Year Award (Minnesota Pharmacists Association award)

Steve Simenson (B.S., '77) - second-place winner in the APhA/USP Patient Assessment, Communications, and Evaluation program, for his demonstration of self-care consulting skills in the national competition

Frank DiGangi - Lawrence C. and Delores M. Weaver Medal for Distinguished Contributions to Pharmacy Education, Research, or Outreach

Pharmacy Alumni Society: A roundup of activities

Membership in the College's Pharmacy Alumni Society (PAS) is a means of staying connected to the College and its students.

The organization sponsors and participates in several activities throughout the year. Annual events include an orientation luncheon for first-year students and a presentation by a panel of practitioners willing to answer questions and share career opportunities. PAS also sponsors two pharmacy licensure review sessions for those planning to take state board examinations. For practitioners, the society cosponsors a continuing education program in conjunction with the College each year.

Raising funds for student scholarships and awards is also a key activity. At graduation each spring, alumni members of the society's Buck-A-Year Club contribute at least a dollar for each year since their own graduations. Every year a $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a deserving pharmacy student. PAS student awards are also presented each year: one to an undergraduate student who demonstrates enthusiasm and the ability to stimulate personal and professional growth among others, the other to a graduating student for scholastic excellence and extracurricular involvement.

The award-winning mentorship program created by PAS has been incorporated into the College's new all-Pharm.D. curriculum. This allows volunteer pharmacy practitioners to act as mentors for first-year students. Last year, for the first time, students began to earn University credit for their participation in the program.

And finally, the PAS joined forces with the Century Mortar Club this past year to raise funds from alumni to help update the computer laboratory for pharmacy students.

New PAS officers inaugurated at the alumni spring program include Michael Friedman (B.S., '59), president; Larry Calhoun, vice president; and Michele Okposo (B.S., '84), secretary/treasurer.

If you're interested in serving alumni, students, and friends of the College by joining the PAS, membership is easy: Send $30 (checks payable to the Pharmacy Alumni Society) to:

University of Minnesota Alumni Association
Attention: Pharmacy Alumni Society
501 CMU
300 Washington Ave. S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Alumni news

As one of his first official duties, Minnesota Society of Health-System Pharmacists president David Fuhs (second from right, Pharm.D., '87) presented a check for research funding to American Society of Health-System Pharmacists vice-president Henri Manasse (Ph.D., '74, Social and Administrative Pharmacy, left), president Joseph Oddis, and ASHP Foundation board chair Rebecca Finley.

Staff news

The College said a "cheerful" good-bye in April to longtime staffer Jeannie Schwartz, associate administrator since 1985. The "no tears" policy was difficult to enforce at the celebration. Faculty, staff, and students of the College all send good wishes to Schwartz.

Faculty news

Courtney Fletcher has been promoted to full professor, while David Ferguson, Debra Kallick, Robert Straka, and Carston (Rick) Wagner have been promoted to associate professors with tenure.

David Fuhs (Pharm.D., '87) is the 1997-98 president of the Minnesota Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Mary Beth O'Connell, associate professor, is president elect.

Kathleen Lake (Pharm.D., '81), assistant professor, was chosen president-elect of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP). She will assume responsibility as president at the 1998 ACCP Annual Meeting in Cincinnati.

Henry Mann, associate dean and director of external relations, was awarded one of four University of Minnesota fellowships from the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC). CIC, an academic consortium of the Big Ten universities and the University of Chicago, sponsors an academic leadership program designed to develop the skills of faculty and administrators "who have demonstrated exceptional ability and administrative promise." Mann will be attending three different executive training seminars during the 1997-98 academic year.

Mark your calendar!

The Century Mortar Club will hold its annual management seminar Saturday, September 20, at the College. This year's continuing education program will focus on the management of pharmaceutical care.

Immediately following the continuing education program will be a special open house for the newly refurbished student computer laboratory, named in honor of Maurice and Estelle Spiegel. Maurice Spiegel is a 1927 graduate of the College and in 1996 was awarded the University of Minnesota's highest honor, the Outstanding Achievement Award.

For further information on the seminar, contact Doris Calhoun at 612-624-7647.

Published by the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Weaver-Densford Hall, 308 Harvard Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455; telephone 612-624-1900.

World Wide Web site: http://www.pharmacy.umn.edu

Marilyn Speedie, dean
Editor: Catherine Oslund

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

Printed on recycled/recyclable paper.