Message from the Dean
Dear Alumni and Friends,
I hope this message finds you well. There are many points of interests in this issue of the Pharmacy eNews, but the focus is on our pharmacist preceptors. The role and responsibilities of preceptors in pharmacy education and the profession of pharmacy is significant. Many of you may think back to your days in school and what that relationship was with your preceptor. I know you will agree the roles have changed. Yes, the roles may have changed, but the impact that a preceptor has on a student pharmacist as they begin their career, as a pharmacist, has not. You are the extensions of our classrooms. We are so glad that you accept these responsibilities and that you provide our students with a rich experience.
This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Pharmacy Alumni Conference at Seven Springs. I hope you can attend. Information for the conference is available on our website: http://www.pharmacy.duq.edu/almWknd09.html. Let’s make this one the largest attended conference yet.
The pharmacy alumni and student study abroad trip to Italy has been arranged. Information about the alumni part of the trip can be found in this eNews. This has been a great experience in the past to students and now we are able to extend it to alumni.
Best wishes and God Bless you and your families.
Sincerely,
J. Douglas Bricker, Ph.D.
Dean
Pennsylvania Pharmacy Reception
For all pennsylvania pharmacists, school alumni, students, and friends are cordially invited to attend the Pennsylvania Pharmacy Reception during the APhA Annual Convention on Sunday, April 5, at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The reception will be held at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter in the Grand Ballroom G.
(please confirm specific location in final APhA program)
The reception is
jointly hosted by: Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association, Duquesne University—Mylan School of Pharmacy, LECOM School of Pharmacy, Temple University School of Pharmacy, Thomas Jefferson School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia/Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, Wilkes University—Nesbitt School of Pharmacy.
Pharmacy in Italy
Pharmacy in Italy, a program for alumni, family and friends, is being held June 8 - 15. The program tours Milan, Venice, and Lake Garda Region, and the Dolomites. Your trip leader, Dr. Cindy Iannarelli has been teaching in Trentino, Italy for over a decade. For more information visit www.bernelli.com. To register complete the form.
2008 International Pharmaceutical Students Federation World Congress
The 2008 International Pharmaceutical Students Federation World Congress was held in Romania, and included pharmacy students from all around the world, including Africa, Asia, Europe, Canada, USA, and Australia. Celeste Sejnowski (PY-III) the only APhA-ASP/IPSF National Officer could attend IPSF World Congress, was an official delegate at the 2008 General Assembly (GA).
At the GA, thirty countries voted on several motions for IPSF business and worldwide pharmacy issues. Celeste helped select the new IPSF Executive Committee for 2008-2009, and voted for countries to become IPSF members. Countries selected as full IPSF members included Iraq and Costa Rica. Celeste also attended the Student Exchange Officer workshops.
"It was amazing to actually get to interact with other Student Exchange Officers throughout the world, since most of our communication throughout the year is by email."
Medication Pathfinder Technology Serves Diabetes Self-Management Program
Using Medication Pathfinder™ technology in a clinical practice setting to help document and manage poorly-controlled patients with diabetes, (PWD) has proven a success, as indicated in program findings presented by faculty from the Duquesne University Mylan School of Pharmacy at the 2008 annual meeting of The American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP).
The study, designed to evaluate the impact of pharmacist consultative services on clinical health outcomes, showed that Medication Pathfinder “successfully was able to fulfill” a number of requirements including recording patient data to facilitate ongoing consultations; document encounters for the medical record and billing purposes; and receiving data for report outcome measures.
The results of the study indicated that the clinical pharmacists were able to positively impact the aggregate A1C values of patients with diabetes referred by an urban family practice “to a significant degree.”
“We are honored to have played a part in this innovative study designed to measure the impact of pharmacist-managed medication therapy services in a practice-based setting,” explained James Notaro, president of Clinical Support Services, Inc., Medication Pathfinder’s parent company.
Hildegarde J. Berdine, Pharm.D. BCPS, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Duquesne, co-authored the study and served as program coordinator. She was assisted by Holly Lassila, RPh., DPH and advanced practice students from Duquesne’s School of Pharmacy.
“Dr. Berdine leads a dynamic team of clinical faculty and pharmacy students committed to helping evolve the practice-based pharmaceutical care model,” Notaro said. “This study helps forward the argument that chronic care outcomes can be improved by pharmacist intervention with the support of a robust medication therapy management technology.”
The program was designed to have pharmacists consult with diabetic patients referred by an urban family practice. Services were targeted to patients with A1C values above 7% who were “ready to make changes regarding healthy behaviors.”
Patients with diabetes who met with a pharmacist for a minimum of six months were included in the study. The interventions, which lasted 15 to 60 minutes, included discussions on diabetes self-management and medication management.
Using the web-based Medication Pathfinder technology, pharmacy students collected patient data, developed a pharmaceutical care plan, and wrote a SOAP note. The study’s data was reported and analyzed through the software registry database.
For more information about Medication Pathfinder, contact CSS at 716/541-0273 or rachelwozniak@csshealth.com.
In Memoriam
Mitchell Louis Borke, PhD, 89, of Pittsburgh, died Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008. Surviving Dr. Borke are his daughters, Louise I. Borke and Susan Borke; grandchildren, Laura I. Sciuto, Louis H. Sciuto and Liza G. Brecher. He is also survived by Joanna Stebbins and Agnes Kofman. He belonged to The Fulbright Association, Sigma Chi, Phi Kappa Phi, The Polish Cultural Council and the Duquesne University Retiree Association (DURA).
Mitchell Borke was born as Mieczyslaw Borkowski in 1919 in Warszawa (Warsaw), Poland. He graduated from General Joseph Sowinski 1st Municipal Gymnasium (high school) with Honors, in 1936, and went on to study medicine at the Medical Faculty, Joseph Pilsudski University, in Warsaw, until the outbreak of World War II Sept. 1, 1939. He spent the war years in the Soviet Union in a forced labor camp and on a collective farm, surviving to immigrate to the United States after the war. In the US, Mitchell Borke studied pharmacy at the College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois, in Chicago, graduating in 1951 with a B.S. in Pharmacy, with Honors, and continuing with his studies to earn a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry.
From 1957 until 1989, he was a member of the faculty of the School of Pharmacy, Duquesne University, in Pittsburgh, advancing in rank from an assistant professor to full professor and retiring as a Professor Emeritus. While at Duquesne University, he established the programs in Nuclear Science, Radiopharmacy and in Radiological Health as well as the Laboratory in Nuclear Science. Mitchell Borke held membership in numerous professional and honor societies and had 25 refereed journal publications and six book reviews, two in Russian. For the academic year, 1969 to 1970, he held a Fulbright fellowship to teach Pharmaceutical Chemistry in Taiwan. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the US Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC.
White Mass
The annual "White Mass" in the Diocese of Pittsburgh with Bishop Zubik was held on Sunday, February 8, 2009 at 10:00 AM in St. Paul Cathedral, Oakland.
This Mass is specifically for all Catholic healthcare workers in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Catholic pharmacists in the Diocese of Pittsburgh are being invited to form a Catholic Pharmacists Society for spiritual, personal and professional enrichment. One of our alumni, Tony Colega (class of 1977) has chosen to spearhead the effort in the formation of this society. If you are a pharmacist (practicing or retired) and are interested, please send your name and email address to acolega@comcast.net. Please use the words "Catholic Pharmacists" as your subject line. If you do not have email access, please send your contact information to: Catholic Pharmacists Society, 4060 Swallow Hill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15220. Thank you.
Best Practices in Your Pharmacy
We would like to learn about the unique pharmacy activities in which you are engaged with your patients and to share them with other alumni. As I travel across the country and meet alumni, I find that they are engaged not only in some very traditional practices, but also in some unique professional activities. I am asking you to send me the following information: type of practice, unique features, impact that it has had on your patient population, and photos that illustrate what you are doing. Please forward this information and any questions to Debra DiBiasi at dibiasi@duq.edu.
Events
Winter Commencement
December 19, 2008
More than 450 students participated in Duquesne’s annual Winter Commencement. Ten pharmacy students received their PharmD, one student received their MS, and four students received their PhD.
Duquesne University President Charles J. Dougherty conferred degrees upon the students and delivered the commencement address at the ceremony in the A. J. Palumbo Center.
2007 - 2008 Preceptor List |
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| Teri Aber |
Brady Lecker |
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