Spanish for Pharmacy Consultation 4/15/15
WesternU students identified a need for training in consulting with their patients in Spanish and contacted Dr. Jesse Martinez for help and mentorship back in 2011. Since then, numerous students under the guidence of Dr. Martinez have volunteered to develop, teach and take the course . During the Noon hour on April 15, 2015, over 80 students and approximately a dozen student facilitators shared lunch together and learned Spanish patient counseling techniques. The students were divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced groups and practiced their skills with the help of other students who were proficient in Spanish. Monica Muniz-Delgado, PharmD '17 is the current leader for the course and Marvin Ortiz, PharmD '18 gave the lecture to the beginners group. Amy Holland, PharmD and Greg Collins, PharmD (WesternU alum for 2000) from CVS Health sat in on the course and enjoyed interacting with the students and learning about the unique program.
CPhA West Coast Pharmacy Exchange
The CPhA West Coast Exchange was held at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim from April 9-12, 2015. WesternU student pharmacists Jessel Villegas. PharmD '17 and Kayla Uh, PharmD '16 placed first in the "Know Pain, Know Gain" Pharmacy Patient Pain Counseling Competition. In addition, Kayla Uh, PharmD '16, Jessel Villegas, PharmD '17, Kevin Mai, PharmD '18, Dan Nguyen, PharmD '18 and Maira Khan, PharmD '17 finished in the Top Four in the Student Quiz Bowl out of 11 Schools. The students also presented two posters as you can see from the photos.
A large number of the speakers at the meeting were affiliated with WesternU. 2015 New Laws Review: Tony Park, PharmD (faculty) Immunization Update: Karl Hess, PharmD (faculty) and Keri Hurley, PharmD (former resident) Medication Disposal--How We All CAn Pitch In!: Stephanie Wu, PharmD (Alumna 2014) Cost-Benefit Considerations in Hepatitis C Treatment-Implications of Pharmacy Services: Hyma Gogineni, MSc, PharmD, TTS, BCAPS Pharmacy Law: Compounding Sterile and Non-Sterile: Tony Park, PharmD (faculty) Mastering the Pitch-Keys to Effective Advocacy: Victor Law, RPh (Dean's Advisory Council) Board of Pharmacy Town Hall: Victor Law, RPh (Dean's Advisory Council) Specialty Pharmacy...An Increasing Opportunity for Retail Pharmacy: Craig Stern, PharmD (Preceptor) Provider Status-Does it mean pharmacists have to learn physical assessment? Why? Part I and Part II: Hyma Gogineni, MSc, PharmD, TTS, BCAPS and Roger Klotz, RPh, FASCP, FACA, FCPhA Bill Bacon Breakfast at CPhA West Coast Exchange 4/11/15
Bill Bacon was an extraordinary Marin County pharmacist. The breakfast in his honor is organized by his friend Fred Mayer of the Pharmacist Planning Service, Inc. (PPS). The program included a presentation by Virginia Herold from the Board of Pharmacy, Jon Roth from CPhA, as well as attorney Michael Bowse and a presentation on naloxone from Mari Jo De Paolo from Kaleo.
East West Scholarship Dinner 4/11/15
Over 340 people gathered at the San Gabriel Hilton for the 9th Annual East West Scholarship Dinner. The East West Scholarship Honoree this year was Albert W. Young, MD, MPH, CPE, Chief Medical Officer of Network Medical Management.
Five pharmacy students received East West scholarships: Elizabeth Vu Tran, PharmD '18, Jacklyn Levena Bradley, PharmD '17, Evelyn Le Nguyen, PharmD '18, Maira Shafiq Khan, PharmD '17 and Johnson Hao-chiang Hung, PharmD '16. In addition, two named scholarships were presented: Sharon Wen Deng, PharmD'17 received the Melanie S. Lim Memorial Scholarship donated by Soojung Kim, PharmD and Sarah Kim, PharmD '15 received the Las Familias Chan y Mah Pharmacy Scholarship donated by Dr Eugene Chan, Melinda Mah, PharmD and Sam Shimomura, PharmD. WesternU Breakfast 4/11/15
Approximately 30 WesternU faculty, students, alumni, donors and friends of the college gathered for breakfast as part of the CPhA West Coast Exchange at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. Pictured above are 9 WesternU alumni: Massoud Rashidi, Anna Rashidi, Haikui Parsamyan, Suzy?, Ann Vu, Clement Lin, Tzu-Chi Hsu, Paidea Le and Micah Hata
Compounding Training for WesternU Students 4/7-8/15
WesternU is one of the few Colleges of Pharmacy that offers an Advanced Elective on entrepreneurship and independent community pharmacy ownership. The 16 week course if facilitated by Dr Jesse Martinez. As part of this course, his approximately 30 students are given a two day, hands on workshop on non-sterile compounding taught by Erik Tosh from Letco and Dr Martinez.
Honors Day 4/2/15
At this year's Honors Day, $314,000 in scholarships were presented to WesternU student pharmacists by our corporate, private and professional association sponsors. In addition, faculty and staff awards were presented for faculty teaching, precepting and service and staff excellence. The students, faculty, staff and sponsors celebrated with a reception following the scholarship and awards presentations.
Japanese Students Visit WesternU 3/11/15
On March 11, 2015, eight university and 2 high school students from Japan visited WesternU as part of the "Saga Delegation Program". The program was initiated 5 years ago to provide educational opportunities about entrepreneurship and innovation. The visit was organized by Masaaki Ogawa, PhD, Program Manager, Innovative Mico Technology (IMT) in Santa Barbara, California. Dr Anadi Law hosted the visit and Dean Robinson and several faculty (Drs Prabhu, Chung, Le, Shimomura) gave brief presentations. The delegation also visited several other places including and UCSF and Stanford.
So you want to be a clinical Manager 3/10/15Jackie Vo, PharmD, BCNSP, BCPS is the Pharmacy Manager at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center and a WesternU preceptor. She gave a presentation to the CSHP Student Chapter on March 10, 2015 on "So you want to be a clinical manager". Dr Vo graduated from UCSF in 1992 and completed a residency at the VAWLA. Her presentation included an example of a typical day which included meetings with physicians and nurses, her student and with her technician supervisor about the process for laying off an employee. She emphasized the need for residencies, specialty certifications and additional degrees such as an MBA if you are planning to be a manager.
Buying or Starting a Pharmacy: Terry Cater 3/3/15
Are you considering buying or starting an independent community pharmacy? The students in Dr Martinez's Advance Electives are. Terry Cater spoke to the class on March 3, 2015 on what was required to either purchase a pharmacy or start one from scratch. He has years of experience to draw from as he has been Director of Pharmacy at Safeway and Sav-Mart, a Vice President at wholesalers McKesson and Cardinal Health. He is currently a pharmacy consultant helping pharmacists buy and sell pharmacies.
5th Annual SCPPS at UCLA 2/28/15
The Pre-Pharmacy Society at UCLA hosted the 5th Annual Southern California Pre-Pharmacy Symposium on February 28, 2015 on the UCLA campus. Approximately 270 prospectivie students from UCLA and at least 7 other Southern California universities and colleges attended the symposium as well as representives from 8 pharmacy schools: WesternU, USC, UCSF, UOP, UCSD, KGI, CNU and CHSU. The symposium included admissions panels and speakers representing ambulatory care, hospital, managed care, military and professional association. Congratulations to Co-Directors Jessica Tran and Kevin Nguyen for organizing an outstanding symposium.
Hendricks Pharmacy Open House 2/26/15
Brian Garner, PharmD, owner of Hendricks Pharmacy in Claremont, held an open house celebrating the remodeling and expansion of his pharmacy. Dean Robinson presented Dr Garner with the Pharmacie print in the picture above at the ribbon cutting ceremony. The pharmacy is also the hosts the travel clinic and practice site of WesternU faculty member Karl Hess, PharmD. Dr Garner is a preceptor for WesternU rotations students and lectures in Dr. Martinez's Advance Elective that teaches our students to one day become independent community pharmacy owners. He has also generously endowed a scholarship for WesternU students.
UCLA Jumpstart 2/25/15
The UCLA Career Center held its annual Pharmacy Jumpstart program on February 25, 2015 from 4-7p. The Admissions Panel and Professional Panels represented recruiters and pharmacists from USC, KGI Keck, UOP, Roseman and Marshall B. Ketchum as well as WesternU. WesternU was represented by Associate Dean Sam Shimomura and first year student Brian Qu who is also an alumni of UCLA and attended this Jumpstart program 2 years ago. There were also representatives from AACP and the Army. Over 30 UCLA students were in attendance.
VPhA Tet New Year Celebration 2/22/15
The Vietnamese Pharmacists Association of the USA held their Annual Tet New Year Celebration at the Villa Banquet in Westminster on February 22, 2015. WesternU was represented by faculty members Drs Mark Nguyen and Micah Hata, Development Officer Bill Burrows and 9 student pharmacists. WesternU student Elaine Nguyen received the $1,000 VPhA scholarship at the banquet. Others in attendance were Dr David Adler (UCSD) and his wife Penny and Dr Jack Chen (MBKU). VPhA members Binh Tran and Man Ngyuen graciously hosted our students and faculty.
Dr Hata also thanked the VPhA for a grant to help seniors with Medicare Part D. He reported: “Through the months of October to December of 2014, OCPhA partnered with Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) to set up seven Medicare Part D enrollment clinic events in two different counties and four different cities. Seven OCPhA pharmacists, one pharmacy technician, and 170 student pharmacists from Western University of Health Sciences participated in Medicare Part D counseling and enrollment along with brown bag services. Through their efforts, an estimated $300,000 was saved for the 168 Medicare beneficiaries who attended. OCPhA looks forward to another successful year with HICAP to save medication expenses for Medicare beneficiaries in our community. Thanks also to the Vietnamese Pharmacists Association-USA (VPhA-USA) for their generous donation which made these events all possible.” Geriatric ER Pharmacist 2/18/15
WesternU faculty member Janice Hoffman is taking a new role as a geriatric emergency room pharmacist in addition to her practice in a geriatric clinic and a long-term care facility. This is in addition to her didactic and experiential teaching responsibilities at WesternU and precepting a pharmacy resident. She gave a noon presentation to the WesternU students about her new role on February 18, 2015. Dr Hoffman was honored with the 2014 Excellence in Geriatric Pharmacy Practice Award from the Commission for Geriatric Certification at the ASCP Annual Meeting in Grapevine, Texas.
Dan Ross Noon Presentation 2/13/15
On a regularly basis, WesternU professional clubs bring guest speakers to campus to give the students and opportunity to learn about different and rewarding career options in pharmacy. On February 13, 2015, the CSHP student chapter invited Dan Ross, PharmD to discuss his career path and how he came to be pharmacy consultant to hospitals and health-systems. He graduated from USC, completed a residency at Long Beach Memorial and then worked there as an ICU pharmacist. He then moved into administrative pharmacy positions and has been a director of pharmacy at several hospitals. He is currently a full time consultant and has recently served as interim director of pharmacy at UCI and Childrens Hospital of Orange County. Dan along with Amy Gutierrez are the authors of Hospital Pharmacist Monthly, an audio continuing education program hosted by the Office of Continuing Education at WesternU.
University of New England Student Presentation 2/12/15
Occasionally, WesternU faculty precept student pharmacists from other schools of pharmacy based on need and availability of rotation slots. Recently Jyoti Contractor, PharmD 2015 of the University of New England completed a six week rotation with Professor Roger Klotz. She gave her end of rotation presentation on Xarelto (Rivaroxaban) and focused on the pharmacokinetics and laboratory monitoring of the drug. In attendance at her presentation were WesternU student pharmacists Vanessa Diaz, PharmD 2015, Queena Sun, PharmD 2015 as well as Cheri Silverstein Fadlon, MD (Assistant Professor, COMP), Roger Klotz (Professor) and Sam Shimomura (Associate Dean).
Terra Universal Visit 2/10/15
WesternU student pharmacists taking Dr. Martinez's Advanced Elective made a visit to Terra Universal in Fullerton on February 10, 2015. Development officer Bill Burrows and Associate Dean Sam Shimomura joined Dr Martinez and his 26 students on the field trip. Evan Messenger, Mike Buckwalter, Kelly Colwell and owner George Sadaghiani generously hosted the group on the visit. Mike and Evan gave the group a comprehensive lecture on clean room standards and technology follow by a tour of their manufacturing facilities. Many of the student pharmacists will be opening compounding pharmacies when they graduate and will need sterile compounding clean rooms and equipment as supplied by Terra Universal. Others will be working in hospital, home infusion, specialty and outsourcing pharmacies making TPN and other sterile compounded medications.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP Marshall B. Ketchum University College of Pharmacy
Jack Chen, PharmD, was recently named the Chair of Pharmacy Practice at Marshall B. Ketchum University College of Pharmacy in Fullerton. He was formerly a faculty member at WesternU and Loma Linda. He invited me to lunch Friday, January 30, 2015 and to tour their new building. During my visit, I met an old friend Rose Ann Jankowski, PharmD, Associate Dean for Clinical Education, as well as Agnes Lee, PharmD, Director of Experiential Education and their Dean, Robert Rosenow, PharmD. If their site visit this spring is successful, they are hoping to get Pre-Candidate status in June, 2015 and begin classes in the fall of 2016. For more information on their college of pharmacy, see my post from February 2014 by clicking on the Daily Dose tab and on the right side scroll to the archives to February, 2014.
CAPS Site Visit 1/29/15
CAPS (Centralized Admixture Pharmacy Services) is the largest network of outsourcing pharmacies in the United States with 25 locations. There are 3 locations in California and I visited the CAPS in Santa Fe Springs, California. The other CAPS pharmacies in California are in San Diego and Fremont. CAPS operates 365 days a year and dispenses patient-specific and anticipatory IV prescriptions to health-system customers. The Santa Fe Springs branch has over 100 hospital customers including Kaiser, City of Hope, San Antonio Community Hospital, Fountain Valley Regional Hospital etc and provides them with TPN and other sterile compounded solutions. I met with Director of Pharmacy, Peter Huang, PharmD and Bill Chen, PharmD, Assistant Director of Pharmacy. Bill is also a 2007 graduate of WesternU. I met two other WesternU alumna who work there: Jane Choi, PharmD 2006 and Theresa Yang, PharmD 2006. Another WesternU alumni, Peter Mach, PharmD 2001 also works there. We discussed reactivating clerkship rotations, our upcoming sterile compounding continuing education programs and new regulatory, legal and accreditation changes effecting their pharmacy.
UCI Second Annual Pre-Pharmacy Day 1/28/15
The Second Annual UC Irvine Pre-Pharmacy Day attracted 14 Colleges of Pharmacy from California (WesternU, USC, UOP, Loma Linda, California Northstate, KGI, Chapman) and several from out of state (Roseman, Pacific University, Oregon, University of Washington, Midwestern, University of Kentucky, Oregon State, University of Hawaii, Hilo). The admissions exhibit tabling lasted from 11a to 2;50p and WesternU was represented by Recruiter Vanessa Riggins and Associate Dean Sam Shimomura. There were also concurrent workshops on PCAT Strategies, Personal Statements, Careers in Pharmacy, Pharmacy School Deans and Admissions Panel (Associate Dean Shimomura was a panelist). From 3-4p their was a food and a social hour for the Admission representatives and the Pre-Pharmacy Society members followed by a PharmCas and AACP Updates from Dr Jennifer Adams, AACP Senior Director of Strategic Academic Partnerships. There were additional workshops on the PharmCas application and Picking the Right Pharmacy School for You and a Pizza Night event hosted by Oregon State. Additional pictures can also be found by clicking on the button below and visiting the UCI Pre-Pharmacy Society Facebook page.
San Antonio Community Hospital Visit 1/27/15
San Antonio Community Hospital is a 271 bed hospital in Upland, California. A new four story tower and emergency room is under construction and will add 92 hospital beds and 52 emergency room beds and is scheduled to be completed by Summer, 2015. Associate Dean Sam Shimomura met with Director of Pharmacy Ken Saltgaver and Manager Pharmacy Jin Hwang, PharmD, a WesternU alumna. We discussed a number of topics including their clerkship program with WesternU, upcoming continuing education programs in sterile compounding and their current and future clinical services. I was surprised and thrilled to learn that in addition to Dr Jin Hwang, there were several other WesternU College of Pharmacy alumni working at the hospital: Jocelyn Huang, PharmD 2000, Nancy Ku, PharmD 2005, Yen Leung, PharmD 2009 and Vicky Chu, PharmD 2011. Also student pharmacist Hasdik Desai, PharmD Candidate 2015 was at the hospital on his 16 week Advanced Elective rotation.
OCSHP 32nd Annual Leadership Breakfast 1/23/15
Amy Gutierrez, PharmD was the keynote speaker for the 32nd Annual Leadership Breakfast of the Orange County Society of Health-System Pharmacists held January 23, 3025 at Mission Community Hospital in Mission Viejo. She spoke on "Sterile Compounding, New Laws and Regulations". Her presentation was followed by a panel discussion with questions and answers. One of the panelist was Ketan Patel, PharmD, a WesternU alumni.
CSU Sacramento Future Pharmacists Student Organization Visits WesternU 1/16/15
Members of the Future Pharmacists Student Organization (FPSO) at CSU Sacramento visited WesternU on Friday, January 16, 2015. Recruiter Vanessa Riggins gave them a tour of the campus. They then were welcomed by Dean Daniel Robinson and given a presentation on WesternU by Associate Dean Sam Shimomura. Several WesternU student pharmacists joined the prospective students for lunch and socializing.
Pre-Pharmacy Society at UCLA 1/15/15
Over 60 enthusiastic UCLA pre-pharmacy students attended a presentation by WesternU student pharmacist Marvin Ortiz, recruiter Vanessa Riggins and Associate Dean Sam Shimomura. For more information about the Pre-Pharmacy Society at UCLA check out their website. http://uclaprepharmacy.com/
The Powerpoint used that evening is also on their website: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8vfXr-M2WdmMGtVX09IRDA2bUk/view?pli=1 OSCEs 12/17/14
OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) day is stressful and exciting for the student pharmacists taking the OSCE but also for the faculty, residents, staff, teaching rotation students and simulated patients (SPs) who administer the examination. The OSCEs are used to practice a new skill and to evaluate the competency of the student pharmacists to perform the skill. The OSCE occurs in the Clinical Skills Lab consisting of examination rooms with video cameras and one way windows. Students and patients are observed by the faculty evaluating the student either through a one-way window or through a video feed in a control room. The simulated patients are given a script to follow and the students are given the appropriate patient background information and a skill to demonstrate (eg educate the patient on how to administer an insulin injection). The faculty are given a rubric or checklist of things the student is expected to do (eg use teach back technique to insure the patient understands the counseling points). The faculty and simulated patients also evaluate the student pharmacist on communication skills. Students rotate to several different statations where they are evaluated in different skills. They students are given about 5-10 minutes per station. The station where they taught the SP to administer insulin was 9 minutes long. For more information about OSCEs at WesternU, see the article in the Summer 2012 issue of RxBound page 24 (page 26 in the expanded electronic version)
WesternU Applicant Interviews 12/13/14
WesternU interviewed over 100 prospective students on December 13, 2014 for the 120 spots in the first year class starting in the Fall of 2015. The applicants received an orientation lecture, wrote an essay, learned about available financial aid and were interviewed by an faculty member plus a second person usually a WesternU student but could also be an alumni, preceptor or a recruiter from a pharmacy employer.
WesternU Dinner at ASHP Midyear
Over 120 alumni, students, faculty, preceptors and friends of the WesternU College of Pharmacy enjoyed great food and fun at the dinner held at Tortilla Jo's in Downtown Disney in Anaheim as part of the ASHP Midyear on December 8, 2014.
WesternU Clinical Skills Team in Top 10!
Catherine Van Chau and Janet Shin represented WesternU in the 2014 ASHP Clinical Skills competition at the ASHP Mid-Year Meeting in Anaheim, CA. Out of the 126 teams that represented Colleges of Pharmacy from around the country and the world, they placed in the Top 10 and competed in the final round on December 7, 2014.
Also congratulations to their faculty advisors and coaches, Dr Patrick Chan and Dr Mark Nguyen. The picture below shows Dr Mark Nguyen, Janet Shin, Catherine Van Chau and Dean Daniel Robinson. Thank you to Megan Blackwell of CSHP for providing the photos. 
College of Pharmacy Holiday Party
The WesternU College of Pharmacy annual Holiday Party was held this year at Donovan's Pub in Pomona on December 4, 2014. The faculty, staff and friends of the college enjoyed a bountiful buffet of fish and chips, steak, salad and pasta.
WesternU Rotation Student Presentations 11/7/14
Three WesternU student pharmacists presented their end of rotation project/presentations to their preceptors Roger Klotz, Micah Hata and Sam Shimomura. Jonathan Tang presented on "Sports Pharmacy" , Congshan Xia evaluated the new drug comination "Harvoni (ledipasvir and sofosbuvir) and Christina Ho compared the new antibiotic "Sivextro (tedizolid phosphate)" to Zyvox (linezolid). Also in attendance was student pharmacist Hannah Kim who provided the pizza.
Excellence in Geriatric Pharmacy Practice: Janice Hoffman
Janice Hoffman, PharmD, CGP, FASCP received the Excellence in Geriatric Pharmacy Practice Award from the Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy (CCGP) for 2014 at the opening session of the Americian Society of Consultant Pharmacists Annual meeting in Orlando, Florida at the Gaylord Palms. The award was presented by Thomas Clark, Executive Director and Mary Ann Zagaria, Chair-Elect, CCGP.
The Excellence in Geriatric Pharmacy Practice Award recognizes the certified geriatric pharmacist who fosters the principles of good pharmacy practice, demonstrates excellence in geriatric patient care, and promotes the value and rigorous standards established by the CCGP. Dr. Hoffman is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Administration at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California. She has served in many capacities in her pharmacy career, as a consultant pharmacist in long-term care, Director of Pharmacy in at private psychiatric hospitals, Clinical Coordinator at a regional medical center and staff pharmacist in community and hospital pharmacies. In addition, Dr. Hoffman has served in many professional leadership roles, including President of the California Chapter of ASCP. Also see Janice on Facebook with more pictures and videos and the the WesternU Press Release. Interprofessional Team Approach to Geriatric Care
Janice Hoffman, PharmD, CGP, FASCP, Mary Hudson-McKinney, PT, MS, DPT, NCS and Anna Yeung, MPH, DO (Geriatrician), all from WesternU gave an interactive presentation "Interprofessional Team Approach to Geriatric Care" as part of CSHP Seminar '14 in San Francisco on November 2, 2014. Dr Hoffman gave an overview of geriatric drug therapy and then the team discussed a case. That was followed by an opportunity for the audience to form teams and discuss cases.
CSHP Seminar '14 San Francisco 10/30-11/2/13
CSHP Seminar '14 was held at the San Francisco Hilton from October 30-November 2, 2014 right in the middle of the San Francisco Giants winning their third World Series in 5 years. The City was filled with approximately a million Giants fans attending the parade as well as the pharmacists and technicians attending Seminar. The highlight of the Opening Session was a presentation by Rear Admiral Pamela Schwitzer, PharmD, BCACP "Call to Action-from Pilot to Reality". She is Chief Pharmacy Officer of the USPHS and Assistant Surgeon General and a former student of mine at UCSF. She also completed a residency at UCI Medical Center. WesternU and West Coast University were the only pharmacy schools in the Exhibit Hall. The rest of the over 80 exhibitors were various pharmacy related vendors. The CSHP Foundation also had a silent auction and a ring toss for wine to raise funds for the Foundation.
One my favorite parts of the meetings is the Awards Ceremony. This year key awards went to John Carbone (Honorary Member), Robert Ignoffo (Pharmacist of the Year), Kelli Haase (Distinguished Service) and Richard Nunez (CPTA Technician Achievement). Mark Nguyen from WesternU was one of 8 CSHP members who was recognized as new CSHP Fellows (FCSHP). Ranjit Sidhu from WesternU was one of the recipients of the CSHP Student Leadership awards. WesternU hosted a Dessert Reception for alumni, students, faculty, preceptors, donors and friends of the college on Saturday, November 1, 2014 at a penthouse suite on the 23rd floor of the Hilton. Many of the other colleges held their School Receptions on Friday night including Touro who honored Robert Ignoffo as Pharmacist of the Year. CSHP Seminar Management and CPE Dinner 10/30/14
Barbara Uenaka and Judy Lee Co-Chaired CSHP Seminar '14 in San Francisco. They hosted a dinner for the Seminar Management Team and Continuing Pharmacy Education Committee at Morton's Steakhouse on October 30, 2014. I attended as a member of the CPE committee. The dinner was sponsored by Millennium (The Takeda Oncology company) and Senior Oncology Specialist Natalie Sweeney. As part of the evening program, Robert Macnini, PharmD, BCOP from the Mountain States Tumor Institute gave a presentation on "Patient Clinical Outcomes and Survival in Previously Untreated Multiple Myeloma". I enjoyed meeting former UCSF students Grant Lackey and Grace Ng and new colleagues such as Shadi Doroudgar, faculty member from Touro.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FCSHP, FASHP UCI Pre-Pharmacy Club 10/29/14
Recruiter Vanessa Riggins and College of of Pharmacy Associate Dean Sam Shimomura gave a presentation to approximately 100 UCI Pre-Pharmacy Society members on how to interview for pharmacy school. Vanessa started with a brief PowerPoint presentation and then several UCI students participated in mock interviews. For even more photos, check the 33 pictures posted on the UCI Pre-Pharmacy Society Facebook page for the Week 4 General Meeting.
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WesternU Rotations Fair
Each year, the WesternU Office of Experiential Education hosts a Rotations Fair for third year student pharmacists trying to decide which rotations to rank for the "spin". On October 23, 2014 preceptors from WesternU, Kaiser, CVS, Rite Aid, Molina, Memorial Health Systems, Jeffrey Goodman, VA Long Beach, Fountain Valley Regional Medical Center, Air Force, etc came to campus to meet the WesternU students and describe their rotations.
Interprofessional Education (IPE) 10/22/14
WesternU with 9 healthcare professional colleges and 22 programs is a leader in interprofessional education. I facilitated a group of 9 first year students from veterinary medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, physician assistant, osteopathic medicine (3 students) and physical therapy. The main objectives of the IPE course are:
Thank you to the WesternU Alumni Association for providing ice cream to the students after the IPE session.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, Associate Dean, WesternU College of Pharmacy
- Demonstrate an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of other health professionals
- Provide and promote a team approach to patient care and health care management
Thank you to the WesternU Alumni Association for providing ice cream to the students after the IPE session.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, Associate Dean, WesternU College of Pharmacy
UC Davis Pre-Health Professions National Conference
The 12th Annual UC Davis Pre-Medical & Pre-Health Professions National Conference drew over 7,000 prospective students and their families to the UC Davis campus on October 11 & 12, 2014 to learn about various healthcare related fields. Numerous lectures, workshops and panel presentations as well as a Pre-Health Fair on the Quad gave the participants to interact with the health care professionals, recruiters and faculty in attendance. WesternU recruiters and faculty described their 9 colleges and 22 programs at the Pre-Health Fair and participated in numerous panels and workshops. The conference was planned and staffed by UC Davis students who invited nationally known speakers and coordinated the massive logistical issues involved in such a large program. Pharmacy alone had over 70 speakers including Thomas Menighan, CEO of APhA and Kathy Hill-Besinque, President of CPhA. Twenty-five pharmacy schools from around the country were represented. For more information, check out their website: http://www.ucdprehealth.org/
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD
CURES Continuing Education
On October 9th, 2014, Western University College of Pharmacy in conjunction with the California Council for the Advancement of Pharmacy and the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists hosted a continuing education program for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians at the Holiday Inn Burbank Media Center.
The topic of discussion at this event was the Control Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) and how it can be used to prevent the diversion and resultant abuse of scheduled II-IV medications. Speakers Nathan Painter (PharmD, CDE, associate clinical professor UCSD/Skaggs School of Pharmacy) and Rabi Atayee (PharmD, BCPS, health sciences assistant professor of clinical pharmacy UCSD/Skaggs School of pharmacy) both gave presentations on prescription drug abuse in pharmacy and how to identify red flags of possible drug abuse/misuse. The speakers also went over how to utilize CURES as a tool in real world applications for such purposes. Pharmacists attending the event were allowed to register with CURES, an act required by Senate Bill 809 before January 1, 2016.
Posted by Jonathan Tang, PharmD Candidate 2015
The topic of discussion at this event was the Control Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) and how it can be used to prevent the diversion and resultant abuse of scheduled II-IV medications. Speakers Nathan Painter (PharmD, CDE, associate clinical professor UCSD/Skaggs School of Pharmacy) and Rabi Atayee (PharmD, BCPS, health sciences assistant professor of clinical pharmacy UCSD/Skaggs School of pharmacy) both gave presentations on prescription drug abuse in pharmacy and how to identify red flags of possible drug abuse/misuse. The speakers also went over how to utilize CURES as a tool in real world applications for such purposes. Pharmacists attending the event were allowed to register with CURES, an act required by Senate Bill 809 before January 1, 2016.
Posted by Jonathan Tang, PharmD Candidate 2015
Cal-Poly Pomona Pre-Pharmacy Society & WesternU Mixer
On October 8th, 2014 WesternU College of Pharmacy, Kappa Psi and Cal Poly Pomona’s Pre-Pharmacy Society hosted a mixer for undergraduate students interested in WesternU’s pharmacy program. Students from CSU San Bernardino, UC Riverside and Mt. San Antonio College were also invited to this event where they got a chance to interact with faculty members and current students from WesternU. The event featured raffles, games, food and breakout sessions where undergraduates could interact with pharmacy students in groups.
Posted by Jonathan Tang, PharmD Candidate 2015
Posted by Jonathan Tang, PharmD Candidate 2015
AACP Virtual Pharmacy Fair
On Tuesday, October 7th and Wednesday, October 8th 2014, WesternU participated in AACP’s Virtual Pharmacy School Fair for prospective pharmacy students. Representing WesternU in this event was university recruiter, Vanessa Riggins, student pharmacist, Jonathan Tang and Associate Dean, Dr. Sam Shimomura. This virtual fair allows prospective students to chat online with representatives from pharmacy schools nationwide and get answers to all the questions they have about the admission process. By participating in this annual event, WesternU has made it that much easier for prospective students to apply to their pharmacy program.
Posted by Jonathan Tang, PharmD Candidate 2015
Posted by Jonathan Tang, PharmD Candidate 2015
Career Day
WesternU had its annual career day on October 6, 2014. This interactive event allowed students to meet with various pharmacy employers mostly in the community setting. Representatives from pharmacies included Albertsons/Sav-On/Osco, Wal-Mart/Sam’s club, CVS, Rite Aid, Target, Walgreens, Ralph’s, Kaiser Permanente and the Indian Health Service. WesternU’s faculty member, Dr. James Scott, also had an informative booth for students interested in academia. Career day was split up into two halves. The first half was mainly for first, second and third year students who were looking for intern positions while the second half was reserved for employers to formally interview fourth year students.
A major concern most students had at career day was market saturation and although most employers admitted that Southern California was a saturated market, they assured students that opportunities existed beyond the SoCal regions. Another big topic was expanding pharmacist’s roles in healthcare. As of right now nothing is imminent but companies such as Sav-On and CVS said that they have programs in line to fully utilize pharmacists once California’s Board of Pharmacy specifies the limits for such roles.
As always, WesternU did a great job in organizing its annual career day for both students and employers.
Posted by Jonathan Tang, PharmD Candidate 2015
A major concern most students had at career day was market saturation and although most employers admitted that Southern California was a saturated market, they assured students that opportunities existed beyond the SoCal regions. Another big topic was expanding pharmacist’s roles in healthcare. As of right now nothing is imminent but companies such as Sav-On and CVS said that they have programs in line to fully utilize pharmacists once California’s Board of Pharmacy specifies the limits for such roles.
As always, WesternU did a great job in organizing its annual career day for both students and employers.
Posted by Jonathan Tang, PharmD Candidate 2015
Preceptor CE
The Office of Experiential Education and the Office of Continuing Education at the WesternU College of Pharmacy partnered with the Orange County Society of Health-System Pharmacists to host a dinner continuing education program at the Orange County Mining Company in Orange California on September 24, 2014. Dr Jim Scott presented an excellent lecture on "Evaluating Trainees on Rotation: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly". Over 70 WesternU preceptors and OCSHP members attended the program.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD
End of Rotation Presentations
On Thursday, September 25, 2014, Dr Hata's and Dr Shimomura's students gave their end of rotation presentations in the OEE conference room to students, faculty and staff. Parisa Karimi started with a presentation on Myasthenia Gravis. She brought her father as an example of a patient with Myasthenia Gravis. Rahul Patel followed with a review of the new SGLT2 inhibitors. Una Lee gave her presentation on COPD and Kate Miyamoto presented on Ebola. The last presentation was by Peyman Mahdavian on the 340 (B) program. Everyone was impressed by the excellent presentation. They were well researched and skillfully presented. See Daily Dose tab for summaries of some of the presentations and a copy of their PowerPoint.
Dementia Workshop
The California Geriatric Education Center based at UCLA received a HRSA grant to provide a "Team-Based Interprofessional Competency Training in Dementia Screening and Management" on September 9 2014 at the LAX Marriott. The attendees were put in groups of 4 healthcare professionals (physician, pharmacist, nurse and social worker) and rotated through 4 stations to learn about diagnosing and managing dementia patients. They also learned about caregiver stress and the community support and resources available to patients and their families. The 50 or so attendees also worked with a simulated patient wtih dementia. Dr. Sam Shimomura served as a facilitator for the Station 4, Management/Team Care Planning.
IPA Annual Trade Show
The Indian Pharmacist Association (IPA) held its 25th Annual Trade Show and Banquet on Saturday September 6, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort. Dean Daniel Robinson, Associate Deans Sunil Prabhu and Sam Shimomura as well as faculty members Anandi Law, Jesse Martinez, Gollopudi Shankar were in attendance. Numerous WesternU student pharmacists and alumni were also present.
Club Day Extravaganza
What a spectacular showcase of events during WesternU’s Annual Club day on August 20, 2014. This is a day when clubs from various WesternU schools and colleges can promote their organizations while serving up ethnic food and desserts and providing different forms of entertainment. Attracting students to their booths was the goal from the first minute that the event began. Music blasting, the scent of food in the air, and laughter was abundant on this sunny day. While the students shouldered their heavy laptop filled backpacks, their fellow student club leaders did not disappoint them. They had the opportunity to learn about the various clubs on campus and become actively involved.
Bob Brown Speaks to NCPA Student Chapter 8/13/14
Bob Brown, a community pharmacist from Cambria, CA, spoke to over 100 WesternU students about his career in community pharmacy. He is a 1951 graduate of Purdue University who has owned an independent community pharmacy and still works part-time. He advised the students to include compounding in their pharmacy to better compete against the chains and also encouraged the students to educate the community through presentations in schools, community and professional organizations. He also emphasize the importance to giving back to your pharmacy school as he has been doing. He invited the student to visit Hearst Castle in Cambria where he serves as a docent giving tours.
Dean's Summer Dinner
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Dean Daniel Robinson invited all WesternU student pharmacists to his home in Rancho Cucamonga for an Italian buffet dinner on August 12, 2014. The event was sponsored by CVS and Albertsons and their representatives welcomed the students to the profession and informally advised them how to find a job as a pharmacy intern. While most of the attendees were from the incoming Class of 2018, many upper classmen were there to serve as role models and advisors. For even more great pictures go to the WesternU College of Pharmacy Facebook page.
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President's Lunch
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Following the White Coat Ceremony, the festivities moved to the WesternU Campus for a BBQ Lunch, shaved ice, music, vendor fair and tours of the campus. It was a chance for the new students to show their family the university and to mingle with other students, faculty and staff.
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White Coat Ceremony
Following the Convocation, the faculty exchanged their caps and gowns for their white coats and gathered for the White Coat Ceremony at the Vinyard Ballroom at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel. The new first year students and the new IPBP student pharmacists were presented their first pharmacy white coat in front of their family and new WesternU family of faculty and staff. Tony Chan, PharmD, member of the WesternU Board of Trustees, welcomed the students and Victor Law, Chief Pharmacist and CEO of Alpha Medical Pharmacy presented the keynote address. Dean Robinson acted as Master of Cereremony and thanked Daniel Rim of Cardinal for their sponsorship of the event and introduced Jim Scott, PharmD who led the "Pledge of Committment" and Emmanuelle Schwartzman, PharmD who led the "Pharmacist Oath". Faculty members Janice Hoffman, PharmD, Roger Klotz, RPh, Kabir Lutfy, PhD and Doreen Pon, PharmD helped the students don their white coats. Mark Iannuzzo was recognized by Dean Robinson for the great job he did in organizing the White Coat Coat Ceremony and the Orientation Week for the incoming student pharmacists.
Convocation
The 2014 WesternU Convocation was held on August 9, 2014 at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel and Conference Center. Students and faculty from all nine colleges participated in the ceremoney that welcomes the new students and kicks off the academic year. The keynote speaker was State Senator Norma Torres representing the 32nd District. She lives in Pomona and previously served as Mayor of Pomona. Convocation and Commencement are the two occasions faculty dress in academic regalia.
Medication Counseling Exercise for IPBP Student Pharmacists
On August 8, 2014, the International Post-Baccalaureate PharmD (IPBP) students practiced their medication counseling skills under the direction of Dr Micah Hata and fourth year student pharmacist, Katie Tang, and staff members Jilian Matzner and Letty Ramirez. Dr Shimomura helped to grade the exercise. A team of students were given a prescription and a scenario and one was asked to counsel the patient (played by Katie). After the consultation, the team can huddle and make any corrections. The students are scored on a rubric (checklist) and given oral feedback. The IPBP students are from all over the world and already have their pharmacy degree from their country and are here to get additional clinical training to obtain their PharmD degree.
NCPA Orientation Week Lunch & CPR Class
The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) student chapter hosted lunch and provided the CPR course for the WesternU first year class on August 6, 2014. NCPA is the organization for pharmacists who are interested in independent community pharmacy ownership. The student chapter competes annually in the NCPA business plan competition. They provide noon lectures, dinners, legislative events, health fairs and other opportunities to learn about community pharmacy practice.
ASHP/CSHP Orientation Week Lunch
The ASHP/CSHP is the group to join if you are interested in working in a high powered clinical job in a hospital or health-system. It is also the group to join if you are interested in doing a residency since the residency match process is coordinated by ASHP. This year CSHP Seminar '14 is in San Francisco October 30-November 2, 2014 and the ASHP Mid-Year Clinical Meeting is in Anaheim December 7-11, 2014. The ASHP/CSHP Chapter hosted lunch on August 5, 2014 and served In and Out Burgers. For more information about the ASHP/CSHP chapter, go to their website: www.westernucshp.com
Kappa Psi Orientation Week Lunch
The Kappa Psi officers met with the Class of 2018 to describe their fraternity and to host lunch on August 4, 2014 during the first day of orientation week. The Kappa Psi Epsilon Gamma chapter is very active in the College of Pharmacy and also in the community and at the province and national levels. Many of the faculty at WesternU as well as leaders thoughout the profession are members of Kappa Psi. Eric Gupta on our faculty is the Grand Regent and National President of Kappa Psi. To learn more about Kappa Psi, check out their web site: www.kyepsilongamma.com
Dean Knapp Retirement Party
Katherine Knapp retired as Dean of the Touro School of Pharmacy after 10 years. She was previously on the faculty of the UOP School of Pharmacy and the WesternU College of Pharmacy. A party in her honor was held on Thursday, July 31, 2014 at the Farragut Inn on the Touro campus on Mare Island in Vallejo, California. She will be continuing on for a brief period of time as Associate Provost for Touro New York to help their School of Pharmacy get off probation. Among those attending were Touro faculty and student leaders, Ralph Saroyan and Don Florridia from UOP, Joseph Guglielmo from UCSF and Max Ray, Dean Emeritus at WesternU. Dean Knapp has done an exceptional job starting a new School of Pharmacy and pioneering a pharmacy curriculum that offers two years of clerkships instead of the one year standard in most pharmacy schools.
The new Dean at Touro is Rae Matsumoto, PhD, formerly on the faculty at the West Virginia School of Pharmacy.
The new Dean at Touro is Rae Matsumoto, PhD, formerly on the faculty at the West Virginia School of Pharmacy.
UCLA CGEC State-wide Advisory Committee
The UCLA California Geriatric Education Center (CGEC) State-wide Advisory Committee met on July 25, 2014 to review the successes of the CGEC and to do strategic planning for the next grant renewal period of 2015-2020. The meeting was Chaired by Zaldy Tan, MD, MPH and their were representatives from UCLA, WesternU, Kern and other partners.
Alumni Mixer at Huntington Beach Hyatt
The WesternU College of Pharmacy held an informal alumni mixer at the Hungtington Beach Hyatt on Saturday July 19, 2014. The mixer was held in an outdoor courtyard on a balmy, twilight setting with live music in the background. Dean Robinson and his wife Jackie, Associate Dean Sam Shimomura, Development Officer Bill Burrows and Letty Ramirez and Julie Avila from the Rotation Office hosted the event. Ten alumni plus spouses enjoyed the food, drinks and beautiful setting.
CSHP Foundation Strategic Planning Meeting
On July 7, 2014 the CSHP Foundation Board of Directors had their annual strategic planning meeting in Sacramento. The Board welcomed Toby Herfindal, Past President of CSHP and formerly on the faculty of the UCSF School of Pharmacy to be a Director. Others on the Board are John Carbone, Maria Serpa, Nancy Korman, Sam Shimomura and Dawn Benton.
Reception for WesternU Residents and Fellows
The WesternU College of Pharmacy had 11 residents and fellows this year. Nine will complete their program this week and two will be continuing on for a second year. This years' residents and fellows are: Aida Oganesyan, Keri Hurley, Lingyun Lu, Deana Dunn, Reynold Yin, Mehgan Hassanzadah, Bik-Wai Tai, Salpi Yaghoubian, Don Vu, Hali Yang, and Castor Phan. We are also welcoming a new group of residents starting in July, 2014.
On Thursday, June 26, 2014, the faculty and staff gathered with the residents and fellows to celebrate the completion of another successful year for our residents and fellows. Dr Anandi Law recognized Dr Cynthia Jackevicius with a plaque for her many contributions to the the Residency and Fellowship program. Dr Jackevicius is passing the baton to Dr Emmanuelle Schwartzman as the new Residency and Fellowship Director.
On Thursday, June 26, 2014, the faculty and staff gathered with the residents and fellows to celebrate the completion of another successful year for our residents and fellows. Dr Anandi Law recognized Dr Cynthia Jackevicius with a plaque for her many contributions to the the Residency and Fellowship program. Dr Jackevicius is passing the baton to Dr Emmanuelle Schwartzman as the new Residency and Fellowship Director.
End of Rotation Presentations 6/26/14
As a requirement for their rotations, Dr Shimomura, Dr Hata and Professor Klotz require an end of rotation project and presentation. Christina Duong led off with a presentation on "Radio-frequency Identification Tags" and their use in healthcare. Next Seon Yeong Heo gave a presentation on "Pediatric Exzema and Treatment Options". The third presentation was on the new drug "Dapagliflozin (Farxiga) for diabetes by Connie Chang. The last presentation was also on a new drug, an antibiotic for MRSA "Dalbavancin (Dalvance)" by Kamal Kainth. All of the presentations were well researched and eloquently delivered. The full description of the presentations by my students Christina Duon and Kamal Kainth is available in the Daily Dose tab.
Health Fair at DCRx Pharmacy
Doctor's Choice Pharmacy, owned by Purva Patel, PharmD, hosted a health fair on June 19, 2014. The occasion was to celebrate the one year anniversary of the pharmacy. The Upland pharmacy is also one of the newest clerkship sites for the WesternU College of Pharmacy. Three senior WesternU pharmacy students (Kamal Kainth, Christina Duong & Alana Zapata) participated in the health fair by performing blood pressure checks. Also in attendance from WesternU were Bill Burrows, Director of Development, and Associate Dean Sam Shimomura. Other VIP's in attendance were Edgar Cardona and Karen Schmidt from McKesson, Jeff Haag of IPC (Independent Pharmacy Cooperative) and Shushma Patel, Vijay Patel and IR Patel from the IPA (Indian Pharmacist Association). WesternU Alumni Bavesh Desai and Sumit Desai also were there to support their cousin, Purva Patel.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD
Today, Kamal, Alana, and I helped Dr. Purva Patel’s health fair at Doctor’s Choice pharmacy in Upland, CA. It was a great experience to be a part of that. Kamal, Alana, and I were in charge of the blood pressure station. The interesting thing about this health fair is the fact that we all took the blood pressure readings manually. Most health fairs that I volunteered at used the machines. This is actually better because it allows us to be more proactive. The patients actually like it more because they know it is a more accurate reading and they feel like the machine is something they can just do at home. It was a fun experience meeting people from the Upland Chamber of Commerce and IR Patel from the Indian Pharmacist Association. I actually got a chance to talk to Manisha Patel, the district manager for CVS, as well. The overall experience was a great one.
Posted by Christina Duong, PharmD Candidate 2015
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD
Today, Kamal, Alana, and I helped Dr. Purva Patel’s health fair at Doctor’s Choice pharmacy in Upland, CA. It was a great experience to be a part of that. Kamal, Alana, and I were in charge of the blood pressure station. The interesting thing about this health fair is the fact that we all took the blood pressure readings manually. Most health fairs that I volunteered at used the machines. This is actually better because it allows us to be more proactive. The patients actually like it more because they know it is a more accurate reading and they feel like the machine is something they can just do at home. It was a fun experience meeting people from the Upland Chamber of Commerce and IR Patel from the Indian Pharmacist Association. I actually got a chance to talk to Manisha Patel, the district manager for CVS, as well. The overall experience was a great one.
Posted by Christina Duong, PharmD Candidate 2015
South Bay Long Beach 37th Annual Leadership Breakfast
The 37th Annual SBLBSHP Leadership Breakfast was held at the Ayres Hotel in Hawthorne on Friday the 13th of June, 2014. Approximately 40 pharmacists and vendors attended "Legislative Update: Title 22, SB 1039 and Other Pharmacy-related Bills". The speakers were Frank Saya, PharmD, FASHP, FCSHP, from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Steve Gray, PharmD, JD from Kaiser Permanente and Sarah Mason, Consultant, Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development, California State Senate. Associate Dean Sam Shimomura attended with his rotation students Kamal Kainth, PharmD Candidate 2015 and Christina Duong, PharmD Candidate 2015.
Academic Mentoring Seminar 6/5/14
Dr Shane Desselle, Dean and Professor, of the California Northstate University College of Pharmacy visited WesternU on June 5, 2014. Dean Desselle gave an excellent presentation on "Academic Mentoring". He is a national expert on the subject and many of his ideas have been incoroporated in the WesternU College of Pharmacy mentoring program. Later in the afternoon, the College held an informal mixer for Dean Desselle. Pictured on the left is Dean Desselle with Dr Anandi Law, Chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administration.
Gamification of Education Faculty Development Seminar
On June 5, 2014, Miary Andriamiarisoa, Director of ITDL/Web Architech gave a faculty development seminar on "The Gamification of Education". Games are fun and often so engrossing that we lose all sense of time as we pursue the goal of winning the game. On the other hand, learning can often be boring and difficult to embrace. By combining the two, student may be better able to learn and enjoy the process. Dr Eunice Chung, Assistant Dean for Curricular Affairs, and Jerry Kellogg, ITDL Instructional Design Strategist has developed a game to teach the "200 Top Drugs" and 400 medical terms and their definitions and Dr David Pham is developing a game to teach diabetes. For more information on the topic go to: http://teach-tech.westernu.edu/virtual-arcade-pharmacy/
If you would like to try any of the games for yourself, select the link most appropriate for your system.
If you would like to try any of the games for yourself, select the link most appropriate for your system.
- Download for PC, Mac and Android devices: http://edtech.westernunew.com/game/PharmacyGalleryB0.2.zip
- Download for iPad: http://edtech.westernunew.com/game/COPGames/COP%20Games/COPCarnivalLink.html
WesternU Mixer in Irvine
Approximately 40 WesternU alumni from the various colleges enjoyed appetizers and drinks at the Paul Martin American Grill in the Irvine Spectrum on June 4, 2014. They were hosted by staff from University Advancement and Russel Heskin, Director of Alumni Relations and faculty and staff from the various colleges. Dr Richard Bond, the first WesternU alumni and member of the Board of Trustee, and his wife Elizabeth were also in attendance as well Senior Vice President Dr Tom Fox. College of Pharmacy alumna, Linh Tu, PharmD 2001 is pictured on the left with Associate Dean Sam Shimomura and CE Manager Renee Cook. Dr Tu is responsible for 20 CVS pharmacies in Southern California. She is also a preceptor for WesternU pharmacy students.
Board of Pharmacy Rx Abuse Subcommittee Meets in SD 5/28/14
Rotation students Christina Duong and Kamal Kainth joined Associate Dean Sam Shimomura at the Prescription Drug Abuse Subcommittee meeting in San Diego. The first item on the agenda was to honor pharmacist John Robertson of Ramona for saving the life of an elderly patient. He was also recently recognized by the Ramona Senior Center for his heroism.
Two faculty members from UCSD, Rabia Atayee, PharmD and Nathan Paintner, PharmD, gave a presentation on Prescription Drug Abuse and Prevention materials. They also promised to develop a continuing education program for preceptors and other pharmacists on prescription drug abuse and the Cures program.
In a discussion of the Cures program, they reported that only 17% of pharmacists are signed up for the program. More education on the Cures program is needed and plans were developed to reach more pharmacists to get them to sign up and use the program. Other interesting topics included a discussion of a bill to allow greater availability of naloxone to decrease opiate deaths and changing hydrocodone from schedule 2 to 3 by the DEA. WesternU Dean's Advisory Committee members John Cronin and Amy Gutierrez were also in attendance.
Two faculty members from UCSD, Rabia Atayee, PharmD and Nathan Paintner, PharmD, gave a presentation on Prescription Drug Abuse and Prevention materials. They also promised to develop a continuing education program for preceptors and other pharmacists on prescription drug abuse and the Cures program.
In a discussion of the Cures program, they reported that only 17% of pharmacists are signed up for the program. More education on the Cures program is needed and plans were developed to reach more pharmacists to get them to sign up and use the program. Other interesting topics included a discussion of a bill to allow greater availability of naloxone to decrease opiate deaths and changing hydrocodone from schedule 2 to 3 by the DEA. WesternU Dean's Advisory Committee members John Cronin and Amy Gutierrez were also in attendance.
Manual Arts High School Students Visit WesternU 5/22/14
Vice Dean Jesse Martinez gave a presentation to 33 students from Manual Arts High School in South Los Angeles. Dr Martinez described his medical mission to Sri Lanka to aid survivors of the tsunami that struck the area in 2004. WesternU sent a team of physicians, medical students, a pharmacist (Dr. Martinez) and a videographer (who created an award winning documentary). The students are part of the TRiO program, a federally funded grant program that aims to provide outreach and student service programs to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The presentation was one of several arranged by Christy Ho, University Recruiter and the recruitment team. Other speakers were Dr Susan Mackintosh from the osteopathic medical school and Dr Elizabeth Andrews from the dentals school. The students toured the WesternU campus following the presentations.
Palomares Day
Twenty-two Ninth graders from the Palomares Academy of of Health Sciences gathered in the compounding laboratory at WesternU to learn how to compound tooth paste. Led by Vice Dean Jesse Martinez with help from Drs Rudy Mirales, and Sam Shimomura and student pharmacists Christina Duong and Kamal Kainth, the ninth graders enthusiastically, yet carefully put the ingredients together, mixed them in an ungulator, transfer them to a tube and than clearly labeled the final product. The hope is that this experience will stimulate an interest in the students to go to college and pursue a career in the health sciences. See press release for more information and photos.
CSU San Bernardino Pre-Pharmacy Club
Vice Dean Jesse Martinez, Associate Dean Sam Shimomura and fourth year rotation students Christina Duong and Kamal Kainth gave a recruitment presentation to the Pre-Pharmacy Club at CSU San Bernardino on May 20, 2014 to about 20 very interested students. We also visited the Student Health Center Pharmacy after the presentation and met with Pharmacist-inCharge Neal Farber.
Commencement Dinner 5/13/14 and Commencement 5/14/14
The WesternU College of Pharmacy Class of 2014 held their Commencement Dinner on May 13, 2014 at the Pasadena Convention Center. The evening started with a reception followed by an excellent dinner and dancing. The dinner was sponsored in part by McKesson, CVS, Walgreens and AmerisourceBergen. Peter Phan, PharmD 2014 provided a professional slide show. The College of Pharmacy and the College of Dental Medicine held a joint Commencemnt on May 14, 2014 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. The Commencement speaker was Leo E. Rouse, DDS, FACD, Interim Deputy Provost for Health Sciences at Howard University and Dean of the university's College of Dentisry. Dr Rouse served on the expert panel (along with College of Pharmacy Dean Daniel Robinson) charged with developing Core Competencies for the Interprofessional Education Collaborative. For more pictures of Commencement Dinner and Commencement see the WesternU College of Pharmacy Facebook page.
Welcome Reception for the Class of 2018
The College of Pharmacy held a reception for members of the incoming Class of 2018 on May 8th in the Student Commons. This informal reception welcomed the WesternU College of Pharmacy Class of 2018 to our campus for a chance to meet each other, our current students, faculty, preceptors, staff and administration. The program was planned and run primarily by our current students with support from staff and faculty. Approximately 60 incoming students participated in the May 8th event. Dr Gupta served as the MC for the event and the following speaker welcomed the new class: President Pumerantz, Provost Gary guglelchuck, Dean Robinson and receptors Steve Gray, Patti Gray, Brian Yamate and Janssen Sacro. After the VIP's welcomed the new class the program was turned over to the students for presentations, raffles and fun.
Advanced Elective Poster Day 5/8/14
The WesternU College of Pharmacy held its 15th Annual Advance Elective Poster Day on May 8, 2014. As part of the 16 week Advanced elective in Community Practice and Health-Systems, the students have to do a project in their area of interest and present it as a poster to other students, faculty and preceptors. As part of the Independent Ownership track, the Advanced Elective students must create a business plan and present and defend it to experienced pharmacy owners, bankers and other pharmacy experts. They presented their business plans during the week of April 28-May 2, 2014. They also submitted abstracts that were published in a booklet.
The following students were recognized for their posters:
Community Track:
1st Place: Parinaz Pourbahrami
2nd Place: Bhavisha Jethwa
3rd Place: Kruti Rawal
Finalists: Christine Castro and Uyen Tran
Health-Systems Track:
1st Place: Lusineh Keshishian
2nd Place: Natividad Rodriguez
3rd Place: Stephanie Wu
Finalists: Vien Huynh & Stephen Kang/Stephanie Shieh
The winners of the Business Plan Competition were:
Best Business Plan Presentation:
Paniz Abbaspour
Best Business Plan Overall:
Karen Ekizian
Most Creative Business Plan:
Shin Ok Choi
The following students were recognized for their posters:
Community Track:
1st Place: Parinaz Pourbahrami
2nd Place: Bhavisha Jethwa
3rd Place: Kruti Rawal
Finalists: Christine Castro and Uyen Tran
Health-Systems Track:
1st Place: Lusineh Keshishian
2nd Place: Natividad Rodriguez
3rd Place: Stephanie Wu
Finalists: Vien Huynh & Stephen Kang/Stephanie Shieh
The winners of the Business Plan Competition were:
Best Business Plan Presentation:
Paniz Abbaspour
Best Business Plan Overall:
Karen Ekizian
Most Creative Business Plan:
Shin Ok Choi
WesternU Residents Practice their Presentations
WesternU residents practice their presentations on May 1, 2014 in front of faculty, fellow residents and fellows and a few students. They will are preparing for the Western States Conference for Pharmacy Residents, Fellows, and Preceptors to be held at Paradise Point in San Diego on May 19-21, 2014. The following residents are scheduled to present: Keri Hurley, Deanna Dunn, Aida Oganesyan, Mehgan Hassanzadah, Salp Yaghoubian, Castor Phan and Haoshu Yang.
Business Plan Presentations 5/1/14
As part of the advanced elective on entrepreneurship, Dr Martinez has his class create a business plan for a new pharmacy or one that the student pharmacist will purchase. The detailed business plan is presented to and graded by experienced industry leaders and pharmacy owners. For example, Rebecca Cupp (Vice President of Pharmacy) of Ralph's and Bill Hayden (Vice President of Sales) and Daniel Rim (Director of Sales) of Cardinal were three of the judges this year. The two students in the photos are Ashna Patel and Heather Nguyen. Also in the pictures are Dr. Martinez (Vice Dean for Academic Diversity and Development) and Bill Burrows (Director of Development) at WesternU.
Health Careers Presentation at Claremont High School
Jackie Davidson, Health Careers Instructor at Claremont High School invited Associate Dean, Sam Shimomura and third year student Katie Tang to give a presentation to her classes on April 29, 2014. The students were all planning to attend college and are interested in a health career. We discussed pharmacy plus the other health professions at WesternU.
Touro Visit
Lucinda Chan, PharmD, Assistant Professor at Touro, gave me a tour of the classrooms and compounding laboratory at Touro University at the Mare Island campus in Vallejo. Touro is planning to provide sterile compounding continuing education programs soon.
Board of Pharmacy Meeting 4/24/14
The California State Board of Pharmacy met April 23-24, 2014 at the Department of Consumer Afffairs in Sacramento. Associate Dean Sam Shimomura represented WesternU in presenting arguments in favor of allowing ACPE accredited Colleges of Pharmacy to provide the intern hours for students graduating after 2007. Currently, the Board of Pharmacy requires that student get 1500 hours (partly from the colleges and the rest from licensed pharmacies). The board after testimoney from CSHP and several pharmacy schools (UCSD, UCSF, UOP and WesternU) and much discussion from the board members, passed the motion by a 8 to 1 vote with one abstension. This still requires legislation to become effective and set in motion the process for drafting wording and getting a bill introduced.
Interprofessional Health Fair 4/19/14
The APhA/ASP Student Chapter and the Student Government Association held an Interprofessional Health Fair at the Pomona Valley Swap Meet. A large crowd gathered for the Easter Egg hunt sponsored by the Swap Meet. Many of the young families and their grand parents were able to get their blood sugar, BMI and blood pressure checked. They also received foot screenings and HIV, poison prevention, immunization and autism education.
Ray Symposium April 17, 2014
The 2014 Ray Symposium featured Eileen Crimmins, PhD, AARP Chair in Gerontology, USC Davis School of Gerontology speaking on "Shorter Lives, Poorer Health". She is one of the author of a report by that title that finds that Americans have a significant health disadvantage over other developed countries. The US ranks last or near the last in just about every health measure such as infant mortality and low birth weight, injuries and homicides, adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, HIV and AIDS, drug-related deaths, obesity and diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung disease and disability. The US ranks 17th in longevity out of the 17 high income countries in the world. The Ray Symposium is held each year to honor Dean Emeritus Max D. Ray, MS, PharmD.
The picture above shows our speaker Dr Eileen Crimmins, Senior Vice President Dr. Thomas Fox and College of Pharmacy Dean Daniel Robinson.
The picture above shows our speaker Dr Eileen Crimmins, Senior Vice President Dr. Thomas Fox and College of Pharmacy Dean Daniel Robinson.
Contemporary Compounding
Another group of pharmacists completed the Contemporary Compounding continuing education program April 11-12, 2014. Among the pharmacists were WesternU alumni, preceptors and residents. The course was taught by Lyna Luo, Erik Tosh, Rudy Mireles and Jesse Martinez.
8th Annual East West Scholarship Dinner
The 8th Annual East West Scholarship Dinner was held at the San Gabriel Hilton on April 12, 2014. The honoree for the event was Dr Johanthan Wu, President and Chairman of AHMC Healthcare System. AHMC is comprised of 7 acute care hospitals employing more than 2,500 physicians and providing care to 200,000 patients annually in Southern California. Scholarships were provided to 35 students from the various colleges at WesternU. The recipients from the College of Pharmacy were Kitty Huynh, PharmD '15, Reem Karkar, PharmD '15, Abdallah Dakhlallah, PharmD '16, Jennifer Briggs, PharmD '17, Prabhdeep Sidhu, PharmD '15 (Melanie S. Lim Memorial Scholarship) and AnhDao Thi Nguyen, PharmD '14 (Las Familias Chan y Mah Pharmacy Scholarship).
Walmart Visits WesternU
Paige Blackburn, PharmD is our new Regional Talent Specialist for Walmart serving CA, AK and HI. On April 11, 2014, she met with students, Dean Daniel Robinson, Director of Development Bill Burrows, Associate Dean Sam Shimomura and Assistant Dean Mark Iannuzzo. She described Walmart's Summer internship program and explained to the students how to apply.
Cerritos College Advisory Committe Breakfast
Cerritos College held its 16th Annual Advisory Committee Members" Recognition Breakfast on April 10, 2014. Associate Dean Sam Shimomura is a member of the Cerritos College Pharmacy Technician Advisory Committee. This year, the keynote speaker for the program was Dr Tracey Wilen-Daugenti, a prominent thought leader on the impact of technolgy on society, work and careers. She is a former Silicon Valley executive who has worked at Apple, HP, Cisco and the Apollo Group. Her most recent book is "Employed for Life, 21st Century Career Trends. The picture above shows Ralph Casas (Professor of Pharmacy Technology), Nasiba Makarem (Instructor) and Sandy Marks (Dean of Health Occupations), from Cerriotos College and Sam Shimomura from WesternU.
AE Students Learn Compounding 4/8-9/14
As part of Dr Martinez's Advanced Elective on entrepreneurship and independent community pharmacy ownership, student are trained in compounding. Eric Tosh of Letco and Rudy Mirales from the PCC pharmacy teach the compounding course part of the course.
UC Berkeley Pills Conference
The 8th Annual Northern California Pre-Pharmacy Sympsoium (Pills Conference) was held on April 5, 2014 at Stanley Hall at UC Berkeley on April 5, 2014. Dr Sam Shimomura was accompanied by University Recruiter Vanessa Riggins and Student Pharmacist Nicole Vaisman. A dozen pharmacy schools from around the country such as Michigan, Minnesota, Pacific (Oregon) and Massachesetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences as well as most of the California schools were represented. KGI Keck was the only new pharmacy school represented.
UC Davis Pre-Pharmacy Club 4/4/14
Dr Shimomura spoke to the UC Davis Pre=Pharmacy Club about the WesternU College of Pharmacy on Friday, April 4, 2014. About 30 UC Davis students attended. Pictured with Dr. Shimomura in this "selfie" are left to right Alessa Cheung, Shirley Ly and Erin Lee.
California Council on Gerontology & Geriatrics (CCGG)
The 34th Annual meeting of the CCGG was held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Sacramento on April 4, 2014. The meeting was attended primarily by educators teaching gerontology and geriatrics and many of their students. Many of my UCLA Geriatric Education Center colleagues were in attendance.
WesternU Honors Day
Western University of Health Sciences, College of Pharmacy hosted its annual Honors Day on Thursday, April 3, 2014. Dr. Eric Gupta served as the master of ceremonies for this event. Honors Day is an event to honor its pharmacy students who put in extra effort to better our community through community service, those who were active in pharmacy organizations, and those who were able to achieve the top grades of their class. Winners of scholarships were also announced at the ceremony. Representatives attended from all different areas and companies in order to present these scholarships. The companies that were represented were Albertsons, Cardinal Health, CVS, McKesson, Rite Aid, Safeway, Target, and Walgreens.
Dean Robinson also announced the winners of deserving staff and faculty for the following awards:
Staff Service Award – Jenny Barajas, Cecelia Long
Faculty Service Award – Dr. Patrick Chan, Dr. Karl Hess, Dr. Kabir Lutfy
Preceptors of the Year – Dr. Ken Fukushima, Dr. Brian Nguyen, Dr. David Pham and Dr. Jason Wong
Teacher of the Year – Dr. Patrick Chan, Dr. Kabir Lutfy
Congratulations to all that were recognized for their hard work and dedication!
Dean Robinson also announced the winners of deserving staff and faculty for the following awards:
Staff Service Award – Jenny Barajas, Cecelia Long
Faculty Service Award – Dr. Patrick Chan, Dr. Karl Hess, Dr. Kabir Lutfy
Preceptors of the Year – Dr. Ken Fukushima, Dr. Brian Nguyen, Dr. David Pham and Dr. Jason Wong
Teacher of the Year – Dr. Patrick Chan, Dr. Kabir Lutfy
Congratulations to all that were recognized for their hard work and dedication!
Harry Potter Family Fun Day 3/29/14
The Harriet K. & Philip Pumerantz Library at WesternU hosted a " Family Fun Day" featuring an exhibit of Harry Potter materials from the National Library of Medicine as well as a variety of activities for kids including readings, paper bag owls and magic slime and wands. Suluck Chaturabul, PharmD 2015 and Dr Shimomura helped the students to make magic slime and created a fun atmosphere with a dry ice mini caldron of bubbles and mist. A real live owl also captivated the kids. A 4.1 earthquake added to the excitement of the day. Also scroll down to see a previous post of the Harry Potter Exhibit at the Library and additional pictures.
WesternU Scholarship Golf Classic 3/26/14
The day started with rain and wind but soon bright sunshine came through. The weather did not discourage the golfers participating in the 2nd Annual WesternU Scholarship Golf Classic at the Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon in Beaumont, California. The tournament raised funds for scholarships for WesternU student pharmacists. Following the golf, everyone gathered for a delicious dinner, recognition of sponsors, presentation of awards. There were also some big winners in our silent auction and raffles. Photos primarily taken by Prabhdeep Sidhu, PharmD Candidate 2015.
Rho Chi Initiation Banquet
The tenth annual initiation banquet of the Gamma Sigma Chapter of the Rho Chi Honor Society of the WesternU College of Pharmacy was held at the Vellano Country Club in Chino Hills on March 2014. Faculty Advisor Emmanuelle Schwartzman welcomed the members and their family and then introduced the keynote speaker, Patrick Chan, PharmD, PhD. Dr. Chan gave a rousing and humorous motivational speech. That was followed by a professional slide show produced by Danny Tang. Twenty-seven new members were initiated and then the new officers were installed. Dean Robinson provided the closing remarks.
OCSHP 39th Annual Installation Banquet
The Orange County Society of Health-System Pharmacists (OCSHP) installed their new officers at the Orange Hill Restaurant in Orange, California on March 15, 2014. Julie Lenhart, CSHP President, reviewed the success that CSHP had in passing SB493 with the help of OCSHP and then installed the new officers. WesternU faculty member, Patrick Chan, completed his year as President and is succeeded by incoming President Goldie Makek. WesternU alumna, Stacy Yang, received the "Pharmacist of the Year" award. Fourteen companies displayed at the "NIght with Industry" program that preceeded the dinner and installation. There were many students from WesternU, USC and Loma Linda in attendance.
Chaffey College Student Outreach 3/13/2014
On Thursday, March 13, 2014, third year student Suluck Chaturabul and second year student Faith Weinberg Levine were welcomed by Chaffey College Pre-Med Society president Julia Jianu and chapter advisor Mamta Agarwal to give a presentation to students of the Pre-Med Society. Their presentation consisted of informing pre-med students on the pharmacy profession and WesternU's pharmacy program, including prerequisite courses, the application process, as well as discussions of daily student life at WesternU. Chaffey College is a comprehensive community college that offers 89 degree and 118 certificate programs to their enrollment of over 19,000 students. Chaffey College has campuses located in Rancho Cucamonga, Chino, and Fontana.
Posted By: Suluck Chaturabul, PharmD Candidate 2015
Posted By: Suluck Chaturabul, PharmD Candidate 2015
Harry Potter Display at Library
The Harriet K. & Philip Pumerantz Library is hosting a traveling exhibit entitled "Harry Potter's World: Renaissance Science, Magic and Medicine from March 10, 2014 to April 19, 2014. I know many of you are fans of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter books and the world of alchemy, astrology, magic, wizardry and witchcraft. The exhibit includes materials from the National Library of Medicine. On Saturday, March 29, 2014 from 1-4p, the library will host a "Family Fun Day" featuring the exhibit and will also provide a variety of activities for kids including alchemy-related activities by students from the College of Pharmacy. For more information, see the latest issue of the library newsletter Stacked.
Reflections 3/12/14
The first year students who are in their Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience rotations in a community pharmacy meet once a week with faculty to reflect on their experiences and to cover clinical and law topics. This week third year students Suluck Chaturabul and Prahdeep Sidhu assisted Dr. Shimomura in leading a discussion on how the students answered foreground questions from patients or preceptors at their sites. The first year students also researched herbal and supplement information and discussed their findings. The third year students are taking a teaching/administrative elective and are getting experience in classroom teaching. Also see a post of another reflection session on October 23, 2013 by scrolling down.
Pharmacists in Charge Training
The entire senior class (PharmD 2014) gathered on campus for Pharmacist in Charge (PIC) training from March 11-14, 2014. WesternU is the only school of pharmacy that provides in depth training in how to be a PIC in both the hospital and community settings. This training helps WesternU graduates perform much better in the licensing examinations and in competing for jobs. Many alumni become a PIC within a relatively short time after their graduation because of this training. This course is coordinated by Dr. Jesse Martinez and is taught by an all star cast of pharmacists, lawyers and educators. The course is taught by Dr. Brian Yamate from Citrus Valley (PIC Self Assessment Hospital), Dr. Kalena Nguyen from Target (Leadership and Management), Dr. Jonathan Fujimoto from CVS (PIC Self Assessment Community), Dr. Tony Park from California Pharmacy Lawyers (PIC Legal Review and Patient Consultation), Dr. Janice Dang from the California State Board of Pharmacy (State Board Inspection), Dr. Steve Gray from Kaiser (New California Pharmacy Laws), Dr. Brian Garner from Hendrick's Pharmacy (PIC Policy and Procedure Requirements), Dr. John Cronin from FMG Law (PIC Legal Case Studies), Dr. Jesse Martinez from WesternU (PIC Organization Responsibility), Dr. Ketan Patel from OptumRx (PIC Board of Pharmacy Review) and Dr. Fred Weissman from USC School of Pharmacy (Pharmacy Law Review).
The gathering of senior students also provides an opportunity for general announcement by Dean Robinson, review of how to apply for a pharmacy license and taking the board examination, information on the commencement banquet and commencement, alumni association information, financial aid exit survey and abstract/statistics for the Poster session.
The gathering of senior students also provides an opportunity for general announcement by Dean Robinson, review of how to apply for a pharmacy license and taking the board examination, information on the commencement banquet and commencement, alumni association information, financial aid exit survey and abstract/statistics for the Poster session.
AMCP Night of Managed Care
The WesternU AMCP Student Chapter hosted their annual "Night of Managed Care" on March 10, 2014 in the HPC Student Commons. Dean Robinson welcomed everyone and then Faculty Advisor, Dr. Micah Hata, introduced the two keynote speakers: Dr. Craig Stern with Pro Pharma Pharmaceutical Consultants and Dr. Vinson Lee from Amgen. Over 40 students and several faculty enjoyed the dinner and program. Following the keynote presentations, the students participated in round table discussions with managed care representatives: Andrew Simental, Jim Warmington, Avetis Tashyan, Denis Kitayama, Logan Saito and Sophia Ho from Kaiser, George Tran from WellPoint, Michael Pazirandeh from Blue Shield, Susan Leong from OptumRx, Carol Stern and Craig Stern from Pro Pharma Pharmaceutical Consultants and Vinson Lee from Amgen.
ISHP Evening with Industry and Installation of Officers
On Thursday, March 6, 2014 the Inland Society of Health System Pharmacists (ISHP) held their annual installation banquet in which their newly elected board members were formally installed into their new ISHP roles. ISHP has served the Riverside and San Bernardino Counties since 1978 to promote the goals and objectives of CSHP. During the annual installation banquet, ISHP members are encouraged to bring guests and their families for a night of networking and entertainment. ISHP has been very supportive of various pharmacy schools, particularly Loma Linda University and Western University of Health Sciences as students are continually invited to attend various ISHP events to network with pharmacists involved in their local associations as well as leaders in the pharmacy profession. Congratulations to the newly elected board members and thank you for your continued support!
For video or more photos and to learn more about ISHP: Click Here
Posted By: Suluck Chaturabul, PharmD Candidate 2015
For video or more photos and to learn more about ISHP: Click Here
Posted By: Suluck Chaturabul, PharmD Candidate 2015
Dean's Advisory Council (DAC) 3/7/14
Dean Robinson convened the Dean's Advisory Council meeting on March 7, 2014 at Kaiser Baldwin Park. He welcomed new members Vinson Lee, PharmD, Senior Regional Medical Liaison for Amgen and Brian Hodgkins, PharmD, Executive Vice President, Clinical Operations and Coachella Valley, ACO at Dessert Oasis Healthcare. Brian gave a short presentation describing his ACO and how ACO's are affecting the role of pharmacists. Other topics discussed were the impact of SB 493 on WesternU's curriculum, the WesternU Scholarship Golf Tournament, the award winning RxBound magazine, the opening of 7 new schools of pharmacy and the redesigned of WesternU's class rooms. Art Dominguez, PharmD of Kaiser Baldwin Park hosted our meeting and described the Apothecary Circle program at Kaiser and introduced one the students in the program. The program encourages students from diverse program to enter the profession of pharmacy. The program offers mentorship and training for these students.
UCLA JumpStart
Associate Dean Sam Shimomura was assisted by student pharmacists Suluck Chaturabul and Faith Weinberg Levine in participating in the UCLA JumpStart program on March 5, 2014. Recruiters from KGI Keck and LECOM (Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine) schools of pharmacy were also represented on the Admission's panel. Jennifer Adams, Senior Director of Strategic Academic Partnerships at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy was on the Professional panel. Over 60 UCLA students were in attendance. Thank you to Jason Tran and Sheila Benko for their hospitality and for coordinating this very successful event at the UCLA Career Center.
Hui & Thio Present to WesternU CSHP Chapter
The WesternU CSHP hosted a presentation by Debbie Hui, PharmD on "Accreditation and Regulatory Compliance" on March 3, 2014. Dr. Huie has been a Joint Commission Surveyor since 1991 and is also Leader, Pharmacy Accreditation, Regulation & Licensing for Kaiser Permanente in Northern California. She received her PharmD from UCSF and completed a Residency at Stanford. She discussed the accreditation process for multiple settings, described what a Medication Error Reduction Program (MERP) is and explained the role of the pharmacists can play across the continuum of care.
Astrid Thio, a Child Behavioral Therapist, presented a short case study on Child Behaviorial Therapy and how the pharmacist will play a major role on the interdisciplinary team.
Astrid Thio, a Child Behavioral Therapist, presented a short case study on Child Behaviorial Therapy and how the pharmacist will play a major role on the interdisciplinary team.
UCI Alpha Epsilon Delta
Alpha Epsilon Delta was originally founded in 1926 at the University of Alabama and has grown into the world's largest nationally recognized honors society with over 186 chapters and 144,000 members.
Their mission is to "encourage and recognize excellence in premedical scholarship; to stimulate an appreciation of the importance of premedical education; to promote communication between medical and premedical students and educators; to provide a forum for students with common interests; and to use its resources to benefit health organizations, charities and the community". The UCI chapter invited us to give a presentation on the WesternU College of pharmacy on February 27, 2014. Suluck Chaturabul, PharmD Candidate 2015 and Dr Sam Shimomura spoke to over 40 student who were interested in the medical field with many specifically interested in pharmacy. We would like to thank Resource Chair Curtis Yu for inviting us and hosting us while we were there.
Their mission is to "encourage and recognize excellence in premedical scholarship; to stimulate an appreciation of the importance of premedical education; to promote communication between medical and premedical students and educators; to provide a forum for students with common interests; and to use its resources to benefit health organizations, charities and the community". The UCI chapter invited us to give a presentation on the WesternU College of pharmacy on February 27, 2014. Suluck Chaturabul, PharmD Candidate 2015 and Dr Sam Shimomura spoke to over 40 student who were interested in the medical field with many specifically interested in pharmacy. We would like to thank Resource Chair Curtis Yu for inviting us and hosting us while we were there.
Let's Move Student Outreach at Vejar Elementary School
On February 25, 2014 WesternU student pharmacists Neviah Nguyen, Vanessa Diaz, Suluck Chaturabul, and Marvin Paredo went to Vejar Elementary School in Pomona, CA where they presented a lecture to 4th, 5th, and 6th graders on Happy, Healthy Living as part of Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity Let’s Move Student Outreach. The outreach events occur several times throughout the semester with local elementary schools in order to promote the role of pharmacists in the community along with the promotion of healthy eating habits and fun activities with the children such as word scrambles, drawing their typical meals, and examples of exercise.
Posted by Suluck Chaturabul, PharmD Candidate 2015 on February 27, 2014
Posted by Suluck Chaturabul, PharmD Candidate 2015 on February 27, 2014
Medicare Part D Presentation to UCLA Geriatric Fellows
On February 13, 2014, four WesternU student pharmacists, Sarah Kim, Teresa Lo, Kate Miyamoto and Natasha Gonzalez, presented a lecture and discussion of Medicare Part D at the VA West Los Angeles to the UCLA Geriatrics fellows and faculty. The students were accompanied by Dr Sam Shimomura. Dr Hata worked closely to train the students but did not attend today's presentation because of the birth of triplets in his family. The group also gave the same presentation at UC Irvine to a group of medical residents and faculty last week.
Whittier Hospital Visit
Whittier Hospital Medical Center takes IPPE2, APPE and AE student pharmacists from WesternU. Dr Sam Shimomura met met with Pharmacy Director Dr Michael Nakamura and staff pharmacist Faye Vo (WesternU alumna) who coordinates the clerkships on February 5, 2014. Bansari Rao, PharmD 2014 just started her advanced elective there. We discussed opportunities to collaborate on continuing education, additional clerkships and residency programs.
Vietnamese Pharmacist Association 2014 Lunar New Year Celebration
WesternU was well represented at the annual Tet celebration of the VPhA in the USA on Sunday, February 2, 2014 at the Villa Banquet Restaurant in Westminster. Faculty Dr Sam Shimomura and Dr Mark Nguyen and devepment officer Bill Burrows joined 11 WesternU students at the event. Maureen Ngo was presented a scholarship check from the VPhA and Triet, Bich and Chau performed a song for the crowd. Click on Maureens photo and video link to see a video of the performance. One of the pharmacists announced that his son was accepted to WesternU and he received a huge cheer.
Applicant Interviews
Over 100 prospective students descended on WesternU to interview for one of the 120 spots in the first year Class of 2018 on February 1, 2014. The applicants were interviewed by a team made up of a faculty member and a current student. They also received an orientation to the WesternU College of Pharmacy and financial aid and then completed a required essay. Some of the applicants also took advantage of the opportunity to take a tour of the College. In the pictures in the album below, those dressed in white coats are the WesternU students helping to interview and welcome the applicants (generally dressed in black).
Job Fair Interview Day at WesternU
The job market for pharmacists is slowly turning around. Wal-Mart and Albertsons did not participate this year because they had few jobs to offer. On the bright side, we had CVS, Walgreens, Kaiser, Rite Aid, Vons and Target actively recruiting our students for jobs after graduation. It was also an opportunity to explore other areas of partnership with the employers such as participation in our WesternU Scholarship Golf Tournament coming up March 26, 2014.
Tournament website: www.westernu.edu/scholarship-golf-classic
Tournament website: www.westernu.edu/scholarship-golf-classic
Cerritos College Pharmacy Technician Program
Cerritos College has an excellent pharmacy technician program headed by Ralph Casas, PharmD, PhD, Chair and Professor of Pharmacy Technology. We (Dr Jesse Martinez and myself) also visited with Nasiba Makarem, PharmD an instructor at the college on January 29, 2014. I currently serve on the Cerritos Pharmacy Technology program's advisory board. We met to discuss opportunities to do joint training and continuing education programs for pharmacists and technicians in the area of sterile compounding practice. They are in the process of upgrading their already outstanding facilities with a new clean room.
Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy Sherman Oaks
On January 24, 2014, I visited a specialty pharmacy across the street from Sherman Oaks Hospital in Sherman Oaks, California. Walgreens has a large network of specialty pharmacies throughout the country specializing in medications for complex, genetic, rare and chronic health conditions such as for cancer, Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, cystic fibrosis, hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and transplant patients. Specialty prescriptions typically cost $2,000 for a 30 day supply, which is 28 times the traditional retail prescription. Approximately 3-5% of the population take a specialty prescription.
I met with Chris Craw, PharmD (Director of Operations, Community, A Walgreens Pharmacy, Western Region) and William (Willie) Wong, PharmD (Pharmacy Manager, Community, A Walgreens Pharmacy) and several of their pharmacists and technicians. They are a clerkship site for WesternU students as well for USC, Touro and occasionally other colleges. I also met a technician there who was very interested in applying to WesternU.
I met with Chris Craw, PharmD (Director of Operations, Community, A Walgreens Pharmacy, Western Region) and William (Willie) Wong, PharmD (Pharmacy Manager, Community, A Walgreens Pharmacy) and several of their pharmacists and technicians. They are a clerkship site for WesternU students as well for USC, Touro and occasionally other colleges. I also met a technician there who was very interested in applying to WesternU.
Faculty Retreat
The WesternU College of Pharmacy faculty held an on campus retreat to discuss the curricular implications of the new provider status law SB493 on January 23, 2014. The retreat opened with a demonstration of a patient-provider encounter between Dr Hata playing a patient seeking help with a smoking problem and Dr Gogineni playing the smoking cessation pharmacist. The faculty worked in small groups to brain storm ideas for ways to prepare our students for the new practice model. Among the many ideas generated were to increase physical assessment, communication and practice management skills.
Mike Rigas from Kabafusion
Michael Rigas spoke to the APhA/CPhA/ASP student chapter on January 22, 2014. He described his career and the opportunities in specialty and infusion pharmacy practice. Pictured with Dr Rigas is Maira Khan, PharmD Candidate '17 who has worked with Dr Rigas at Kabafusion.
Sterile Compounding: New Laws and Regulations
Over 100 pharmacists and technicians attended the CE program "Sterile Compounding: New Laws and Regulations" on January 18, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach. The 6 hour program addressed the major changes occurring at the state and national levels to ensure greater patient safety through new laws and regulations. The speakers for the program were Steve Gray, PharmD from Kaiser, JD, David Miller, RPh from the International Association of Compounding Pharmacists, John Cronin, PharmD, JD from FMG Pharmacy Law, Amy Gutierrez, PharmD, LA County Department of Health, and Tony Park, PharmD, JD, from California Law. In addition, Alan Huber, PharmD from Biofusion and Marvin Finnefrock, PharmD from Comprehensive Pharmacy Services participated in the closing panel.
CAKPhA Banquet
The California Korean Pharmacist Association held their annual Christmas banquet at the Sheraton Los Angeles on December 15, 2013. Approximately 60 WesternU students attended along with several faculty and preceptors.
Walgreens Generously Supports WesternU
Jenni Paytner, PharmD, Pharmacy Supervisor, California Inland East, Sepi Soleimanpour, RPh, MBA and Robert Lee, RPh, Pharmacy Supervisor, Southern California East celebrated with WesternU Dean Daniel Robinson and his Development Team of Sam Shimomura, PharmD, Jesse Martinez, PharmD and Bill Burrows grants of over $60,000 to support diversity programs at the WesternU College of Pharmacy. Walgreens also plans to be a sponsor of our upcoming Scholarship Golf Tournament. Walgreens has also been a sponsor of our Student Leadership Retreat, Diversity Scholarships, Dean's Welcome Dinner, Commencement Banquet and other activities that support our students. The group shared lunch at PF Chang's in Chino HIlls on December 20, 2013.
CSHP CE Committee
The CSHP Continuing Education Committee met at CSHP headquarters on December 17, 2013 to begin planning CE programs for the coming year including the topics and speakers for CSHP Seminar '14 in San Francisco.
The CPE Committee met again on Monday, January 20, 2014 to continue the planning process.
The CPE Committee met again on Monday, January 20, 2014 to continue the planning process.
ASHP MidYear in Orlando
The ASHP Mid-Year featured Colin Powell as the key note speaker. He shared his wisdom with wit and great insight into the current political environment. We also had a chance to meet with many of our supporters such as our friends at Walgreens (Maureen Reims) and RxPrep (Karen Schapiro) The ASHP Mid-Year was held in Orlando, Florida this year starting December 7, 2013 and ending December 11, 2013.
WesternU Reception at ASHP Mid-Year in Orlando
On December 8, 2013 WesternU hosted a dessert reception in a suite on the 22nd floor at the Hyatt Orlando (formerly the Peabody). Over 60 alumni, students, residents, faculty, preceptors, staff, Dean's Advisory Council members and friends of the college attended the event.
Disease Management Poster Day 11/27/13
The third year WesternU student pharmacists presented their Disease State Management posters on November 27, 2013 as part of Dr Anandi Law's block (6304). The teams were assigned to develop clinics on one of the following topics: Diabetes, Asthma, Hypertension, Dyslipidemia, Smoking Cessation, Anticoagulation, CHF and MTM. The students learned clinical, practice management and team skills. Well Done!
Walgreens New Flagship Store in Downtown Los Angeles
Walgreen's has a state of the art pharmacy in downtown Los Angeles. Lance Jue, PharmD, the Store Manager and Shawnt Batmanian, PharmD, the Pharmacy Manager gave us a tour (Sam Shimomura, Bill Burrows and Robert Lee). In addition to the pharmacy, the store has high end cosmetics, groceries, wine, sushi, deli, juice bar, frozen yogurt etc. The pharmacy also provides a wide range of clinical services such as immunizations, MTM, patient counseling etc. They also have the latest equipment to fill prescriptions with virtually no chance for error. They will be adding laboratory diagnostic services in the future where one drop of blood will be sufficient to provide a large panel of laboratory tests. Who wants to give two or three tubes of blood?
Walgreens Infusion Services
Robert Lee, Pharmacy Supervisor, Walgreens and Sam Shimomura, Associate Dean, WesternU visited the Walgreens Infusion pharmacy in Sun Valley, California on November 26, 2013. We were given a tour my Jean Osaka, the Pharmacy Manager. The pharmacy provides hyperalimentation (TPN), enteral nutrition, chemotherapy and specialty medications of all types that require infusion therapy. They deliver to patient homes and to alternative care clinics where nurses may administer the infusion, for example, chemotherapy. They provide comprehensive management programs for antibiotics, bleeding disorders, heart failure, immunoglobulin therapy, etc. Walgreens is the largest home infusion company in the U.S. Nation-wide, Walgreens have a staff of more than 1400 clinicians including pharmacists, nurses and dietitians. There are numerous Walgreens Infusion pharmacies in Southern California, many formerly part of Crescent Healthcare which is now a Walgreens company. As an example, the following Walgreen Infusion Service pharmacies have job posting for pharmacists: Palm Desert, Riverside, Sun Valley and Ventura. If you are interested in seeing what a job description for a infusion pharmacy looks like click here.
California Baptist University Pre-Pharmacy Club Tours WesternU
The California Baptist University (CBU) Pre-Pharmacy Club visited WesternU on November 25, 2013. The tour was lead by Recruiter Vanessa Riggins, Associate Dean Sam Shimomura and student pharmacist Kjersti Rich. Kjersti is a first year student who is an alumna of CBU. The group was especially impressed by the Compounding and Clinical Skills laboratory, classrooms and the CVS Student Services suite.
Phi Lambda Sigma 6th Annual Installation Banquet
PLS held its 6th Annual Installation Banquet at the Vellano Country Club in Chino Hills on Friday, November 22, 2013. Sixteen students and faculty Dr. Cynthia Jackevicius were initiated into PLS. Eva Levbarg received the Leadership Award and a new Executive Board was installed. For for more information on PLS, check out their web site: http://www.westernupls.com/
Robin Lee, PharmD, CDE
Robin Lee, PharmD, CDE spoke to the APhA/CPhA Student Chapter about ambulatory care at Kaiser Baldwin Park. She is Supervisor, Ambulatory Care Services and PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency Coordinator at Kaiser Baldwin Park. Ashlee Hong (on the right) is presenting Dr Lee a thank you gift in the picture on the right.
CSHP Committee on Goals
The CSHP Committee on Goals met at CSHP headquarters in Sacramento on November 14, 2013. The committee is Chaired by Dan Kudo and staffed by Dawn Benton and Dan Morris. Other members of the Committee on Goals are Becky Natali, Bill Yee, Steve Thompson, Kethan So, Stacy Raff and Martin Iyoya (participate by telephone) and Timothy Tong (absent). Also Sam Shimomura and Meghan Hassanzadah from WesternU are on the Committee.
A Tribute to Caring (ATC)
The 2013 "A Tribute to Caring" gala was held at the Disneyland Hotel on November 9, 2013 to raise scholarship funds for WesternU students. Dr Richard Shinto was honored with the "Access to Caring Award" and Dr Rudolf L. Brutoco received the "Elie Wiesel Humanism in Healing Award". Numerous WesternU College of Pharmacy faculty, staff, students, Dean's Advisory Council members and donors contributed to the festivities.
Prospective Student Interview at WesternU 11/9/13
WesternU interviewed the first group of prospective students for the Class of 2018 entering in the Fall of 2014 on November 9, 2013. Each prospective student attended an orientation, interview and information on financial aid. They also completed a writing exercise. The interview by a full time faculty member and a student (or alumni, preceptor or recruiter) lasted about 25 minutes. WesternU students and staff welcomed the prospective students and made them comfortable during the stressful interview process.
CPhA MTM CE at WesternU
CPhA held a Certificate Program "Delivering Medication Therapy Management Services" at the WesternU College of Pharmacy on November 9, 2013. The program was presented by Veronica Bandy, PharmD, UOP School of Pharmacy and Hyma Gogineni, MS, PharmD, TTS, WesternU College of Pharmacy. Approximately 52 pharmacists attended this program.
Career Day
WesternU held its annual Career Day on November 5, 2013 to help our student pharmacists find intern positions. While the job market is still tight, it appears to be getting better. Among the companies represented were Kaiser, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Wal-Mart/Sam's Club, Vons/Safeway, Rite Aid, Indian Health Service, WesternU and RxRelief. Mark Iannuzzo did an excellent job in organizing the event as usual.
CSHP Seminar '13 at Disneyland Hotel
WesternU was well represented at the CSHP Seminar '13 at the Disneyland Hotel October 31, 2013 to November 3, 2013. WesternU's presence in the Exhibit Hall allowed us to reach out to our alumni, preceptors, donors, students, prospective students and prospective residents. We were able to promote our Scholarship Golf Tournament and Sterile Compounding continuing education program, recruit rotation sites and preceptors and thank our many friends for their continued support.
The WesternU CSHP Student Chapter was represented by delegates Jennifer Ito, Maira Khan, Purvi Vira and Kjersti Rich. Faculty members in the House of Delegates included Drs James Scott, Patrick Chan, Mark Nguyen and Sam Shimomura.
On Friday night, WesternU hosted a dinner for nearly 200 alumni, students, preceptors, faculty, staff, donors and other VIPs at the Naples Restaurante in Downtown Disney. The photos show everyone having a wonderful time.
WesternU faculty on the program included Dr Mark Nguyen who spoke on "Hyperglycemia in Critically Ill Patients: Does the Current Road Map Lead to Sweeter Success?" and Dr Cynthia Jackevicius presented "Demystifying Noninferiority Studies for the Clinician". Our alumni and preceptors were also well represented in the program as speakers and poster presenters.
Alumna Nancy Nguyen, PharmD, BCPS, AAHIVP and Cynthia Huang, PharmD, MBA were recognized as 2013 CSHP Fellows and student pharmacist Eva Levbarg received the CSHP Student Leadership Award.
The WesternU CSHP Student Chapter was represented by delegates Jennifer Ito, Maira Khan, Purvi Vira and Kjersti Rich. Faculty members in the House of Delegates included Drs James Scott, Patrick Chan, Mark Nguyen and Sam Shimomura.
On Friday night, WesternU hosted a dinner for nearly 200 alumni, students, preceptors, faculty, staff, donors and other VIPs at the Naples Restaurante in Downtown Disney. The photos show everyone having a wonderful time.
WesternU faculty on the program included Dr Mark Nguyen who spoke on "Hyperglycemia in Critically Ill Patients: Does the Current Road Map Lead to Sweeter Success?" and Dr Cynthia Jackevicius presented "Demystifying Noninferiority Studies for the Clinician". Our alumni and preceptors were also well represented in the program as speakers and poster presenters.
Alumna Nancy Nguyen, PharmD, BCPS, AAHIVP and Cynthia Huang, PharmD, MBA were recognized as 2013 CSHP Fellows and student pharmacist Eva Levbarg received the CSHP Student Leadership Award.
Rotations Fair
The Office of Experiential Education (OEE) coordinates Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs), Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs), and Advanced Elective (APs). Rotations make up almost 45% of the WesternU curriculum and are precepted by 28 full time paid pharmacy practice faculty and approximately 750 volunteer clinical faculty. There are over 250 clerkship sites primarily in Southern California but also in other parts of California, the United States and even some foreign countries. On October 24, 2013, the OEE hosted a Rotations Fair to give third year student pharmacists (Class of 2015) an opportunity to meet preceptors and learn more about the rotations they might want to select.
Interprofessional Education Case Discussion (IPE)
IPE is defined as "When students from two or more professions learn about, from and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes." WesternU brings together students from each of their nine health professional programs (pharmacy, podiatric medicine, graduate nursing, dental medicine, optometry, physical therapy, veterinary medicine and osteopathic medicine) to work together on cases, standardized patients and real patients. On October 16 and 23, WesternU students and faculty facilitators from various professions came together to discuss cases involving an obese, diabetic human patient and an obese, diabetic cat. Among other things, they learned about scope of practice, SOAP notes, health education, patient safety, communication and collaboration as well as about obesity and diabetes.
To learn more about IPE at WesternU visit the web site and the RxBound publication.
To learn more about IPE at WesternU visit the web site and the RxBound publication.
Reflections
Reflections are part of the first year curriculum. The IPPE student pharmacists who are on their community pharmacy experience meet weekly with faculty led my Dr Michael Hata to discuss their experience in the chain and independent pharmacies they were assigned in small groups. Drs Martinez, Gogginini, Shimomura and Mirales facilitated the small groups. They may also receive a lecture during this two hour session. Today, October 23, 2013, Dr Tony Park covered a pharmacy law topic.
Apothecary Olympics
The APhA/ASP/CPhA Student Chapter sponsored the annual Apothecary Olympics on October 23, 2013. Rumor has it that the second year Class of 2016 was the winner. Congratulations!
Contemporary Compounding Intensive Course
Congratulations to the 14 pharmacists and technicians who completed the Contemporary Intensive Course in Compounding this weekend (October 18-20, 2013) in our Professional Development Laboratory at WesternU. The course was taught by Drs Murray, Martinez, Mirales from WesternU as well as guest faculty Erik Tosh and Dana Nelson. Thank you too to our staff and graduate students who worked hard to provide a very successful continuing education program.
UC Irvine Pre-Pharmacy Society
UC Irvine is one of the major feeder colleges for WesternU as well as many other colleges of pharmacy around the country. WesternU, represented by Recruiter Vanessa Riggins, Associate Dean Dr Sam Shimomura and student pharmacists Stephanie Chau and Christine Nguyen spoke to over 80 UCI students on October 16, 2013. For more pictures see the UC Irvine Pre-Pharmacy Society Facebook page.
UC Davis 11th Annual Pre-Health Professions National Conference
Approximately 7,000 prospective students and 700 faculty and recruiters attended the 11th Annual UC Davis Pre-Medical & Pre-Health Professions National Conference on October 12-13, 2013. Representing WesternU were Dr Elizabeth Andrews from the College of Dentistry, Dr Sam Shimomura from the College of Pharmacy and Kelley Williford from University Recruiting. Pharmacy, Medicine, Dentistry, Public Health and Nursing schools from around the country and even some foreign countries were in attendance. The conference included numerous keynote presentations, 200 workshops and a Pre-Professions Fair.
AACP Virtual Fair
WesternU participated in the AACP Virtual Fair for prospective students interested in WesternU. The recruitment staff lead by our pharmacy recruiter, Vanessa Riggins as well as student pharmacist Adrian Lee, PharmD Candidate 2014 and Associate Dean Dr. Sam Shimomura participated in the chat room style event. Approximately 104 prospective students from around the country participated by asking questions about the admissions process, WesternU and the profession of pharmacy. The Fair took place for two three hour sessions on October 2 and 3, 2013.
CPhA Long Term Care Weekend
The CPhA Long Term Care Weekend was held at the Hyatt in Newport Beach on September 28 and 29, 2013. Drs Janice Hoffman and Sam Shimomura presented a lecture on AI: Apps and & Electronic Resources for Geriatrics. If you are interested in receiving a copy of the extensive handout on geriatric apps and web sites, email me at sshimo@westernu.edu.
Intensive Course in Geriatric Medicine and Pharmacy
The 30th Annual Intensive Course in Geriatric Medicine and Pharmacy and Board Review was help September 18-21, 2013 at the Marina del Rey Marriott. Approximately 70 of the 300 attendees were pharmacists who wanted to upgrade their knowledge of geriatrics and some were preparing to take the Certified Geriatric Pharmacist Examination. The WesternU College of Pharmacy cosponsors the program and provides the continuing education credit for pharmacists. Janice Hoffman, PharmD and Sam Shimomura, PharmD were also speakers on the program.
Interprofessional Dementia Workshop
UCLA presented a "Certification in Interprofessional Dementia Screening and Management" on September 17, 2013 at the Marina del Rey Marriott. Sam Shimomura, PharmD served as a facilitator for this workshop utilizing a standardized patient being care for by a team that included a pharmacist, nurse, physician and social worker or other health professional.
Dean's Advisory Council
On September 12, 2013, Dean Robinson held a Dean's Advisory Council meeting at WesternU. This prestigious group provides advice and intelligence reports on a wide range of healthcare topics. We have representatives from community, hospital, ambulatory, managed care, pharmaceutical industry, wholesale, academia and PBM practice. Steve Gray, PharmD from Kaiser Permanenete is the current Chair of this council.
Operation Education: Recruiting the Best and Brightest
Operation Education students help to recruit prospective students to WesternU by visiting local college and university campuses and by giving campus tours. They also help with Preview Day by participating in panels and giving tours. Staff from Recruitment led by Vanessa Riggins oriented the students on Operation Education with help from Dean Robinson, Associate Dean Sam Shimomura and staff Ligaya Chan September 11, 2013. Our next Preview Day is coming up November 16, 2013.
IPA Annual Conference & Trade Show
The Indian Pharmacists Association (IPA) held their 24th Annual Conference and Trade Show at the Orange County Hyatt on Saturday September 7, 2013. WesternU Provided two Continuing Education programs: "Managing Diabetes with Food, Activity and Medication" presented by Dr. David Pham and "Medicare Part D, A breakdown of the prescription drug benefit for seniors" presented by Dr. Micah Hata and student pharmacists Stephanie Wu and Paideia Le. WesternU also has a booth in the exhibit hall. Steve Gray, PharmD, JD., was the Keynote Speaker. Steve is currently President of CSHP and is a member of the WesternU Dean's Advisory Council. In addition, many WesternU faculty, student pharmacists, alumni and preceptors were actively involved in the conference. Also congratulations to three WesternU student pharmacists who received $1,000 scholarships at the evening banquet: Ashna Patel, PharmD Candidate 2014, Ankit Bhalodia, PharmD Candidate 2014 and Purvi Vira, PharmD Candidate 2016.
Posted by Dr. Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Posted by Dr. Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
South Bay Long Beach Society of Health System Leadership Breakfast
Amy Gutierrez, Chief Pharmacy officer of the LA County Department of Health presented an excellent lecture on "Sterile Compounding & Drug Diversion-Current Challenges" at the SBLBSHP Leadership Breakfast in Torrance on September 6, 2013. Amy is also a member of the California State Board of Pharmacy and the WesternU Dean's Advisory Council. Also in attendance were Steve Gray, Chair of the WesternU Dean's Advisory Council and WesternU alumni, Ketan Patell, PharmD 2006.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
CSHP Research and Education Foundation
Sam Shimomura and Maria Serpa were installed as members of the CSHP Research and Education Foundation at CSHP headquarters in Sacramento by President Nancy Korman. They then participated in a Board and Strategic Planning meetings on Friday, August 30, 2013.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FCSHP, FASHP, CGP
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FCSHP, FASHP, CGP
Leadership Retreat
Phi Sigma Lambda Sigma Nu leadership society hosted the 7th Annual Leadership Retreat on Saturday, August 24, 2013. The keynote speaker was Dr. Nancy Alvarez, Assistant Dean, Experiential Education & Continuing Professional Development at the new Chapman University School of Pharmacy. In addition, Dr Vinson Lee spoke on Networking and WesternU Alumni, Dr Ian Rojas and Dr Castor Phan shared their insights on Time Management and Resume/CV Preparation, respectively. Approximately 50 WesternU student pharmacists participated. The program was planned by Jenny Lee and the PLS officers under the direction of their faculty advisor, Dr Janice Hoffman.
Posted by Dr. Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Posted by Dr. Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Preview Day
Approximately 1,000 prospective students and their families attended Preview Day at WesternU on Saturday, August 24, 2013. Many of them were interested in pharmacy and attended the presentation by Dr Prabhu, Kathy Ford and our new recruiter Vanessa Ritter. In addition, student pharmacists Faith Weinberg-Levine and Thomas Jones participated in the student panel.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
2013 Pharmacy Mixer
The Phi Lambda Sigma Gamma Nu, the pharmacy leadership society, hosted a mixer for the WesternU student pharmacists on August 15, 2013. Participating organizations were: ASHP/CSHP, APhA/CPhA, NCPA, AMCP, Rho Chi Society and Kappa Psi.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Dean's Welcome Dinner
Dean Robinson welcomed WesternU student pharmacists to his home for a party to celebrate the start of the new school year on August 13, 2013. While all students were invited, most of the attendees were from the incoming Class of 2017. The event was sponsered by Albertsons/Savons, CVS and Walgreens.
John Jones Speaks to AMCP Student Chapter
John Jones is both a pharmacist and a lawyer and currently is on the WesternU Dean's Advisory Council. He is also President of AMCP and the recipient of the AMCP Steven G. Avey Award, the highest honor bestowed by AMCP. He spoked to the students about managed care, AMCP and his current position at OptumRx on August 15, 2013.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
NCPA Hosts First Guest Speaker of the Year
On August 14, 2013 the NCPA Student Chapter hosted their first guest speaker of the school year: Dr Hrach Yousefian, owner of Central Avenue Pharmacy. He described his journey from his homeland of Iran to becoming a successful pharmacy owner in Glendale on .
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Dean's College of Pharmacy Summer Welcome Dinner
Dean Robinson hosted all of the WesternU student pharmacist for an outdoor taco dinner on August 13, 2013. As you can tell from the photos, everyone had a great time. The event was sponsored by our friends at Albertsons, CVS and Walgreens.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
CPhA Visits WesternU
Marshal Abdullah, PharmD, is the new Student Pharmacist Development Liaison for CPhA. He shared his experience as a student pharmacist at USC and how his career developed into his current position. He visited on August 13, 2013 and also attended the Dean's Summer Party.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
IPA Officers Visit WesternU
Officers of the Indian Pharmacists Association visited WesternU on August 12, 2013. They encouraged the students to attend the upcoming IPA Trade Show September 7, 2013 at the Orange County Hyatt in Garden Grove.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
CSHP Visits WesternU
On August 12, 2013, Megan Blackwell, Director of Membership and Marketing and CSHP President Steve Gray visited the CSHP Student Chapter at WesternU. They welcomed the new student pharmacists and met with the WesternU CSHP Faculty Advisors Dr Patrick Chan and Dr Mark Nguyen.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Convocation, White Coat and President's Lunch
On August 10, 2013, WesternU students celebrated the end of Orientation Week and the start of their career as a health professional at the Convocation held at the Fairplex in Pomona. This was followed by the White Coat Ceremony and then the President's BBQ Lunch and the Vendor Fair on the WesternU Campus.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Welcome to WesternU Class of 2017 and IPBP Class of 2016
The WesternU College of Pharmacy welcomed the PharmD Class of 2017 and the IPBP Class of 2016 during Orientation Week August 8-10, 2013.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Visit to Ken Thai's El Monte Pharmacy
Ken Thai is one of our most respected and valuable preceptor and supporter. He precepts numerous students from several pharmacy schools and technician programs including WesternU. He also participates in Dr Martinez independent community pharmacy advanced elective and is a significant donor to our college. Dr Martinez, Renee Cook, Jeff Mallet, Rodney Tanaka and I visited El Monte Pharmacy on July 3, 2013 to do an interview and story for our next issue of RxBound which will focus on the new legislation on provider status (SB 493). Ken has also been interviewed by the media on this subject.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
7/4/13
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
7/4/13
Contemporary Compounding Intensive CE
Our compounding CE received rave reviews from the pharmacists and technicians who attended the program this past weekend (June 28-30, 2013) thanks to the excellent faculty: Erik Tosh, Wallace Murray, Jesse Martinez, Rudy Mirales and Dana Nelson. In addition, they received strong staff support from Renee Cook, Ligaya Sanchez Chan, Jennifer Sandoval and Jillian Matzer as well as from graduate students Alec LaCuran, Olivia Lin and Jenny Nguyen. Thanks too to my two rotation students, Heather Nguyen and Katie Yomen who helped with taking some of the photos below.
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
7/1/13
Posted by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
7/1/13
End of Rotation Presentations
Many rotations require a project/presentation as part of the requirements for completing a rotation. On Thursday, June 27, 2013 five P3 students presented to their preceptors and other student pharmacists: Dhruv Patel (Nesina, Alogliptin), Simon Huang (Prevention of Recurrent VTE), Amy Le (Pharmacist Provider Status Bill SB 493), Katie Yomen (Management of Acute Cough) and Heather Nguyen (Diclegis for Pregnancy related Nausea and Vomiting). Congratulations on excellent presentations!
Posted 6/30/13 by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
Posted 6/30/13 by Sam Shimomura, PharmD, FASHP, CGP
New Student Housing at WesternU
Ground has been broken for a new four story student housing complex scheduled to be completed by August, 2014. The $45 million dollar complex will be a mix of studio, one- and two- bedroom apartments and will also house 10,000 square feet of academic space. The site is just east of the Health Professions Building. For more information see article in Daily Bulletin and the WesternU press release.
Posted June 26, 2013
Posted June 26, 2013
Happy Birthday Dean Robinson
Posted on June 11, 2013
Parkinson's CE Event
Dr. Sam Shimomura and Dr. Jack Chen (formerly with WesternU and now with Loma Linda) facilitated a 3.5 hour continuing education program entitled "The Unique Challenges of Managing Parkinson's Disease: Actionable Insights for Pharmacists" on June 8, 2013 at the Irvine Marriott. The program was provided free by the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy with the support of an educational grant from Teva Neuroscience.
Posted on June 10, 2013
WesternU Golf Classic Tournament 2013 - May 23, 2013
My current student pharmacists, Heather Nguyen, PharmD Candidate 2014 and Katie Yomen, PharmD Candidate 2014 joined with other WesternU student pharmacists, staff and faculty in orchestrating a very successful golf tournament. Over 90 golfers participated in our inaugural golf tournament at the Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon on May 23, 2013.
Click here for more Pictures!
Click here to view the Press release
Posted on June 3, 2013
