University of Charleston School of Pharmacy Charleston, WV
The University of Charleston School of Pharmacy partnered with the University’s Nursing Program, Physician Assistant Program, several student organizations, and numerous community partners to sponsor 34 innovative medication adherence events. In addition to directly counseling nearly 2,000 patients, the team expanded their reach beyond West Virginia, reaching more than 33,000 people via social media, collecting over 3,000 “I Will” pledges through online and in-person distribution, and hosting a BlogTalk radio series that reached more than 200,000 people. The team also coordinated a Pharmacist’s Day at the Legislature, where 280 student pharmacists educated more than 1,500 legislators and Capitol guests on the importance of medication adherence and provided point-of-care testing. In addition to interventions addressing cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and diabetes, many of the Charleston team’s activities focused on educating the community on prescription drug misuse and abuse, given West Virginia’s opioid crisis. These activities included providing naloxone training to high school students, and continuing their “Generation Rx” program, which educated 300 elementary school students on medication adherence, medication safety, and proper medication disposal.
University of the Sciences Philadelphia College of Pharmacy Philadelphia, PA
University of the Sciences Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (USciences) continued to build upon their award-winning work from last year, reaching nearly 8,000 people through 19 community events and social media outreach. Students from USciences’ Colleges of Pharmacy and Health Sciences comprised the interprofessional team. In addition, they partnered with Temple University’s Schools of Dentistry and Medicine, medical, physician assistant, and nursing students from Drexel University and Jefferson University, along with several community organizations. The team directly counseled over 600 patients, collected over 600 “I Will” pledges, and expanded upon the medication adherence wallet cards by creating a larger, color-coded medication schedule to aid patients with physical or visual impairments in appropriate medication administration. Other activities included regular patient education tables at Sunray Drugs, Philadelphia’s largest cohort of independent pharmacies; inclusion in the West Philadelphia Weekly newspaper; visits to assisted living facilities in the Philadelphia region; and participation in numerous health fairs, including the “Know Your Numbers” Men’s Health Initiative of 2018, Philadelphia’s largest screening event for men. The team also created two excellent videos: one highlighting their outreach efforts during the Challenge, and a PSA emphasizing the importance of medication adherence.
Pacific University School of Pharmacy, Hillsboro, OR
Rookie Award
Pacific University School of Pharmacy, in conjunction with the university’s College of Optometry and Schools of Graduate Psychology and Dental Hygiene, made an excellent showing in their second year of competing in the Team Challenge. Their activities included participation in several health fairs, outreach to psychology and optometry clinics, an excellent animated video about the importance of medication adherence, and the distribution of Script Your Future wallet cards at “Potluck in the Park,” a program that serves free hot meals and other services to the transient population in Portland.
2018 Focused Award Winners
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) Erie, PA and Bradenton, FL
Health Disparities/Under-represented Community Outreach Award
Pharmacy, medical, nursing, and dental students from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) addressed barriers to medication adherence through robust outreach to pediatric, elderly, and homeless populations in Erie (PA) and Manatee (FL) Counties. LECOM’s efforts included participation in the “Give Kids a Smile” event, which targets children from low-income families with no access to dental care or dental insurance; the “Project Rainbow” event which promotes safe medication use for pediatric patients with disabilities, presentations to seniors in retiree homes and mobile home parks; and providing blood pressure and glucose screenings for the homeless.
Touro University California College of Pharmacy, Vallejo, CA
Communication and Media Outreach Award
This year’s Media/Communications Outreach Award went to Touro University California College of Pharmacy, who through several media platforms reached close to 10,000 people. Touro’s team produced an exceptional animated video educating patients, friends, and caregivers on how to broach the subject of medication adherence. The team also educated thousands of people through social media and published an Op-Ed providing tips for caregivers and patients with chronic disease to use when speaking to a healthcare provider.
University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy Pittsburgh, PA
Creative Inter-Professional Team Event Award
The University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy partnered with every health and science school at their institution — including the Schools of Dental Medicine, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Public Health, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work — to conduct several outstanding events that raised the importance of adherence in their community. In addition to patient counseling and point-of-care testing, other activities included tabling in various inpatient and outpatient locations, distributing pill boxes, conducting medication reconciliations, and participation in the University’s SilverScripts program, which targets the geriatric population in Pittsburgh. Ultimately, the team conducted over 2,000 one-on-one patient encounters.