Sep 14, 2007

The University of Appalachia College of Pharmacy (UACP) recently won a statewide competition among Virginia’s four pharmacy schools. The competition, held during the Virginia Pharmacists Association Annual meeting at Virginia Beach, was sponsored by the Association.

The student team of Emily Blackwell, David Elefterion, Jackie Hackney and Larissa Taylor, with Eli Wentz serving as an alternate, won the "Student Self-Care Championship" which tests future pharmacists in their ability to determine which over-the-counter and self-care products are appropriate for a patient and which may dangerously interact in certain diseases or with prescription drugs or render those drugs useless. The basis of the event is to address appropriate drug therapy, drug interactions or reactions, a growing cause of medical injuries. UACP holds health fairs that emphasize the need for patients to disclose even the most innocent sounding non-prescription medications and natural supplements to their health care providers, including pharmacists.

The faculty advisors and coaches for this event were Dr. Holly Hurley and Dr. Sarah Melton. Both were excited about and proud of the outstanding performance and poise demonstrated by the UACP third year students. The students worked hard and performed well; we couldn’t be more proud of them," stated Dr. Hurley.

UACP will graduate its first class next May and is the state’s only three-year doctor of pharmacy program. Its accelerated year-round curriculum and intense clinical experience allow a student to graduate a year earlier than a traditional four-year program but receive the equivalent classroom contact and practice experience. "Our statewide performance demonstrates that our students have learned well from our curriculum", noted Dr. Sue Cantrell, the pharmacy program’s dean. "Our faculty members are very dedicated professionals whose commitment to delivering an excellent pharmacy education program is extraordinary; their dedication to student learning is reinforced by this success and the very high reviews students have received from the clinical site hosts with whom we have partnered in several states."

UACP, located in Grundy, is committed to excellence in pharmacy education, scholarship and improving the health of underserved communities in Central Appalachia and other similar rural underserved areas. Cantrell stated "We are a rural pharmacy school with a mission of teaching Central Appalachian students how to become good health care providers and leaders in their communities. We have several students from outside the region who are now contemplating staying in the mountains. That is a real compliment.”

For more information about UACP, visit www.uacp.org.

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