DUBLIN, Ohio, April 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Student pharmacists
from across the country and a clinical professor of pharmacy were
honored recently for their outstanding efforts in preventing
prescription medication misuse. The recognitions are part of
Generation Rx, an ongoing education and outreach initiative created
by the Cardinal Health Foundation and The Ohio
State University College of Pharmacy, in partnership with
the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).
"According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, more than 15 million people, 12 years old and
above, use prescription drugs non-medically every year," said
Betsy Walker, director of Community
Relations at Cardinal Health. "Pharmacists and student pharmacists
play a critical role in prevention education: helping parents,
educators, community leaders and teens understand the dangers of
misusing prescription drugs. The Cardinal Health Foundation is
pleased to work with APhA to recognize their incredible work."
The organizations presented the sixth annual APhA Academy of
Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) Generation Rx Awards during the
APhA2016 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Baltimore on March
4; they also presented a pharmacy professor with an APhA
Generation Rx Award of Excellence.
The APhA-ASP Generation Rx Awards are part of a national
competition among APhA-ASP chapters. In 2015, student pharmacists
from 91 chapters conducted more than 1,000 Generation Rx
presentations and educated more than 165,000 children, teens,
college students and adults. Winning chapters were selected for
their collaborative efforts on campus, with pharmacists, community
outreach programs and local organizations to expand the breadth and
depth of prescription drug misuse education.
In addition to a monetary prize, three national APhA-ASP
Generation Rx award winners will receive a trip to Salt Lake City, UT to present at the APhA
Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependencies in June. The national
winners are:
- National Award ($1,000):
East Tennessee State University Bill
Gatton College of Pharmacy, Johnson City,
TN
- National 1st Runner-Up Award ($750): University of
Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy,
Little Rock, AR
- National 2nd Runner-Up Award ($500): The University
of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy,
Memphis, TN
Eight regional APhA-ASP awards were also presented; each chapter
received $250. Regional winners
are:
- Region 1 Award: D'Youville
College School of Pharmacy, Buffalo, NY
- Region 2 Award: West Virginia
University School of Pharmacy, Morgantown, WV
- Region 3 Award: University of
Florida College of Pharmacy, Gainesville, FL
- Region 4 Award: University of
Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, KY
- Region 5 Award: University of
Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Minneapolis, MN
- Region 6 Award: Harding
University College of Pharmacy, Searcy, AR
- Region 7 Award: Idaho State
University College of Pharmacy, Pocatello, ID
- Region 8 Award: The University of
New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Albuquerque, NM
The APhA Generation Rx Award of Excellence was given to
Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD, BCPS, a
clinical professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy.
Bratberg currently serves on the Rhode
Island Governor's Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task
Force. In 2012, Bratberg and a student pharmacist co-developed an
overdose education and training program for pharmacists in the
first-in-nation, statewide Collaborative Pharmacy Practice
Agreement for naloxone. In accepting his award, Bratberg said he is
most proud of "the successful careers of the hundreds of students
I've taught."
Bratberg will also receive a stipend to attend the APhA
Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependencies.
"We are extremely proud to recognize Dr. Bratberg for his
commitment to his community and his students, and for his efforts
in the areas of drug abuse and overdose education," said
Elizabeth Cardello, BPharm, APhA
Senior Director of Corporate Alliances.
The awards mark a continuation of the APhA and Cardinal Health
Foundation partnership to prevent the misuse of prescription
medications. The organizations work together to provide a
comprehensive education program to aid pharmacists and student
pharmacists in educating their communities about the dangers of
prescription drug misuse.
About the Cardinal Health Foundation
The Cardinal
Health Foundation supports local, national and international
programs that improve health care efficiency, effectiveness and
excellence and the overall wellness of the communities where the
more than 36,000 employees of Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH) live and
work. The Cardinal Health Foundation also offers grants to
encourage community service among its employees and works through
international agencies to donate medical supplies and funding to
those who need them in times of disaster. Learn more here, or visit
our Facebook page.
About the American Pharmacists Association
The
American Pharmacists Association (APhA), founded in 1852 as the
American Pharmaceutical Association, is a 501 (c)(6) organization,
representing more than 63,000 practicing pharmacists,
pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy
technicians and others interested in advancing the profession.
APhA, dedicated to helping all pharmacists improve medication use
and advance patient care, is the first-established and largest
association of pharmacists in the United States. To learn more,
visit www.pharmacist.com.
About APhA-ASP
The American Pharmacists Association –
Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) is the student pharmacist
section of APhA, representing student pharmacists at every school
and college of pharmacy in the United
States and Puerto Rico. It
is the largest student pharmacy organization nationwide. The
mission of APhA-ASP is to be the collective voice of student
pharmacists, to provide opportunities for professional growth, to
improve patient care and to envision and advance the future of
pharmacy. To learn more, visit www.pharmacist.com/apha-asp.
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SOURCE Cardinal Health Foundation