USN South Jordan Students Partner with Healthy South Jordan for Drug Take-Back

The USN South Jordan Drug Abuse Awareness Team (DAAT) has partnered with Healthy South Jordan and the South Jordan Police Department to participate in a second prescription drug collection event in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) nationwide drug take-back efforts. Simply drive up and drop off your medications anonymously, with no questions asked.

When: Saturday, April 30, 2011

Where: South Jordan City Hall
1600 Towne Center Blvd.
South Jordan, UT 84095

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

This event is part of a national drug take-back initiative sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in partnership with local communities. The South Jordan Police Department will be on hand to collect the medication and ensure its safe transportation to the disposal facilities.

The goal of the Drug Abuse Awareness Team and its partners is to keep medications out of the wrong hands. Those vulnerable to misuse and abuse–children, teens, and adults addicted to prescription medication–often get the drugs from the home medicine cabinets of friends and family.

For information on other collection sites participating in the national drug take-back event throughout Utah, visit the DEA’s website or the Proper Medication Disposal site for Utah. If you cannot make it to an event on April 30th, visit www.medicationdisposal.utah.gov for a list of permanent prescription and over-the-counter drug collection sites in Utah near you.

USN and Law Enforcement Announce Operation Medicine Cabinet Drug Collection Event

In conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Take Back Initiative, law enforcement from throughout Southern Nevada have joined University of Southern Nevada to present Operation Medicine Cabinet.

Unused and expired drugs may be dropped off anonymously and with no-questions-asked for safe disposal during the one-day, drive-through event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30 at the following locations:

LVMPD Northwest Area Command – 9850 W Cheyenne Ave.
LVMPD Enterprise Area Command – 6975 W Windmill Ln.
LVMPD South Central Area Command – 4860 Las Vegas Blvd S.
LVMPD South East Area Command – 3675 E Harmon Ave.
Henderson PD – Galleria at Sunset (north parking lot) 1300 W. Sunset Road
Boulder City PD – Boulder Dam Credit Union, 530 Avenue G
Mesquite PD – 695 Mayan Cir.

Members of the USN College of Pharmacy’s Drug Abuse Awareness Team will be helping conduct the collection events at all Southern Nevada locations.

To help curb the misuse and abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs, Southern Nevada residents are encouraged to participate.

USN Pharmacy Students Offer Health Screenings at the State Capitol

Four USN College of Pharmacy students, along with two faculty, conducted free health screenings for legislators, lobbyists and staffers at the Nevada State Capitol building on President’s Day. An astonishing number of people took advantage of the screenings that included blood glucose screenings, which was made possible by the passage of SB72 during the last legislative session, and heart disease screenings that included blood pressure checks. Students also educated people about heartburn prevention and treatment, offering free samples of Prilosec. Pens, pencils, and other various and sundry items were also given out.

The students performed 122 screenings for heart disease and 116 blood glucose screenings throughout the day.

Webisode: South Jordan NCPA Chapter Presents Career Day to Middle School Students

In this USN Webisode, the USN South Jordan chapter of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) partners with the Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) to present a career day at Willowbrook Middle School in Lehi. Second year Doctor of Pharmacy student and current NCPA Chapter President for the South Jordan campus Jeffery Wainwright and his fellow NCPA members educated seventh graders about the many different and rewarding roles and responsibilities of pharmacists.

USN Pharmacy Students Triumph in National Skills Competition

Lynsee Harsfield and Kevin Maeda, third-year Doctor of Pharmacy students at University of Southern Nevada’s College of Pharmacy, placed in the Top 10 on Saturday in the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists National Clinical Skills Competition in Anaheim, Calif.

More than 100 teams from pharmacy colleges across the country participated in the two-day competition that included an evaluation of student teams participating in clinical scenarios. The teams were judged on their problem-solving skills and knowledge in the areas of pathophysiology, clinical pharmacology and therapeutics, clinical laboratory data interpretation, medical terminology and abbreviations, and basic pharmacokinetics principles.

“We’re very proud of Lynsee and Kevin for their outstanding performance in an extremely challenging competition,” said Dr. Mark Decerbo, associate professor of pharmacy practice at USN. “They should also be commended for being the first-ever USN team to place in the Top 10 in this important annual competition.”

USN South Jordan Student and NCPA Chapter Win National Awards

In this photo: Top, left to right: Anil Harkhani, Afton Yurkon (NCPA Student Affairs Director), Ayano Mizote, Dr. Diane Swaffar. Bottom, left to right: Ian Borovatz, Salvador Rivas (former South Jordan student, now at Henderson campus), Scott Mitchell. Missing: Carlos Mijares, Que-Chau Ngo

The pharmacy program at USN is not easy, and when students get involved in campus organizations and community service, it makes a demanding program even more so. One such student, Anil Harkhani, was recognized with an NCPA Foundation Presidential Scholarship at the Annual Convention in Philadelphia for excelling academically in pharmacy school, and for getting involved in extracurricular activities and community service.

This prestigious scholarship is a highly competitive award, given to only 15 students out of hundreds of applicants from around the country. Applicants are judged on demonstrated excellence in leadership, superior academic performance, interest in independent community pharmacies, and vision for developing innovative pharmacy practices. Anil is a second-year pharmacy student, dually enrolled in the MBA program, a native of New Jersey, and currently serves as the Secretary of the USN-South Jordan NCPA Student Chapter.

Students Ayano Mizote (left) and Anil Harkhani (right) show their awards.

Anil, along with five other South Jordan chapter students (Ayano Mizote, Carlos Mijares, Ian Borovatz, Scott Mitchell and Que-Chau Ngo) and faculty advisor Dr. Diane Swaffar attended the Annual Convention to accept the NCPA Most Improved Chapter of the Year Dargavel Award. The NCPA South Jordan chapter was recognized for its community service projects, chapter programming, fundraising, national NCPA meeting attendance, and promoting pharmacy ownership during the 2009-2010 school year. Competition for these awards is high, since there are 90 active student chapters throughout the U.S.

Ayano Mizote was one of 31 students selected by her chapter to receive an award for being an outstanding member and exceptional leader.

NCPA South Jordan chapter convention attendees (from left to right): Carlos Mijares, Ian Borovatz, Ayano Mizote, Scott Mitchell, Que-Chau Ngo, Salvador Rivas (former South Jordan student, now at Henderson campus). Missing: Anil Harkhani

The NCPA was founded in 1898 and represents the nation’s community pharmacists, including more than 23,000 independent pharmacies in the U.S. The NCPA’s mission is to support the growth of community pharmacy in the U.S., and promote high-quality pharmacist care and the health and well being of the public.

USN Professor Featured as Guest on KNPR’s State of Nevada

Dr. Paul Oesterman, associate professor of pharmacy practice, was a guest on KNPR’s State of Nevada radio program today to discuss the issue of synthetic marijuana, also known as K2. Teens are now using the cannabinoid incense to get high, with some landing in the emergency room. A Downtown Las Vegas smoke shop was recently shut down and fined by the city after being deemed a nuisance.

Listen to Dr. Oesterman on KNPR here where he talks about the dangers of K2.

USN South Jordan Professor’s Research Makes National Headlines

Jennifer Strohecker, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Southern Nevada’s South Jordan, Utah campus, has made national news with research she conducted, along with colleagues at the Intermountain Medical Center’s Heart Institute, on the dangers of mixing prescription medications with herbal supplements.

Strohecker presented the findings to the annual scientific meeting of the American Heart Association on Monday, and the story appeared in several local and national media outlets.

Watch the local news coverage here:

KSL Channel 5 News
ABC Channel 4 News

Read the stories here:

Utah Experts Warn Against Mixing Warfarin with Dietary Supplements (Deseret News)
Herbal Supplements May Pose Risk for People on Clotting Drugs (Bloomberg News)
Garlic, Gingko and Warfarin May be Risky Drug Combinations, Study Finds (Bloomberg News)
Some Supplement-Medication Combinations Make Dangerous Mix (ABC News)
Heart Drugs and Supplements a Risky Mix (CNN Health)
Using supplements with blood thinner may be risky, study finds (Boston Globe)

USN Pharmacy Grads Continue to Excel on Board Exams

According to data received from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), USN is proud to report that its pharmacy graduates continue to post above-average results on the NAPLEX exam, the board exam required to become a registered pharmacist.

During the reporting period of May to August 2010, 150 of 152 USN pharmacy graduates passed the exam on their first try, resulting in a first-time pass rate of 98.6 percent. This is above the national first-time passing rate of 95.3 percent and Nevada’s passing rate of 94.5 percent.

The average score of USN pharmacy graduates was 108.3, compared to the national average of 103.6. The high score among USN graduates was 135, with several scoring close at 133 and 131. Additionally, 29.6 percent scored in the upper 10th percentile nationally, 13.2 in the upper 5th percentile and 7.9 percent in the upper 1 percentile.

The university also received results data from the NABP for the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE). USN students who took the exam had a passing rate of 99.25 percent, compared to the national average of 95.5 percent for first time takers. The MPJE tests knowledge of pharmacy law. It is required as a prerequisite for a pharmacy license by 43 states and the District of Columbia.

Congratulations to all of USN’s pharmacy graduates for their continued success. We wish them great success in their new and exciting pharmacy careers.

 

USN to Help Present Operation Medicine Cabinet in Boulder CIty

In conjunction with the Boulder City Health Festival, the Boulder City Police Department has joined Boulder City Hospital, the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce and the USN Drug Abuse Awareness Team to present “Operation Medicine Cabinet,” an event designed to combat prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse.

Unused and expired drugs may be dropped off anonymously and with no-questions-asked for safe disposal from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23 at the Boulder City Recreation Center, located at 900 Arizona St. Free health screenings and information from more than 60 organizations will also be featured as part of the Boulder City Health Festival.

“We encourage all Boulder City residents to clean out their medicine cabinets and join us in safely disposing expired or unneeded medications,” said Boulder City Police Chief Thomas Finn. “This effort will help us curtail the growing threat of prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse in our community.”