October 9, 2018

OXFORD, Miss. ­– Corinne Sweeney and Kai-Wei Wu, graduate students in the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, both placed in the top three of the graduate poster competition at the 2018 Mississippi IDeA conference held in July, in Jackson, MS.

Corinne Sweeney

Sweeney, who won first place, presented a poster focused on optimizing an oral delivery platform for the treatment of malaria caused by P. vivax. The compound used in the formulation is a new 8-aminoquinoline, NPC1161 B, currently being used in the late pre-clinical treatment for malaria. Her work shows promise for an alternate oral delivery platform for treating malaria. 

Kai-Wei Wu

Wu, who won third place presented research focused on targeted delivery to the liver through the oral route using nanoformulations. 

Soumyajit Majumdar, associate dean for research and graduate programs, is Sweeney’s and Wu’s adviser.

July 9, 2018

University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy admissions counselor Meredith Pyle

Why did you want to become an admissions counselor with the School of Pharmacy?

Being an admissions counselor for Ole Miss is the perfect fit for me. I am originally from Georgia, but when I came to Ole Miss as a freshman, I immediately began calling Oxford home. I love sharing with prospective students about my time as an undergraduate here and the opportunities that Ole Miss has to offer. I am so excited to get on the road and meet with students at colleges throughout the state!

What do you like to tell students who are considering Ole Miss Pharmacy?

Ole Miss Pharmacy has so much to offer students! Our class size each year is 115 students, which makes our admissions process competitive. Once you enter the program, you will find there will be some tough classes and long days, but being a part of the Ole Miss Pharmacy Phamily provides an exceptional community! Our job placement rate has been 100% for the last three years and our students excel on board exams. You can feel confident that you are investing in a quality education!

What are some of your favorite things about Ole Miss?

Ole Miss Baseball at Swayze Field, watching Rebel hoops at the Pavilion, red tulips in front of the Lyceum, trash can Fridays, the Double Decker Arts Festival and always knowing I will see a familiar face when I am out and about on campus.

What do you like about Oxford?

I love the small town vibe of Oxford. It offers something for everyone and has everything you might need—from shopping to great dining options to live music. I love getting to know people in the Oxford community through events like Double Decker. Also being just an hour from Memphis, it is easy to catch a good concert or a sporting event!

September 18, 2017

By Sydney Slotkin DuPriest

OXFORD, Miss. – On Wednesday, Sep. 13, the Department of Pharmacy Administration honored Steve Blackwell with its 2017 Alumnus of the Year award.

Blackwell earned his Ph.D. in pharmacy administration from the School of Pharmacy in 1998. For nearly the past 20 years, he has worked with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as a social science research analyst with the Research and Rapid-Cycle Evaluation Group in the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

Pharmacy administration chair John Bentley (right) presents Steve Blackwell with the department’s Alumnus of the Year award.

As part of his visit to the school to accept the award, Blackwell delivered a seminar called “The Life of a Federal Researcher,” that covered some of the research he’s contributed to as part of CMS.

“Working with the federal government means I have a chance to change healthcare,” Blackwell said.

Blackwell became a practicing pharmacist in 1983 and later completed law school prior to earning his Ph.D. at the University of Mississippi. During graduate school, he taught the pharmacy law course. After school, he worked with the Clinton administration as a presidential management intern to the federal government in 1998. One year later, he went to work with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In addition to his work with CMS, Blackwell works part time as a retail pharmacist.

Chair of the Department of Pharmacy Administration John Bentley said Blackwell continues to be in contact with the department and is interested in learning about its activities and developments.

“Steve is a very positive person with a deep commitment to the profession of pharmacy and the discipline of pharmacy administration,” Bentley said. “His work with CMS has helped shape federal policy regarding medication management.”

Bentley also credited Blackwell with influencing the direction of the department when Blackwell suggested something called the Prescription Continuity of Care System in the early 2000s. This project set the foundation for the department’s use of Medicaid and Medicare data in its research.

Alicia Bouldin, professor of pharmacy administration, earned her Ph.D. at the same time as Blackwell, even sharing neighboring cubicles with him in the graduate student office.

“We all stopped by his desk often,” Bouldin said. “He said that’s why he kept a bucket of Dubble Bubble gum on his desk corner, but it wasn’t the gum that was the real attraction. While he exemplified focused dedication to his work in that often-hectic environment, Steve was always ready to share a smile. His frequent words of encouragement when the load got heavy were welcomed and we respected his wisdom.”

April 27, 2017

By Anna Herd

OXFORD, Miss. – Two Ole Miss chapters of pharmacy honors societies will co-host a banquet this Friday to initiate new members into both societies and recognize the outstanding academics and leadership of existing society members.

The UM chapter of the Rho Chi Society, which honors pharmacy academic achievement, will induct 22 second-year pharmacy students, 15 graduate students and two faculty members. Pharmacy students must be academically in the top 20% of their class to be considered for Rho Chi.

UM School of Pharmacy students

“Being inducted into Rho Chi provides opportunities for pharmacy students to serve their colleagues, communities and patients,” said Erin Holmes, pharmacy administration associate professor and the Rho Chi faculty treasurer. “We’re so proud to see our very deserving students and colleagues inducted into both of these prestigious societies.”

Phi Lambda Sigma honors those who demonstrate leadership in pharmacy, and the Ole Miss chapter will induct 27 students and two faculty members. Student inductees into Phi Lambda Sigma must be nominated by their peers who are currently in the organization. Five students will be inducted into both Phi Lambda Sigma and Rho Chi.

“My favorite part of being involved with Phi Lambda Sigma is watching the students’ leadership skills evolve over time,” said Lauren Bloodworth, clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice and a Phi Lambda Sigma faculty advisor. “They begin their journey with limited experience and gradually develop skills that help them flourish by the end of their professional school tenure.”

The banquet and initiation ceremony will be held at the Jackson Avenue Center on Friday, April 28.

April 25, 2017

By Anna Herd

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy was recently named one of the best financial values in the country among pharmacy programs in a study by personal finance and loan refinancing company SoFi.

The University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy

The School of Pharmacy ranked twelfth nationwide based on the ratio of its graduates’ average salary to average student loan debt. The study used data from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy on first-year tuition and fees and student loan debt from more than 60 programs around the country, as well as from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on median salaries of 2016 graduates.

The average salary for a UM pharmacy graduate is $120,269, which is just under the national median pharmacist salary of $121,500. However, UM pharmacy graduates have an average of $98,051 in student loan debt, almost 40 percent lower than $157,425, the national average of pharmacy students’ debt. This 1.2-to-1 ratio of salary to debt accounts for UM pharmacy’s high rank in the SoFi study.

“Our focus as a school continues to be on value, which we measure by cost and quality,” said David Gregory, associate dean for student affairs at the UM School of Pharmacy. “We are grateful for this recognition and will continue to work to advance on the value scale for pharmacy education.”

Starting salaries for UM pharmacy graduates are on the rise, which may be due to the shortage of healthcare professionals in Mississippi, especially in more rural areas. In 2015, the Mississippi Legislature addressed this issue by expediting licensure for rural practitioners. Mississippi is ranked fifth nationwide in demand for pharmacists, according to the Pharmacist Demand Indicator.

“In order to continue to recruit student pharmacists to take on public health issues, we must be competitive in all areas,” said David D. Allen, dean of the School of Pharmacy. “Being a good value in addition to being an outstanding program enhances our ability to attract the top students.”

April 18, 2017

By Anna Herd

JACKSON, Miss. – Third-year pharmacy students at the University of Mississippi will have the opportunity to meet their preceptors, or the professional pharmacists they’ll work with during their fourth-year rotations, at the annual Preceptor Conference on Thursday, April 19, at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in Jackson.

Associate Dean Leigh Ann Ross speaks at the 2016 Preceptor Conference.

At the conference, students will be able to ask their preceptors questions to prepare for working at the ten practice sites they’ll visit during rotations. Preceptors will also learn about pharmacy education and preceptor development.

Fourth-year students will spend one month at each rotation site, which can be located anywhere from an independent retail pharmacy to a hospital pharmacy, usually within the state. At the end of their fourth year, students should be well prepared to work as professional pharmacists in a broad range of practice settings.

“During these rotations, a student participates in their preceptor’s daily responsibilities, and generally becomes an extension of the preceptor by the end of the rotation,” said Kris Harrell, associate professor of pharmacy practice and the school’s director of both the Professional Experience Program and Experiential Affairs.

Pharmacists must apply to become preceptors, and their applications must be approved by the Tripartite Committee, made up of the School of Pharmacy, the Mississippi State Board of Pharmacy and state pharmacy association leadership, as well as the Board of Trustees of the Institutions of Higher Learning.

“Preceptors are usually looking to give back to the profession, and they’re chosen because they show a desire and interest to teach future pharmacists,” Harrell said.

Stephanie Sollis, a fourth-year pharmacy student from Corning, Arkansas, felt it was important to make sure she had personal connections with her preceptors when she attended the Preceptor Conference last year.

“For third-year students, I would remember that this may be your chance to make a great first impression,” Sollis said. “Feel free to ask questions about what you may do on rotations, as well as about the practice site in general.”

For many students on rotations, the pharmacists and other practitioners they meet will be valuable contacts and mentors when entering the job market.

“The mentorship preceptors provide for our students is extremely important,” said David D. Allen, dean of the UM School of Pharmacy. “We are very grateful for their contributions to our students’ education and experience.”

March 27, 2017

By Anna Herd

OXFORD, Miss. – Alix Cawthon, a second-year pharmacy student at the University of Mississippi, is the winner of a Kappa Epsilon Zada M. Cooper Scholarship.

Alix Cawthon

Kappa Epsilon is a professional pharmacy fraternity founded in 1921 with the mission to serve women pharmacists, and now champions women’s health issues. The fraternity’s foundation promotes scholastic and professional advancement among its members with awards, fellowships and scholarships such as the Zada M. Cooper Scholarship, a $750 award given to five students each year.

Cawthon became a member of the UM chapter of Kappa Epsilon as a sophomore in the Early Entry pharmacy program. After a year, she became the organization’s secretary and now serves as the Kappa Epsilon president.

 “While Alix has demonstrated she can excel within the academic rigor of a challenging pharmacy curriculum, perhaps one of her most outstanding characteristics is the ability to accomplish so much academically with a humble and quiet approach, coupled with her service to others,” said David Gregory, associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Pharmacy. “She is well respected by the faculty, her fellow students and certainly by our administration.”

Cawthon, an Abita Springs, Louisiana, native, plans to complete at least one year in a hospital residency program upon completing her Pharm.D., where she hopes to specialize in infectious diseases.

“Receiving this national scholarship will hopefully give me a leg up in the residency application process, and, of course, it also helps alleviate the burden of student loans,” Cawthon said.

Cawthon spent an extensive amount of time on the scholarship application, which required several essays about her career goals and how she will contribute to Kappa Epsilon in the future.

“Alix is a very bright young woman with innate abilities,” said Rachel Robinson, pharmacy practice professor and faculty adviser of Kappa Epsilon. “She has an intellectual curiosity that is indicative of her skills and willingness to learn.”

Kappa Epsilon presented the Zada M. Cooper Scholarships at the American Pharmacists Association annual meeting and exposition on March 25 in San Francisco.

March 17, 2017

By Anna Herd

OXFORD, Miss. – The UM School of Pharmacy chapter of the Rho Chi Society, a pharmacy academic honor society, is hosting a research day on March 21 for pharmacy students to present posters detailing their ongoing research. Judges will evaluate the posters and choose three winners from among the displays. (Update, March 21, 3 p.m.: The winning posters of Rho Chi Research Day were announced here.)

UM pharmacy students present research posters at the 2015 Rho Chi Research Day.

Erin Holmes, associate professor of pharmacy administration at UM and treasurer of the chapter, said the event is a great way to learn about the pharmacy students’ research.

“I really enjoy seeing the diversity in their research,” Holmes said. “I think that summarizing their work into a poster and presenting it to our judges and guests is very valuable for their future careers.”

Cody Taylor, a fourth-year pharmacy student and president of the UM Rho Chi chapter, believes the research day is an opportunity to gain experience and receive feedback from peers and faculty.

“Rho Chi Research Day offers the chance for students to present posters on a small scale before presenting at large organizational meetings,” Taylor said. “It could also serve as the fuel that fires new research ideas in the future.”

John Bentley is chair of the pharmacy administration department and a faculty co-adviser of the chapter.

“Ideally, it demonstrates to the student researchers, and possibly other students who view the posters, that conducting research can be engaging, rewarding and enjoyable, hopefully leading students to pursue other research opportunities in their careers,” Bentley said.

The Rho Chi Research Day will be held Tuesday, March 21 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the atrium of the Thad Cochran Research Center. All are welcome and refreshments will be provided.

March 13, 2017

By Anna Herd

Meagan Brown

JACKSON, Miss. – Meagan Brown, UM School of Pharmacy clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice, not only works to reduce the chances of cardiovascular disease in at-risk patients, she has also been a member for the past three years of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women organization that spreads awareness of the importance of heart health.

Through volunteering with Go Red for Women, Brown became part of the Jackson chapter of Circle of Red, a group associated with the AHA that works to help women in local communities live longer and healthier lives.

“The local flavor is what makes a difference,” Brown said. “It’s a grassroots community effort that anyone can be a part of, not just those in health care.”

Since February is National Heart Month, Brown and Circle of Red worked to spread awareness of the disease by asking local businesses to participate in National Wear Red Day on Feb. 3. The group also supported Go Red for Women events such as organizing blood pressure screenings and illuminating the governor’s mansion in red.

“It’s really great to work with women who are passionate about making others aware of the effects of heart disease in our community,” Brown said. “I have met women from all walks of life and have had an opportunity to spread the word about the impact of heart disease.”

Brown is helping the Jackson Go Red for Women chapter organize its next fundraiser, a luncheon and fashion show that recognizes survivors of heart disease. More information is available at goredforwomen.org.

March 2, 2017

By Meredith Parker

OXFORD, Miss. – Anna Crider, first-year UM pharmacy student, accepted a pharmacy inpatient summer internship through the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences in Rochester, Minnesota. Mayo Clinic and St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester partner to allow interns exposure to clinical pharmacy while they gain a better understanding of the pharmacist’s role and intervention in the hospital setting.

Anna Crider

“The course work and the rigor of it at our pharmacy school has really made me confident in my ability to say ‘Yes, I can compete on a national level across all pharmacy schools,’” Crider said.

During the 10-week internship, Crider will spend time collecting medical histories of patients and work under pharmacists in the central dispensing unit.

Crider’s academic and thesis adviser, Erin Holmes, credits this internship offer to the extensive education at UM’s pharmacy school.

“The Mayo Clinic pharmacy internship is, without question, one of the most prestigious summer internship programs in the country,” Holmes said. “For one of our students to be selected for this internship validates the high standards expected in our program and quality of our training. Anna is truly deserving of this opportunity as she is extremely bright, very hardworking, has a passion for learning and is always seeking ways to grow professionally.”

Aside from her role as a first-year pharmacy student, Crider works as a pharmacy technician in the Oxford community. She is a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College where she is working on her thesis, “Mississippi Pharmacists’ Perceptions and Knowledge of ADHD in Children.” Crider is also active in community service organizations such as Relay for Life and RebelTHON.

A native of Brentwood, Tennessee, Crider will graduate with a B.S in Pharmaceutical Sciences in May 2017. She plans to pursue a critical care pharmacy role in a clinical setting after completing her residency.

“I hope to be able to serve patients and be an advocate for them in their time of need,” she said.