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.

February 24, 2017

By Anna Herd

OXFORD, Miss. – As part of its roster of scientific research, the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy will join technology group STEERLife in a four-year collaborative project to revamp pharmaceutical drug development and manufacturing.

Murthy

STEERLife designs, creates and implements technology and processes for improving the quality of pharmaceutical products. The company approached Narasimha Murthy, professor of pharmaceutics and drug delivery, and Michael Repka, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, about combining its industrial capabilities with the professors’ academic expertise and in-depth research to develop high quality pharmaceutical products.

Repka is the director of the Pii Center for Pharmaceutical Technology within the School of Pharmacy. The Pii Center primarily interfaces with internal and external parters to create new pharmaceutical products using its hot-melt extrusion technology.

“[This collaboration] creates an opportunity for the development of solutions that could transform manufacturing and improve quality and compliance,” said Dipak Chattaraj, chairman of STEER America, STEERLife’s U.S.-based operation. “Further, it allows for the creation of innovative drug delivery platforms that are far more convenient to patients.”

Throughout the partnership, STEERLife will provide exclusive technology, equipment and training to the school, as well as sponsor doctoral research programs and mentor students pursuing graduate degrees in research.

“Our mission at the university has always been to improve health, well-being and quality of life by educating, conducting research and engaging in service,” Murthy said. “The partnership with STEERLife gives our students direct access to cutting-edge technology that opens up a world of new opportunities in innovative pharmaceutical applications that could positively impact consumers.”

February 20, 2017

By Anna Herd

Laurie Fleming

JACKSON, Miss. – Laurie Fleming, clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, has been recognized by the American Pharmacists Association. She will receive APhA’s 2017 Community Pharmacy Residency Excellence in Precepting Award.

The role of a preceptor is to mentor postgraduate student pharmacists in workplace situations. As part of the School of Pharmacy’s residency programs, Fleming, who is also a pharmacy practitioner, works alongside students and acts as a role model to teach skills needed to work in an ambulatory care setting.

In addition to this honor, Fleming was named the School of Pharmacy’s 2016 Preceptor of the Year by the pharmacy students. She has been a recipient of the school’s Teacher of the Year award four times. Previously, she served as president and association manager of the Mississippi Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

Dylan Lindsay, a previous resident of the university’s Community Pharmacy Residency Program, nominated Fleming for the award. In his nomination letter, Lindsay highlighted Fleming’s commitment to her patients, residents and the profession, saying that she embodied “professional commitment and leadership.”

“This award is an amazing honor and is a direct result of the outstanding residents that I have precepted over the past 10 years,” Fleming said. “Their successes have been the most rewarding part of my career. I am indebted to my students, my colleagues and my family.”

Fleming went on to say that winning this award challenged her to be a better preceptor for her students and residents.

“Our profession allows us the opportunity to improve the lives of patients, no matter the practice setting,” she said. “Making even a small difference is so very meaningful.”

“Laurie has demonstrated excellence in precepting, mentoring, leadership and administration of the residency program,” said Seena Haines, chair and professor of pharmacy practice. “She has endless energy and passion that is infectious to our students and residents. I truly appreciate her time and dedication to developing outstanding representatives of community practice.”

Fleming will receive the award at the APhA Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Francisco, March 24-27.

February 15, 2017

By Sydney DuPriest

OXFORD, Miss. – Pharmacy administration professor John Bentley became the chair of the Department of Pharmacy Administration in the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy at the beginning of the spring semester.

Bentley received his Ph.D. in pharmacy administration from the UM School of Pharmacy in 1998 and began working as an assistant professor in the department upon graduating. He completed a BSPh at Drake University in 1993, and in 2011, he received his Ph.D. in biostatistics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Donna West-Strum, the previous chair, became one of the university’s two associate provosts for academic affairs on Jan. 1.

John Bentley

“John’s leadership and vision for our department combined with his drive and attention to detail has made him the ideal person to continue and grow the strong reputation of our group,” said Erin Holmes, professor in the pharmacy administration department.

The Department of Pharmacy Administration studies the cost, access and quality of pharmaceutical products and services. Key issues include pharmaceutical marketing, patient and provider interactions, health outcomes, and the evolving role of pharmacists in delivering quality health care.

Bentley has received numerous awards for his research and teaching, including the 2016 UM Faculty Achievement Award, the Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentoring Award from the university’s graduate school, and the School of Pharmacy Student Body’s Friend of the Student Award. He will reduce some of his teaching hours and will continue to conduct research.

“There is no doubt that John was the absolute right pick for this position,” said David D. Allen, dean of the School of Pharmacy. “Pharmacy administration has a history of exceptional leadership, and John upholds that with his experience, his work ethic and his ability to listen to his colleagues.”

As a longtime member of the pharmacy administration department, Bentley holds a set of core values he learned when he was a student, such as treating everyone with respect, valuing the perspectives of others and the importance of civil discourse.

“We work very collaboratively and try to foster a great deal of respect and mutual support amongst our faculty and graduate students,” Bentley said. “We try to create a culture where it’s OK for people to challenge each other. Our department gets along very well, but that doesn’t mean that we always agree with each other. It was fostered in me as a young faculty member that disagreements are about the matter at hand and never about the person.”

Bentley said the department has been so well managed that his primary goal is to build upon its success. The pharmacy administration department won the 2016 Excellence in Promoting Inclusiveness in Graduate Education Award and has a rich history of faculty teaching, service and research awards.

“This is such a great group of highly motivated people that I don’t want to be in their way,” Bentley said. “They’re going to do good work, and I want to facilitate that success.” 

The confidence goes both ways; all department faculty voiced support for Bentley’s transition to chair.

“John has been a pillar of the Department of Pharmacy Administration for many years,” said Lori Ward, assistant professor of pharmacy administration. “We know that he will continue to be a great example and lead our department to greater heights.”

January 24, 2017

By Sydney DuPriest

OXFORD, Miss. – Ikhlas Khan became director of the National Center for Natural Products Research at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy on Jan. 1.

Ikhlas Khan, director of the NCNPR

After receiving his doctorate in pharmacy from the Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology in Munich Germany, Khan joined the School of Pharmacy in 1988 as a postdoctoral research fellow and became NCNPR’s associate director in 2015. Founded in 1995, the NCNPR is the nation’s only university-affiliated research center devoted to improving human health and agricultural productivity through the discovery, development, and commercialization of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals derived from natural products. The center’s former director of 15 years, Larry Walker, retired Dec. 31, 2016.

Khan’s plans as director of NCNPR include steady improvement and a continuation of past successes.

“The vision is very simple and broad: We want to continue doing what has worked, but keep evolving,” Khan said. “Change is the only one thing should be constant. We have done a wonderful job over the last 20 years. The timing is right, and the expertise is in the house to take on any natural products challenge.”

Khan has been internationally recognized as a leader and innovator in the study of natural products. He has received honorary degrees and professorships from several international universities, including the University of Chinese Medicine in both Shaanxi and Hunan. In the field of natural products research, he has won the UM Distinguished Research Award, the Indian Association for the Study of Traditional Asian Medicine Zandu International Oration Award for Excellence in Research Contribution to Ayurvedic and/or Natural Products and the American Society of Pharmacognosy’s Varro E. Tyler Prize.

Khan’s research focuses on drug discovery and developing scientific tools for assessing the safety and chemical makeup of dietary supplements that are commercially available. Scientists at the NCNPR use these methods in conjunction with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a partnership established in 2001. The NCNPR was recognized by the FDA as a Center of Excellence for its research of botanical dietary supplements in 2006, and received the FDA Commissioner’s Special Citation in 2009.

Khan also established and directs the Sino-U.S. Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Center and the Center for Research of Indian Systems of Medicine, both at the university.

“He has a very strong collaborative vision,” Walker said. “He’s very open to new ideas and good at evaluating them. He knows how to take an opportunity and grow it to make it into an even bigger and more beneficial opportunity.”

One such opportunity was the creation of the annual Oxford International Conference on the Science of Botanicals. Khan was instrumental in the creation of the Oxford ICSB, designed to gather an international community of stakeholders to discuss issues related to quality and safety of botanicals. The conference has grown to over 250 participants from around the world. Khan also co-directs the NCNPR’s marijuana project, which grows marijuana and distributes it to researchers under a contract with the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

“Ikhlas will be fantastic in this role,” said David D. Allen, dean of the School of Pharmacy. “He has a clear vision for the quality and safety of natural products, and has a knack for leadership and for drawing people together to make things happen.”

“This is really an honor, and I am very grateful for this opportunity,” Khan said. “We have a state-of-the-art facility and wonderful colleagues with diverse expertise here.”