You’ve probably heard the saying, “Third time’s the charm.” Well, for East Tennessee State University’s Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, this is true.
The college was just named as having the best Generation Rx committee in the country for the third year in a row by the American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP).
According to a news release from the Office of University Relations, Generation Rx is a national organization with affiliated chapters located at pharmacy schools all over the country. The aim of the organization is to target prescription drug abuse through public education.
The mission for the ETSU chapter is to develop progressive pharmacists that improve healthcare, focusing on rural and underserved communities. The press release goes on to describe the work that the organization has done for education.
“In the 2016-17 academic year alone, Generation Rx members at ETSU partnered with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to create a continuing education program on opioid safety and overdose that has been reviewed by more than 33,000 pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and physicians in all 50 states,” the release states.
According to the ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy’s webpage, 45 percent of its students are taking a research elective.
In addition to such partnerships and research, the chapter has also helped out in educating the local community with events such as hosting a health fair at the Umoja Festival last September.
During the APhA annual meeting earlier this month, the chapter was recognized as first-runner up among colleges with up to 300 students for its achievements as an organization.
Dr. Sarah Melton and Dr. McKenzie Calhoun, faculty members at Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, spoke at the annual meeting about naloxone and implementing advanced pharmacy practice, respectively. Additionally, Dr. Karilynn Dowling, Dr. Katelyn Alexander, Dr. Susie Crowe and Dr. Kathy Mueller presented posters.
For more information on the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, you can check out their webpage at https://www.etsu.edu/pharmacy/, this page also provides links to the chapter’s Facebook page.
