Awards - Diversity Stimulus Award and APhA-ASP/IPSF Leadership Position 2013-2014

University of Iowa College of Pharmacy
Diversity Stimulus Award

Proud to say that the APhA Medical Spanish Program was recently recognized for the Diversity Stimulus Award award!  Criteria for the award: Designed to honor individuals, programs, divisions and student organizations engaged in diversity initiatives which promote the development of an inclusive, diverse community.

APhA-ASP/IPSF Leadership Position 2013-2014

In the past years, the IPSF chapter at the University of Iowa College of pharmacy organized one event per semester.  We significantly changed that this year by implementing several innovative programs to educate student pharmacists about topics in international health.  The United States is a global melting pot, but it is important to appreciate that there is still a wide variety of cultural segments which speak their own languages and have their own cultural sensitivities when it comes to healthcare.  After seeing the difficulties that can result due to cultural differences and language barriers, we have made it a priority to increase opportunities for student pharmacists focusing on foreign languages and international issues.  We are excited to be a part of the pharmacy profession, to continue to learn and be involved in global health efforts.  We especially look forward to becoming pharmacists and being an essential part of the healthcare system so we can directly address issues of diversity and disparities in healthcare.  

Our goals and objectives for IPSF this year included the following:

·         Educate student pharmacists on pharmacy and health care issues around the globe

·         Promote the pharmacy profession in the community

·         Increase Spanish proficiency and cultural competency among student pharmacists

·         Promote inter-professional collaboration with other health care students and non-health care students

·         Provide opportunities for community service and involvement

·         Foster relationships with faculty and staff

·         Develop promotional materials for APhA-ASP/ IPSF

We began the year by educating student pharmacists about Pharmacy in the United Kingdom.  Pharmacist Sara Salem was originally licensed and practiced in hospital and community pharmacies in the United Kingdom.  She presented on her pharmacy experience in the UK and pharmacy education in the United Kingdom.  She provided information on the regulatory body, The General Pharmaceutical Council and the professional body, The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.  Student pharmacists learned about the National Health Service in the United Kingdom and global career opportunities in pharmacy.

During the month of October, American Pharmacists Month KRUI Radio Spot was developed to promote  pharmacy to the community.  The spot included the following information: Did you know that October is American Pharmacists Month?  At the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy we want to celebrate by letting you know that pharmacists are medication experts and your most accessible health care provider.  Stop by your local pharmacy today to learn about how your pharmacist can provide a range of services from medication counseling to selecting over-the-counter medications, and giving immunizations.  This October take the time to “Know Your Pharmacist, Know Your Medicine.”  This was a message from student pharmacists at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy.

To prepare for APhA-ASP Mid Year Regional Meeting, we developed APhA-ASP Promotional Materials, which included thank you cards with the APhA-ASP logo to thank all the donors, speakers, and preceptors for all APhA-ASP events.  During our November meeting, we took 10 minutes to advertise the IPSF Student Exchange Program and the opportunity to learn about pharmacy around the globe. 

We spent over six months developing the Medical Spanish Pilot Program, for student pharmacists.  Developing the program involved surveying students, finding a professor, fostering support from faculty and students, and appropriating funding.   The six week workshop began in January and met two hours per week during the evening.  We had originally planned to only have one group of 15 students but due to demand, added a second group of 15 students.  After gaining approval from faculty, students were able to submit the cost of the Medical Spanish fee to the College of Pharmacy for reimbursement.  The college provided $1800 in reimbursements for students to enroll in the workshop.  With the increasing Spanish speaking population both in Iowa and the US, the goal of the program is to prepare student pharmacists to communicate effectively with Spanish speaking patients.  Through this workshop, the students not only learn the language, but also cultural differences that impact a patients' care.  At the conclusion of the six week program, a Mock Medical Spanish Clinic, was organized for student pharmacists to practice their newly gained skills with fluent Spanish speakers.  We developed patient cases and the students worked to assess the patient’s ailments and recommend an appropriate medication in Spanish. 

We worked with Proteus to organize a Long Sleeve Shirt Drive for Farm Workers Awareness Week for migrant farm workers in Iowa. We collected 30 shirts that were donated to migrant farm workers this summer during their pesticide training.  For World Tuberculosis Day we arranged for a video screening of Exposed: The Race Against Tuberculosis and a presentation by Andy Weigel, Disease Prevention Specialist for Johnson County Public Health, focusing on infectious disease control and prevention.

We applied for and were awarded the Paul Ambrose Grant through the Association for Prevention and Teaching. The $350 grant assisted with Proteus Migrant Farm Workers Mobile Clinics.  The grant provides support for medication boxes, medication list pocket cards, and educational materials related to medication adherence to the mobile health clinic site in Williamsburg, IA during Summer 2014.  Student pharmacists have signed up to help at 6 summer clinics to serve a total of 300 migrant farmworkers.   Prior to the summer mobile clinics, we organized a Proteus Medication Packaging Service Event during which student pharmacists spent a full day dispensing medications for the summer clinics. 

For World Malaria Day Fundraising Event we had a yogurt parfait breakfast bar sale to raise money for the UNICEF Nothing But Nets charity to provide malaria nets in developing countries.  We collaborated with Students for Interprofessional Education to organize a campus wide Interdisciplinary Book and Food Drive that raised over 700 books and 150 items of food.  The books were donated to World Wide Books and the food was donated to Proteus migrant farm workers food pantry.

All events and efforts were new this year and have had a significant impact on both student pharmacists and the community.