Greetings from the Dean

In April, the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy's third year (P3) students marked their transition toward becoming pharmacists at the School’s Pinning Ceremony. This annual event honors our students' progression from learning about patients to caring for patients; from a traditional classroom setting to an experiential learning environment.

I urge the students to learn all they can in this year and to use those experiences to be the best teachers in the future. After all, pharmacists are teachers, educating their patients and other health professionals as medication experts.

Though we emphasize this concept for the P4 students, you will see in the following examples how our student body and faculty devote themselves to education that improves the health and well-being of our region and beyond.

Thank you for your interest in and support of the SIUE School of Pharmacy.

Best regards,
Gireesh Gupchup
Dean

Students Win National Video Award

School of Pharmacy students won a most humorous video award for the second straight year at the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exposition held late March in San Francisco. The competition theme this year was “Together We Can.”

Scott Sexton, a fourth year (P4) from Waterloo, and Austin Lee, a third year (P3) from Festus, Mo., created a video, Batman the Pharmacist Part 2, for the annual national Pharmflix contest conducted by the APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists. Sexton and Lee also credited Ray Jhala, an alumnus, for his contributions during the writing, filming and editing of the video.

School Hosts Lock-in for Drug Abuse Prevention

To engage 6th and 7th grade students in discussions about prescription drug abuse and the associated dangers, the School of Pharmacy hosted more than 70 students and their parents in a "Locked In to Stay Out" event in April. The night included interactive sessions and games to educate on the misuse and abuse of prescription and over-the-counter medications.

The School of Pharmacy American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists Organization was the recipient of an award to develop and execute a prescription drug abuse prevention event that is novel in its delivery. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy provided the award in November 2016.

Learn more about the event.

Students Educate Thousands of Local Children

First-year (P1) students in the School of Pharmacy traveled the area to educate children from pre-kindergarten through third grade about the importance of good hand washing and other hygienic practices.

From February 20-March 10, 40 teams of P1 students participated in the School's annual service learning experience. They visited 378 classrooms in nearly 50 area schools, using education to prevent the spread of common childhood viral and bacterial illnesses.

Ferguson Receives Teaching Excellence Award

The SIUE Office of the Provost announced that McKenzie Ferguson, PharmD, is the recipient of the annual Teaching Excellence Award for tenure-track faculty. It is the most prestigious teaching award for an SIUE faculty member.

Ferguson is an associate professor of pharmacy practice and director of the Drug Information and Wellness Center. She received a $2,000 prize as part of the award.