In thIs Issue:

Volume 4, Issue 1 Winter 2012

Celebrating oursilver AnniversaryA special milestone is upon us – the 25th anniversary of the School of Pharmacy is being celebrated from Sept. 1, 2011 through Aug. 31, 2012.

Flashback to September 1986. That’s when for the first 30 students began classes on the first floor of the Health Sciences Centre under the leadership of the school’s first director, the late Dr. Gerald R. Duncan.

The School of Pharmacy turning 25 brings the opportunity to reflect on all that has been accomplished.

Since 1990, we have graduated 745 students. We are proud to know that they now work in every corner of our province and country, as well as around the world, in all aspects of pharmaceutical practice and research.

The education of pharmacists in Newfoundland and Labrador is second to none thanks to the many people who have played a role in its ongoing development.

Individuals – students, alumni, staff, faculty, preceptors – professional organizations and industry have all had a part in the school’s advancement.

The School of Pharmacy owes much to the outstanding leadership of its directors and dean – Dr. Gerry Duncan, Dr. Chris Loomis and Dr. Linda Hensman – each of whom has played a pivotal role in creating a tradition of excellence in pharmacy education.

Celebration activities marking this amazing milestone are being held throughout the year.

We look forward to celebrating with all of you!

insideDean’s Address to PAnL 2

Recruitment 4

events 6

Awards 10

new staff 14

Giving to the sOP 15

notables 16School of Pharmacy

the Prescription

2 3

“Beyond fulfilling the demand in our communities and hospitals for pharmacists, as a school we have an obligation to foster a research environment that is relevant to the provincial and health care needs of the 21st century. Our research laboratories, spaces and equipment are barely adequate for current needs and impede our ability to grow and advance our graduate education and research mandate.

“Well, folks, the prescription for this problem, I can tell you, is not one that a pharmacy can fill.

“In their 2009 budget, and under their commitment to strengthening our health care system, the provincial government called upon our school to begin the process of increasing its enrolment. Their initial investment has allowed us to prepare for this future through the hiring of new faculty and staff, and the establishment of an off-site office location for our clinical faculty as a temporary measure to help alleviate the space situation.

“We recognize that there is a shortage of space for many academic units across the St. John‘s campus and we are pleased that the ongoing space planning effort at the university includes additional space for the school. I am hopeful that we can achieve the twin goals of expansion of the school and sufficient permanent space in which to house it.

“We feel new permanent space for the School of Pharmacy would be a strong acknowledgment by government of their commitment to enhanced pharmacy services in Newfoundland and Labrador – services that will meet the current and future health care needs of our province.

“As the school works towards this future, one of our priorities is assuming a leadership role in ensuring that there are continuing professional development opportunities available that meet your needs.

“We are collaborating with PANL in the continuing professional development initiative that recently delivered a province-wide needs assessment designed to hear from you and what your needs are when it comes to continuing education. The final report of findings from this survey provided valuable information that will help shape future program planning.

“As we proceed with developing continuing professional development programs, we are now better informed as to what topic areas you want to have offered; how, when and where you

would like to see the programs delivered; and recommendations regarding costs and accreditation.

“We thank all of you who took the time to participate in the survey and are looking forward to helping deliver a continuing professional development program that will better meet the needs of our community and the patients we serve.

“One of the factors to a successful continuing professional development experience identified in the survey was the provision of experts to deliver sessions.

“I am pleased that many of the experts available to you during this weekend‘s sessions are faculty of the school and I trust that you are finding the education they are offering valuable to your practice.

“We are very proud of the accomplishments and scholarship of our faculty as they work to advance pharmacy teaching and research in the province.

“A listing of the scholarly publications, presentations and posters released by our faculty fills many pages of our annual report, but in each listing you can see how their work links directly to improving the health of our province.

“I am reticent to highlight the work of any one of our researchers, but in our report you will find evidence of our school‘s impact in the areas of cancer care delivery, breastfeeding, obesity, HIV treatment, psychiatric care, diabetes, patient safety, infectious disease, new drug discovery and development, patient attitudes, and the role of the pharmacist – amongst many others!

the school of Pharmacy and YouFrom a speech delivered by Dr. Linda Hensman, dean of Memorial University’s School of Pharmacy, on Saturday Sept. 17, 2011 at the Annual PANL Conference, Sheraton Hotel, St. John’s, NL.

“Good evening everyone. It is certainly my pleasure to be able to be here on behalf of the school.

“When I was speaking with the president of Memorial University about coming here tonight, I described my speech to him as a sort-of state of the union address. Well, that may seem a bit lofty – and I am certainly no Barack Obama – well, maybe a bit of a Hilary Clinton – but in any case, I think the description is actually quite apt.

“I feel that the School of Pharmacy is an integral part of the union that is the community of pharmacists in this province. Whether or not you are alumni of the school, we strive to represent the heart of pharmacy education in Newfoundland and Labrador – not only for our undergraduate students, but also for you, the broader pharmacy community.

“We do this not only through the education of our undergraduate and graduate students, but also through our role in many initiatives that have direct and indirect benefit to the practices and livelihoods of each and every person in this room.

“Therefore, my speech tonight will be a state of the union – our union – and as such coincides with today’s release of the school‘s annual report.

“Our 2010-2011 annual report is entitled A prescription for enhanced pharmacy services in Newfoundland and Labrador, a title which describes our vision of the school as a leader in helping to shape the future of pharmacy services in the province.

“This year is a special year for the school in that we have just started year-long silver celebrations that commemorate 25 years of the School of Pharmacy at Memorial University.

“Twenty-five years ago, in September 1986, the school welcomed its first class of students. The school’s founding director was Dr. Gerry Duncan, who I was privileged to work with for many years. Although he is no longer with us, his legacy lives on in everything we do at the school.

“Dr. Duncan was a strong advocate of the importance of advancing pharmacy practice in the province through higher education. We continue under that vision to this day.

“The Silver Anniversary of the School of Pharmacy brings us an opportunity to reflect on all that has been accomplished in the last 25 years. We have now graduated 745 students – alumni who now work in every corner of our province and country as well as around the world in all aspects of pharmaceutical practice, teaching and research. We are especially proud that many of our faculty and staff are among them and have chosen their alma mater as their teaching and research base.

“Yes, we have experienced tremendous growth over the last 25 years, and we continue to be challenged to meet the needs that this growth demands. We are now experiencing a critical shortage of space at the school – a shortage that has hampered the expansion that is needed to meet the future pharmacy needs of our province.

“According to current registrations with the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board, 32 per cent – 215 – of the pharmacists in this province are at or near retirement age. While it is difficult to project human resource requirements, at our current rates of enrolment and retention, it would take our school almost a decade to fill those vacancies alone – but we simply cannot expand the school‘s enrolment with our current classroom and laboratory spaces.

Continued on page 19

Dr. Linda Hensman addresses PANL members at the Hotel Sheraton on September 17, 2011.

PAnL COnFeRenCe

“According to current registrations with the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board, 32 per cent – 215 – of the pharmacists in this province are at or near retirement age.”

4 5

Recruiting future pharmacistsThe School of Pharmacy at Memorial University is looking at how we recruit applicants from Newfoundland and Labrador for our program. Each year the school receives many more applications than we can accommodate, so you wouldn’t think recruitment is a problem for us.

However, of the approximately 300 students who apply each year, less than 50 per cent are residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.

This is concerning as at least 80 per cent of our spaces are currently reserved for provincial applicants.

In response, we’ve begun to employ some new strategies to help highlight pharmacy as an attractive career choice for students in Newfoundland and Labrador.

We also want to reach out to students who not only excel in the sciences, but also those who excel outside the classroom as well – future leaders who demonstrate the ability to become caring health care providers.

As we all know, being a good pharmacist is about a lot more than just smarts.

One tactic the school has developed is a new recruitment poster.

“SO YOU’RE READY TO CHOOSE YOUR PATH IN LIFE?” is a poster that takes students on a thought path that helps them examine the kind of person they are, their interests, and the kind of life they want to build for themselves.

For some students, this may lead them to consider pharmacy as a rewarding career choice.

The poster also has a graph that illustrates various career choices and compares both the average number of years of preparatory post-secondary study required and their average starting salaries in Newfoundland and Labrador.

These posters have been made widely available to schools throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Also, the school developed a career booth that was exhibited this past fall at the Canadian National Student Leadership Conference in Corner Brook. Hundreds of students who are members of their respective student councils were in attendance from high schools across Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada.

We were surprised at how early some students were planning for their future – several students in grades as early as 9 asked us how they can best prepare themselves for a chance of being admitted into pharmacy school!

It is this sort of feedback that has helped us with the recent redesign of the recruitment and admission section of our website at www.mun.ca/pharmacy/admissions.

Prospective students will now find a section devoted entirely to how their choices of, and outcomes in, their high school courses may impact their path to a successful application to pharmacy school.

Another new section compares the data from each pharmacy school in Canada to assist students in choosing the best school for them – which of course we hope is Memorial University!

Along with redeveloped pages outlining prerequisite courses, how to apply and details on how we review applications, we hope that the new section will become a valuable tool for students planning pharmacy as their career path.

Year of

Application

number of Applicants

(nL/non-nL)

2010 281 (112/169)

2009 256 (97/159)

2008 284 (99/185)

2007 335 (126/209)

2006 317 (124/193)

Congratulations to PAnL award winners from the sOPCongratulations to the SOP faculty and students who received awards in September during the Pharmacists’ Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (PANL) 2011 Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony.

Jamie Grandy, class of 2012, received the PANL Student Spirit Award, and Christopher Grant, class of 2012, received the Ralph J. Harris Future of Pharmacy Award.

Dr. Scott Edwards received the Nycomed Magnum Opus Award that recognizes pharmacists who have completed specialty education or training and who, as a result, have successfully expanded their professional practice.

Our dean, Dr. Linda Hensman, was not only honoured with the Alfred G. Dawe Distinguished Service Award from NL Branch of CSHP during their annual meeting on Saturday afternoon, in the

evening she received the Bowl of Hygeia Award that recognizes outstanding community service through pharmacy. This is the most prestigious award in North America, with only one being presented each year in each province and state.

(l-r) Christopher Grant, Dr. Scott Edwards, Dr. Linda Hensman and Jamie Grandy.

ReCRuItMent

6 7

The winning team – again! From Sunlife.

Randy Hughes of PPC at the treasure chest with the chair of the organizing committee Sharon Tucker.

eVents

Leslie Phillips, with Brenda Fisher of Janssen-Ortho, Barbara Thomas and Sharon Tucker.

Class of 2013 team.

Ian Vaughan (class of 2012) one of the student volunteers of the day.

silver Anniversary spirit WeekIn October we celebrated Silver Anniversary Spirit Week as a school with many activities for students, faculty and staff.

The week kicked off with a chilly but well-attended school barbecue on the patio outside the Health Sciences Centre. The scavenger hunt on Tuesday featured 25 clues that teams had to track down – one relating to each year that the school has been open.

Wednesday was 1986 Day at the school, and a variety of fashion trends from the eighties were in evidence on students, staff and faculty. That evening the school gathered for a potluck supper and an evening of trivia. Staff and faculty participated in this event by baking silver-anniversary themed cupcakes. The students sampled and voted for their favourite – they selected those baked by SOP staff member Justin Peddle.

Everyone showed up bright and shiny for Silver Day on Thursday, and the week ended with our annual Halloween mixer on Friday evening. Student creativity was in full force when staff and faculty made difficult decisions in awarding prizes for the best costumes.

Many thanks to all of the hard work from the Silver Anniversary Spirit Week Organizing Committee, which was comprised of students, faculty and staff and was chaired by SOP staff member Elizabeth Woodford. They put in many hours making this week possible.

third Annual sOP Golf tournament

Under blue skies, the third annual SOP Golf Tournament in support of student scholarships was held at the Glendenning Golf Course on Aug. 18, 2011. This year’s tournament was the most successful one ever, with over $10,000 raised for the newly-created Silver Anniversary Scholarship for pharmacy students. Many thanks again to all who participated in this fun and worthwhile day! Thanks especially to the hard work of the organizing committee: Sharon Tucker (chair), Brenda Fisher, Arlene Crane, Barbara Scaplen, Barbara Thomas and Jason Kielly.

A few of the committee members: Robbie McCarthy (class of 2013), Amy Conway, Elizabeth Woodford and Terri Genge.

Students enjoy a chilly barbecue on the patio during Silver Anniversary Spirit Week.

The class of 2013 throws themselves into the Silver Day spirit with dazzling results.

Flashing back to the 1980s with SOP faculty and staff members Elizabeth Woodford, Amy Conway, Debby Gulliver and Heather Bugler.

8 9

Christmas spirit at the sOP

In November, students from the School of Pharmacy, under master-organizer Adrienne Penney (class of 2014) put together a float entry for the annual St. John’s Downtown Christmas Parade. The SOP float, titled Your Friendly Neighbourhood Pharmacy Student, featured Spiderman dressed as a pharmacy student, surrounded by other students in a combination of dispensary and Christmas regalia.

Students, faculty and staff joined together to support two families in need this past Christmas. Over $2,000 in cash and gift cards, plus many other household items, toys and clothing were collected, wrapped and delivered to the families just before Christmas. We believe that we helped make their Christmas a bit brighter during tough times.

Staff and faculty at the SOP enjoying good times together over the holidays.

Public Pill Drop and Fall Fun Day The importance of safely disposing expired or unused medications was highlighted by the School of Pharmacy during a public awareness campaign that was held in October.

On Sunday Oct. 23, students, faculty and staff operated a public information booth at Costco. They spoke to members of the public about the risks of not disposing medications properly and distributed additional materials.

Throughout the week, faculty members Dr. Jason Kielly and Dr. Linda Hensman spoke publicly in the media regarding the message and provided further illustration regarding how people should work with their pharmacist to ensure medication safety.

The culmination of this campaign was the Public Pill Drop and Fall Fun Day that was held on Saturday, Oct. 29.

Members of the public were encouraged to check their medicine cabinets for used and expired medications and to bring them along for collection by the school for safe, confidential disposal.

Pharmacy students were on-hand at the Health Sciences Centre in Parking Lot 9 to collect prescription and over-the-counter medications in tablet or capsule form.

Dozens of people arrived to drop off their medications – sometimes several bags worth! It was an enlightening experience for pharmacy students to witness first-hand just how many medications some people can accumulate.

Medications were removed from their packaging and containers and all personal information was obscured to ensure patient confidentiality.

As part of the school’s aim to build awareness particularly among families with young children, a bouncy castle, face painting and other family activities were also available on-site as part of a Fall Fun Day. Kids could enjoy activities while their parents dropped off medications.

Public attention surrounding this event also led to a reported increase in the number of medications dropped off at local pharmacies in the days following.

(l-r) Leslie Phillips, Heather Bugler, Csöp Glew, Debby Gulliver, Justin Peddle, Elizabeth Woodford and Jason Kielly help load up the truck for deliveries to our Christmas families.

Pharmacy students collecting medications at the Public Pill Drop.Pharmacy students on the corner of the Prince Philip Parkway promoting the Public Pill Drop.

(l-r) Erin Schwenger, Laurie Twells, Terri Genge, Paula Ryan and Amy Conway at the Christmas Party.

Santa Claus and Jenn Deon.

eVents

How to get rid ofmedications safely:

• Check your medicine cabinet a couple of times each year for expired

or unused medications

• Take all the medicines you have cleaned out back to your pharmacy

for safe disposal

• If you don’t know if a medicine is still good, ask your pharmacist

• Don’t throw medicine in the garbage, children or animals may get

into it

• Don’t flush medicine down the toilet, it’s not good for the

environment

(l-r) Carla Dillon, Amy Conway, Heather Bugler, Debby Gulliver and Denise Burke at the Secret Santa Gift Exchange.

10 11

2011 AWARDs CeReMOnYThe School of Pharmacy held its annual awards ceremony in September. Sixty-seven awards and scholarships representing over $38,000 were presented over the course of the evening to undergraduate and graduate pharmacy students. (Awards for students in the class of 2011 were presented during the graduation celebration in June.)

The evening also included recognition of those students appointed to the Dean’s List for the 2010-2011 academic year as well as the school’s professional awards.

Preceptor of the Year Awards

The Preceptor of the Year awards are sponsored by AstraZeneca, and recognize the significant contribution made by the many preceptors in the pharmacy training program. One hospital and one community preceptor are recognized each year for being exceptional teachers and role models for students during the Structured Practice Experience Program.

The recipient of the hospital pharmacist preceptor of the year award for 2011 was Dr. Elizabeth Kozyra (class of 2000), who works at the Royal Ottawa Hospital in Ottawa, Ont. Dr. Kozyra was nominated by Hanna Imad (class of 2011).

“The instant you meet Elizabeth, you realize how passionate she is about not only her career but her patients,” said Ms. Imad in her nomination. “She will always go above and beyond to ensure seamless patient care and safety and that is exactly the kind of pharmacist I strive to be.”

“She is the type of pharmacist we should all strive to be upon graduation, because in doing so, we will truly raise the stakes of the profession and make it the best it could ever be.”

The recipient of the community pharmacist preceptor of the year award was Mr. Mark Skinner (class of 2009), who works at Skinners Pharmacy in Stephenville Crossing. Mark was nominated by Stephanie Dove (class of 2014).

“Being completely oblivious to the real world of pharmacy, I was extremely nervous,” said Ms. Dove in her nomination. “What I needed was a slow and patient introduction to the everyday activities of a pharmacy, and that is exactly what I experienced at Skinner’s Pharmacy.”

Honourable Mentions were also presented to Ms. Renu Gill (class of 1991), who served as a preceptor at the Janeway, and Mr. Terry Walsh (class of 2005), who served as a preceptor at Burin Pharmacy.

Alumni Achievement Award

The culmination of the ceremony was the awarding of the third annual School of Pharmacy Alumni Achievement Award. This award honours and celebrates the contributions of Memorial University School of Pharmacy Alumni to the profession of pharmacy and it is the highest distinction the School of Pharmacy can bestow upon a graduate.

The 2011 recipient of the School of Pharmacy Alumni Achievement Award was Dr. Peter Zed, a graduate of the Class of 1995.

Dr. Zed is currently the associate dean, practice innovation at the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Zed completed a bachelor of science in chemistry at Dalhousie University and a bachelor of science in pharmacy from Memorial University. He then went on to complete a hospital pharmacy residency with the Royal Columbian Hospital, in New Westminster, B.C. Following graduation from the University of British Columbia (UBC) with a doctor of pharmacy degree in 1998 he established a clinical practice in Emergency Medicine at the Vancouver General Hospital.

While not the first pharmacist to establish a clinical practice in emergency medicine, Dr. Zed was a pioneer in the field and was probably the first to establish a practice in that setting that, not only served as a training environment for undergraduate students, residents and PharmD. students, but integrated an active research program. He is now one of the few emergency medicine pharmacists in Canada that currently has an active research program within the discipline.

While in Vancouver he served as both clinical assistant and clinical associate professor in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical

Sciences at UBC and held an appointment as associate member, Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Surgery in the Faculty of Medicine, UBC.

In 2006, he returned to Halifax where he worked as clinical coordinator, Department of Pharmacy, and Pharmacotherapeutic Specialist, Emergency Medicine, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences.

He held an appointment as associate professor with the College of Pharmacy and Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University. He was also a clinical scientist, Department of Emergency Medicine at the IWK Health Centre.

Throughout his career, Dr. Zed has maintained a high-level of innovative clinical practice in Emergency Medicine and has established a practice in two tertiary-care academic emergency departments. Within his practice specialty he has maintained a productive research program for both clinical and practice-based research with a solid record of external funding.

He has a number of research interests in many pharmacotherapy areas in emergency medicine and pharmacy practice. His academic track record includes over 70 peer-reviewed publications and over 80 conference research abstracts.

Throughout his academic career at UBC and Dalhousie he has been actively involved in teaching undergraduate pharmacy students, pharmacy residents and PharmD. students as well as many other health-care professionals both in the classroom setting and at the bedside.

Dr. Zed has also been formally recognized for his outstanding teaching. He has been the recipient of several awards including the Dr. Jessie I. MacKnight Award for

Excellence in Teaching at the College of Pharmacy, Dalhousie University and the Preceptor of the Year Award, Doctor of Pharmacy Program at UBC.

He is a seven-time recipient of National Awards from the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists which have recognized his professional and research contributions

Dr. Zed is nationally recognized and respected in both pharmacy and emergency medicine. He is well known as an excellent speaker delivering over 140 invited presentations.

He has an impressive professional service record serving as chair or member of numerous provincial and national committees. He is currently chair of the CSHP National Research Committee, chair of the CSHP Board of Fellows, member of the National Drug Scheduling Advisory Committee of NAPRA, and member of the Federal Drug and Therapeutics Committee. He also serves on the Editorial Board of the Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine and The Annals of Pharmacotherapy.

Congratulations Dr. Zed on this well-deserved honour!

Dean’s List 2010-2011 Class of 2011 Laura Halfyard Ava HiltzJennifer Horsfall Julia LaymanAshley Patterson Class of 2012 Stephen CoombsSarai HamodatStefan Rideout Class of 2013 Joshua BraggRobert McCarthyCatherine OrrTyler Parrill Class of 2014 Claire JenkinsApril LeeJeffrey OllerheadJoseph Alcorn-Otto To be admitted to the Dean’s List, students must:

• Place within the top 10 per cent of the degree program

• Have a GPA of 3.5 or greater over the credit hours in the nominating period

• Complete a minimum of 27 credit hours over the three nominating semesters

• Be full-time in at least two of the three semesters

Dr. Peter Zed, class of 1995, recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award, with Dr. Linda Hensman, dean of the School of Pharmacy.

AWARDs

12 13

White Coat CeremonyForty students from the class of 2015 were inducted into the profession of pharmacy at the school’s annual White Coat Ceremony in January. The ceremony was attended by many dignitaries, members of the provincial pharmacy community, members of the university community, faculty, staff, students, friends and family members. Among those who addressed the assemblage was the provincial Minister of Health and Community Services, the Honourable Susan Sullivan.

The Class of 2015, with Dean Linda Hensman.

Susan Sullivan, the Minister of Health and Community Services.

Class of 2015 representative Amanda Beaton accepts a framed copy of the Code of Ethics from Don Rowe, secretary-registrar of the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board.

Student Ashley Rideout, class of 2015, adds her signature to the Pledge of Professionalism.

Student Sean Sweet receives his name tag from Brooks Atkinson of Pfizer Consumer Health Care.

Student Julian Aucoin receives his white coat, from his cousin, pharmacist Jaclyn Aucoin (class of 2008).

Student Katie O’Brien was assisted by her father,

pharmacist Dan O’Brien, in the donning of her white coat.

WhIte COAt CeReMOnY

14 15

Kristine Day, Research Grants Facilitator

Kristine Day (née Scott) received a B.Sc.(Hons.) in biology from Memorial University in 2000. Upon receiving a post-graduate scholarship from NSERC, she pursued a M.Sc.(Cell Biology and Physiology) at the University of Alberta, graduating in 2003. By this time coastal life was

calling once again, and Kristine accepted a position at Dalhousie University as a research assistant in the field of cancer research, where she spent the next five years. In 2009, things came full circle when she moved back to her home province with her family and worked for a year in a neuroscience lab in the Faculty of Medicine at Memorial. Kristine hopes her combination of education and experience will be an asset to the School of Pharmacy. She will assist faculty in seeking out new funding and collaborative opportunities, and will be available to facilitate with grant writing activities at all stages, from proposal formulation all the way to submission. She looks forward to contributing to the success that the School of Pharmacy has enjoyed. Kristine lives in Conception Bay South with her husband, also a Memorial alumnus, and her two sons aged one and three years.

Ann Marie O’Keefe-Penney,Senior Administrative Officer

Ann Marie O’Keefe-Penney holds a bachelor of arts in psychology, a bachelor of education (secondary), a diploma in adult teacher education and a master of business administration, all from Memorial University. Ann Marie brings 22 years of experience in education, student services, administration and human resources to this new role. She started her career as teacher in the secondary system before moving to the post-secondary system with the provincial college, where she spent the next four years in student services. She spent two years as a director of programs at a private training college before joining the Memorial community in 1999 as program developer

with Lifelong Learning. In 2005 Ann Marie moved to Human Resources as learning and development officer, a permanent position she held until joining the School of Pharmacy. As well, she spent three years on a temporary assignment with Professional Development and Conferencing Services (PDCS), Faculty of Medicine as operations manager and manager of strategic initiatives. During her time at Memorial Ann Marie has been involved in a number of pan-university and national committees, facilitated a variety of workshops, and delivered presentations at conferences. Ann Marie is looking forward to this opportunity and being a part of the School of Pharmacy’s exciting future. Ann Marie resides in St. John’s with her husband Glen, also a Memorial alumnus and employee, and her three children aged six, 11, and 16.

Jeremy Parsons, Pharmacy Skills Laboratory Co-ordinator

Jeremy Parsons graduated from the Memorial University School of Pharmacy with a bachelor of science in pharmacy in 2006. Upon graduating, he began practicing community pharmacy in Oromocto, N.B., a small military town

just outside Fredericton, New Brunswick. As a community pharmacist in N.B., Jeremy had the opportunity to work in numerous practice care settings; some of which include long-term care interdisciplinary teams and emergency medicines thru contractual work with the Canadian Armed Forces. Jeremy moved back to Newfoundland in September 2008 continuing community practice with Shoppers Drug Mart. Upon his return he continued to be active both within the community and provincially. Public presentations on relevant disease states and medical devices became a focus along with committee work with the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board. Currently, he is serving three-year terms on both the Registration and Licensing Committee and the Professional Practice Committee on Safe Medication Practices of the board. Jeremy is looking forward to his new position with the School of Pharmacy and is excited to help students develop academically, professionally and personally.

neW stAFF At the sOPWhen you hear the name Christina Tulk (class of 2002) it evokes the imagery of many things, such as a dedicated pharmacist, an avid volunteer for the advancement of professionalism and lifelong student. However you may not have realized that passionate philanthropist is also in her repertoire.

Christina contacted the school in early 2011 and sought out information about how she could make a difference in the lives of the students at the School of Pharmacy. After discussing what areas she felt were important to support at the school she decided to create the Christina M. Tulk Scholarship in Pharmacy.

Upon being asked, Christina related many stories to us of how she was positively impacted by the faculty and staff of the School of Pharmacy and how she had recently read about the philanthropic work of her peers.

“I was first inspired by the story of Dr. Hensman’s legacy gift,” said Christina. “I thought it was such a selfless and visionary act.”

“Also later in the Prescription I read about one of my classmates David MacLean and how he was donating his relief shifts. I thought that was a very innovative way of giving back.”

“I then reflected on my own life, and what my pharmacy education has done for me, and decided that it was time I did something to help future students.”

Working with the school’s development officer, Darcy McMeekin, Christina decided that an endowed scholarship was the route she wanted to go down to help students.

“I choose the endowed scholarship model because it’s self sustaining and permanent.”

“Darcy helped me start a plan of giving that worked for me,” continued Christina. “He also helped me design criteria for the scholarship that reflected the type of student I wanted to support.”

The final result was the creation of a scholarship that not only supports academic excellence, but also recognizes students who are making a volunteer contribution.

At the 2011 awards night, Nicole Thorne of the class of 2012 was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Christina M. Tulk Scholarship in Pharmacy.

Ms. Thorne was eager to share her thoughts on being the recipient.

“It was such a surprise to receive the Christina Tulk Scholarship,” said Nicole. “Aside from the financial aid it provides, this award holds much more meaning to me. It represents what I think are important qualities for a pharmacist to possess and I feel honoured to be acknowledged with such a prestigious award.” “I would like to thank Ms. Tulk for her generosity in providing such a substantial financial support to a pharmacy student.”

“One of the values that the School of Pharmacy instilled in us was the importance of giving back,” remarked Christina. “I feel that now that I am at a point in my life where I can give back that it’s important for me to support the students of the school, as the school supported me when I was a student.”

“I am currently in the process of exploring how I can become part of the Legacy Society as I feel that it’s important to think about the needs of the school and its students today, but also in the future”

To find out more about how you can create an award at the School of Pharmacy, please contact Darcy McMeekin, development officer at 709 777 8977 or mcmeekin@mun.ca.

Ms. Christina Tulk presents the inaugural Christina Tulk Scholarship in Pharmacy to Nicole Thorne.

A sPIRIt OF PhILAnthROPY

16 17

nOtABLes

ALuMnICongratulations to Nikki Ryan (class of 2010) and Christopher Ralph (class of 1997) for their research project which won first runner-up at the National Oncology Pharmacy Symposium in Quebec City in November 2011. Nikki says that, “It helped me receive the CSHP Alberta Pharmacy Resident of the Year award while getting Chris the CSHP Pharmacy Residency Preceptor of the Year award! So we are still showing what MUN graduates can do, even in Alberta!” Nikki is continuing her residency work at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre where she works alongside fellow Memorial grad Naureen Sheikh (class of 2009) who is the hematology clinical pharmacist at the centre.

Congratulations to Dr. Peter Zed, (class of 1995), on his recent appointment as associate professor and associate dean, practice innovation at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of British Columbia (UBC). “This is a unique and exciting career opportunity for me, and one that will enable me to pursue a new challenge and lead a practice-related vision and research program during a period of significant growth at UBC over the next five years,” says Peter. “I will also have an appointment in the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine and will continue to practice clinically.”

A huge thanks to the classes of 1991, 1998 and 2008 for making gifts to the School of Pharmacy from their class funds. The gifts will support two very important awards, The School of Pharmacy Silver Anniversary Scholarship and The Kristine Cadigan Memorial Award. Congratulations to Chris Fraser (class of 1992) on the opening of his new pharmacy, Gander PharmaChoice, in Gander NL, with his business partner Aubrey Anstey.

stuDentsCongratulations to Chris Grant, Ian Aucoin, Tim Buchanan and Jamie Grandy of the class of 2012, who won the National Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns (CAPSI) Compounding Competition for 2012. The team from Memorial placed first against the nine other pharmacy schools in Canada. The competition was held in Halifax in January during the annual Pharmacy Development Week (PDW) conference which gathers pharmacy students from across Canada.

A group of pharmacy students from the class of 2013 won second place nationally in the CSHP 2015 video competition. Their video is about a casual encounter in the year 2015 between Artie Armstrong, a retired hospital pharmacist, and Ramona, a new pharmacy graduate. The pharmacists reminisce over lunch about how pharmacy has changed from Artie’s days. Produced by and starring: Kristin Armstrong, Maggie Cole, Sara Inder, Nikki O’Rielly, Dragana Petrovic, Aaron Siller, Raman Sohi and Sarah Way. Check it out at http://bit.ly/zB19dP.

Kudos to Melissa Kielly from the class of 2012 who raised over $2,100 for the Canadian Cancer Society during the fall 2011 Run for the Cure. Melissa also went above and beyond by making a donation of her own hair to Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children.

Congratulations to Samantha Swain and Andrew Sweetapple, both students in the class of 2014, on their recent engagement.

Kudos to the many students, faculty and staff who participated in the AIDS Scotiabank Walk for Life in September 2011. Over $3,000 was raised as a direct result of the School of Pharmacy, and in fact the MUN Pharmacy Students team was ranked second overall, with the School of Pharmacy All-Stars (aka faculty/staff team) ranked third.

sOP BABIesCongratulations to Ian Vaughan (class of 2012) and his partner Karla on the birth of his twin girls Claire and Maya in September 2011. We are sure that they have made his final year quite lively!

Congratulations to Heather Felder (neé Kirby) (class of 2006) and husband Drew on the birth of their son Nicholas in August 2011.

Congratulations to Julia Layman (class of 2011) and fiancée James Scrubb on the birth of their son Sam in November 2011. Julia now lives in Petawawa, Ont.

Congratulations to Amy Churchill (class of 2004) and Michael Shea on the birth of their daughter, Abigail Lilly in February 2012.

If you would like to include a birth or wedding announcement in a future issue please email Darcy McMeekin at mcmeekin@mun.ca. We look forward to sharing your happy news!

WAL-MARt DOnAtes tO PhARMACY stuDentsAs part of their commitment to pharmacy practice change, Wal-mart has once again provided a generous donation of blood pressure cuff and stethoscope kits to each of our second year students. These kits will allow our students to develop additional skills that will advance their scope of practice.

Pictured here is Joseph Alcorn-Otto from the class of 2014 receiving his kit from Kamran Nisar (class of 1995), talent sourcing manager – professional services, eastern canada with Wal-mart Canada.

18 19

ReseARChReseARCh POsteR COMPetItIOn 2012

The 2012 Annual Pharmacy Research Poster Competition was held in February in the Professional Practice Laboratory at the school. There were five undergraduate and two graduate posters presented in this competition. The presentations were judged by three independent judges.

The winners:• Stephanie Hewitt (class of 2014) will receive the CSPS

2012 National Summer Student Research Program Award Sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline Inc. for her poster, “Analyzing the potential neuroprotective effects of antioxidants.”

• Sarah Way (class of 2012) received the AFPC-Pharmacy Student Research Poster Award for her poster, “Home visits – Optimizing Medical Care in the Elderly (HOME Study): A pilot study on the effects of an inter-professional primary care program on emergency room visits and hospital admissions in the frail elderly: Phase 1.”

• Catherine Orr (class of 2013) received the School of Pharmacy Undergraduate Research Poster Award for her poster, “The effect of repeated exposure to vaporized ethanol on long-term motor co-ordination.”

neW PhD FROM the sChOOL OF PhARMACYIn December, Abeer Ahmed defended her PhD thesis, “Polycyclic Angular Thieno, Thiazeto, Thiazolo and Furo benzo [h] quinolines; Design, Synthesis, In Vitro and In Silico Evaluation” for her examination committee and supervisor, making her the second person to receive a PhD from the School of Pharmacy.

A citizen of Egypt, Dr. Ahmed has been conducting her research at Memorial University since 2007 under the guidance of her supervisor, Dr. Mohsen Daneshtalab.

The research presented in Dr. Ahmed’s thesis is based on the design and synthesis of small quinolone-based molecules with potential anticancer profile, followed by in vitro biological activity evaluation and description of the observed results using a molecular docking approach.

Front row: Dr. Lili Wang, School of Pharmacy, Memorial University internal examiner; Dr. Abeer Ahmed, Dr. Linda Hensman, dean, School of Pharmacy. Back row: Dr. Mohsen Daneshtalab, supervisor; Dr. Paris Georghiou, Department of Chemistry, Memorial University, internal examiner.

Catherine Orr presenting her poster.

the Prescription

Contributors

editor: Jennifer Deon, ABCCommunications Co-ordinator,school of Pharmacytel: 709 777 7302, jdeon@mun.ca Publication Design: Jennifer Armstrong, hsIMs Photography:Chris hammond, Image servicesJohn Crowell, hsIMsDarcy McMeekin, school of Pharmacy Contact Information:school of PharmacyMemorial university of newfoundland300 Prince Philip Drivest. John’s, nL A1B 3V6 Canadatel: 709 777 8300 pharminfo@mun.cawww.mun.ca/pharmacy

090-019-03-12-1,200

areas. But while our faculty are often concurrently involved in many exciting research projects, their primary roles are those as teachers, and we are so pleased that last year the university chose to recognize one of our own with its highest teaching honour: our associate dean of undergraduate studies, Dr. Leslie Phillips, was one of only two individuals to receive the President‘s Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2010. You can read in the annual report more about why Leslie‘s teaching methods earned her this prestigious award.

“Another important factor to measure the school’s success must be to look at our students.

“Representing the best and the brightest of the hundreds who apply for admission to the school each year, our students are also leaders in the area of compassion and caring.

“Because of our students, we like to think of ourselves as - the little school that could. With only 160 students, we represent less than one per cent of the entire student body of the university. Yet given the numerous contributions our students make to the community, their impact rivals that of much larger groups.

“For instance, at last year’s Relay for Life held on campus, six of the 82 teams registered were from the School of Pharmacy. This effort represented participation from one-third of all of our students and raised almost $9,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society – which was 12 per cent of the total raised that day.

“This is just one example of the giving nature of our students which illustrates the kind and compassionate pharmacists they will become. Again I encourage you to refer to our annual report for a more complete picture of how our students are making a difference.

“Before I bring my state of the union address to a close, I would like to finally reflect on one of the school’s most essential and important aspects, that may seem at times overlooked – you.

“Yes, you are a part of the School of Pharmacy, and as I said in the beginning, it doesn‘t matter if you are alumni or not.

“You are the people who serve as preceptors and contribute to the hands-on training of our students.

“You participate in our admission interviews to help evaluate and choose the next generation of pharmacists.

“You support our students through your contributions to our scholarships and awards.

“Ultimately, as a school, it is you, as a community, that we serve - and not just through the provision of your retirement replacements!

“So I am also here tonight to thank you. Thank you for all you have done, all that you do, and all that you will do for the School of Pharmacy at Memorial University.

“Together we are truly working together towards a healthy tomorrow.

“Thank you.”

Continued from page 3.