Student Pharmacists Honored for Fighting Prescription Drug Misuse

DUBLIN, Ohio, April 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Student pharmacists from across the country and a clinical professor of pharmacy were honored recently for their outstanding efforts in preventing prescription medication misuse. The recognitions are part of Generation Rx, an ongoing education and outreach initiative created by the Cardinal Health Foundation and The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, in partnership with the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).

"According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, more than 15 million people, 12 years old and above, use prescription drugs non-medically every year," said Betsy Walker, director of Community Relations at Cardinal Health. "Pharmacists and student pharmacists play a critical role in prevention education: helping parents, educators, community leaders and teens understand the dangers of misusing prescription drugs. The Cardinal Health Foundation is pleased to work with APhA to recognize their incredible work."

The organizations presented the sixth annual APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) Generation Rx Awards during the APhA2016 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Baltimore on March 4; they also presented a pharmacy professor with an APhA Generation Rx Award of Excellence.

The APhA-ASP Generation Rx Awards are part of a national competition among APhA-ASP chapters. In 2015, student pharmacists from 91 chapters conducted more than 1,000 Generation Rx presentations and educated more than 165,000 children, teens, college students and adults. Winning chapters were selected for their collaborative efforts on campus, with pharmacists, community outreach programs and local organizations to expand the breadth and depth of prescription drug misuse education.

In addition to a monetary prize, three national APhA-ASP Generation Rx award winners will receive a trip to Salt Lake City, UT to present at the APhA Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependencies in June. The national winners are:

• National Award ($1,000): East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, Johnson City, TN
• National 1st Runner-Up Award ($750): University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy, Little Rock, AR
• National 2nd Runner-Up Award ($500): The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy, Memphis, TN

Eight regional APhA-ASP awards were also presented; each chapter received $250. Regional winners are:

• Region 1 Award: D'Youville College School of Pharmacy, Buffalo, NY
• Region 2 Award: West Virginia University School of Pharmacy, Morgantown, WV
• Region 3 Award: University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Gainesville, FL
• Region 4 Award: University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, KY
• Region 5 Award: University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Minneapolis, MN
• Region 6 Award: Harding University College of Pharmacy, Searcy, AR
• Region 7 Award: Idaho State University College of Pharmacy, Pocatello, ID
• Region 8 Award: The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Albuquerque, NM

The APhA Generation Rx Award of Excellence was given to Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD, BCPS, a clinical professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy. Bratberg currently serves on the Rhode Island Governor's Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force. In 2012, Bratberg and a student pharmacist co-developed an overdose education and training program for pharmacists in the first-in-nation, statewide Collaborative Pharmacy Practice Agreement for naloxone. In accepting his award, Bratberg said he is most proud of "the successful careers of the hundreds of students I've taught."

Bratberg will also receive a stipend to attend the APhA Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependencies.

"We are extremely proud to recognize Dr. Bratberg for his commitment to his community and his students, and for his efforts in the areas of drug abuse and overdose education," said Elizabeth Cardello, BPharm, APhA Senior Director of Corporate Alliances.

The awards mark a continuation of the APhA and Cardinal Health Foundation partnership to prevent the misuse of prescription medications. The organizations work together to provide a comprehensive education program to aid pharmacists and student pharmacists in educating their communities about the dangers of prescription drug misuse.

About the Cardinal Health Foundation
The Cardinal Health Foundation supports local, national and international programs that improve health care efficiency, effectiveness and excellence and the overall wellness of the communities where the more than 36,000 employees of Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH) live and work. The Cardinal Health Foundation also offers grants to encourage community service among its employees and works through international agencies to donate medical supplies and funding to those who need them in times of disaster. Learn more here, or visit our Facebook page.

About the American Pharmacists Association
The American Pharmacists Association (APhA), founded in 1852 as the American Pharmaceutical Association, is a 501 (c)(6) organization, representing more than 63,000 practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and others interested in advancing the profession. APhA, dedicated to helping all pharmacists improve medication use and advance patient care, is the first-established and largest association of pharmacists in the United States. To learn more, visit www.pharmacist.com.

About APhA-ASP
The American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) is the student pharmacist section of APhA, representing student pharmacists at every school and college of pharmacy in the United States and Puerto Rico. It is the largest student pharmacy organization nationwide. The mission of APhA-ASP is to be the collective voice of student pharmacists, to provide opportunities for professional growth, to improve patient care and to envision and advance the future of pharmacy. To learn more, visit www.pharmacist.com/apha-asp.

SOURCE Cardinal Health Foundation

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