March 2011 Insider Story Continuations - Back to the Newsletter

2011 Pennsylvania Pharmacy Legislative Day

The 2011 Pennsylvania Pharmacy Legislative Day is coming on Tuesday, April 5. This annual event is a wonderful opportunity to join your colleagues throughout the state in an effort to make our pharmacy voices heard by our state legislators.

Having a background in government and legislative issues is not required to attend.  Any individual who wishes to promote the profession of pharmacy, advocate for its future, and show our state legislators that we care about how their choices affect us should come and participate.

Current issues that will be discussed at Legislative Day include:

• Access to Community Pharmacy Services: Many PBMs are requiring patients to use mail order pharmacy, hindering the personal contact patients have with their pharmacists.  All of the counseling skills, communications skills, and drug knowledge that YOU are learning in college will have no use if your patients are forced to use mail order.
• Expanded Pharmacist Immunization Abilities: As immunization training becomes widely available for pharmacy students, wouldn’t you like to be able to practice and hone your skills before becoming a licensed pharmacist?  Legislation is in the works to allow pharmacy interns to administer immunizations under the supervision of their preceptor. 
• Pharmacy Audit Integrity: Pharmacies are losing excessive amounts of money on unfair charges during their audits.  For example, if you verified a prescription for Asacol, and then had an audit conducted which required you to pay back all of the money you received for that prescription because the provider did not write “delayed release” on the prescription, how would that make you feel?  Audits such as this are occurring, and WE can do something to stop it!

We look forward to seeing you in Harrisburg!

Annie Sedlak                                                  Charlie Stormer
PPA Student Intern                                         PPA Student Intern
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia    Duquesne University
Philadelphia College of Pharmacy                Mylan School of Pharmacy

Who
• Representatives from the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association (PPA)
• Pharmacists from all over Pennsylvania
• Pharmacy Students
• Pennsylvania State Legislators
* It is not necessary to be a member of PPA to attend *

What
• Continental breakfast for attendees, invited  legislators, and staffers
• Informational displays and screenings done by student members of PPA
• Legislative appointments (as scheduled throughout the day)
• Press conference/rally in Main Rotunda of the Capitol

Where
• State Capitol Building, Harrisburg, PA

When
• Tuesday, April 5th, from 7:45 am until 2:00 pm

Why
• Just your attendance at the event will show our legislators that we really care about pharmacy and that these bills will positively affect the profession when passed.
• If you just think “someone else will do it,” your voice will never be heard by the legislature and our career will never advance .
• Actions speak volumes – your presence will make a huge impact on the legislators even if you do not meet with them personally.
• The day will provide a great experience for your future as a pharmacist.

How
• Contact your school’s Legislative Day Coordinator: Hank Schwartz at h.schwartz@usp.eduh.schwartz@usciences.edu
• Visit PPA’s Legislative Day Web Site:  http://www.papharmacists.com/legislativeday.htm

Earth Month in April

India's Native Genius
April 5 at 4:30 p.m. in Wilson Hall, room 212–“India's Native Genius”: Dr. Surendra Gambhir, (retired) UPenn Professor of Linguistics, will discuss Indian ideas that have enriched human history—philosophical, mathematical linguistic, political and medical. Dr. Gambhir taught South Asia Studies at the University of Pennsylvania for over thirty years. His areas of research include structural analysis of Hindi in and outside India, Sociolinguistics, Heritage Languages and Sanskrit Literature & Philosophy. Sponsored by the Department of Humanities. Light refreshments after the lecture.

Blackboard is Coming!
The University has completed the steps to bring the Blackboard suite of services to campus:

• Blackboard Learn (replacement for the Angel LMS)
• Blackboard Mobile (mobile access to the LMS and public sites)
• Blackboard Community Portal (like Angel Groups)
• Blackboard Collaborate (Elluminate live classrooms)

Stay tuned for more announcements and learn more at our Blackboard Transition Center where you can view our FAQ, training opportunities, and roll-out timeline.

Campus Web Printing
Information Technology is happy to introduce USciences Campus Web Printing

You may now print from your own personal computer or from any computer on campus to the following convenient locations:
1.   Joseph W. England Library: HP9050 Lib 1st Floor1; HP9050 Lib 1st Floor2; HP9050 LRC 2nd Floor1
2.   McNeil STC: RICOH 8200DN STC147
3.   Wilson Computer Lab: HP9050 WI217 #1; HPColor 3800 WI217 #1; HP9040 WI217 #2

More at webprinting.usciences.edu or contact the Help Desk at 215-596-7611 or at ITHelp@usciences.edu

February Research Activities

Join the NeuroUSciences XChange
Are you interested in the physiological, pharmacological, chemical, physical, social, developmental, computational or biological basis of the brain?

If your answer is YES, then the NeuroUSciences XChange is for you!

The first NeuroUSciences XChange is March 31 from 1-2 p.m. in PTC 131

We will brainstorm mechanisms of how we can:                             

• Build upon our common interests in the brain and behavior
• Share our research efforts internally and externally
• Exchange ideas & projects of mutual interests (Many of us review grants for NIH/NSF/DOD & Foundations. It is clear that collaborative grants have a higher funding success rate)
• Create a peer review process to improve our grants and manuscripts
• Advance neuroscience education and research at USciences

The NeuroUSciences XChange…where the neurons are always fired up!

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Hope for Japan
In light of the recent events in Japan, Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) is hosting a charity reception to raise money for the earthquake and tsunami victims. Please join us on Thursday, March 31, 2011 from 4:30-6 p.m. in Wilson Hall Room 205. The speakers include:

• Mr. Yuichi Ozawa, President of the Board of Directors of the Japanese House and Garden in Fairmount Park
• Dr. Mei-ling Wang, Ph.D., MPH, Associate Professor at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
• Ms. Alishah Rahmentulla, Doctor of Pharmacy Candidate 2012

Speakers will be presenting on various topics related to the devastating effects of this natural disaster. All proceeds will go directly to the Japanese Red Cross Society.

If there are any questions please contact PBL president Raquel Villanueva, rvillanueva@mail.usp.edu

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Femi 3 on 3 Tournament Raises $2K
On Saturday, March 19, 200 participants and volunteers gathered for the 5th Annual Femi Memorial 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament. After eight hours of non-stop basketball, Adewale Adefemi PMM'11 (right and tourney MVP) willed his team Wasted Talent to victory. The tournament raises $2,561 for the Femi Memorial Fund in memory of Femi Ogunkorode who passed away tragically in March 2006 at the age of 20.