Read the Fall UIC Pharmacist Magazine

Pharmacist
A Publication for University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy Alumni and Friends
Fall 2008—Volume 32, Number 2
“All in the Family”
Starring
The Karagiannises
Fall
08
In this issue discover how the students, faculty and alumni of UIC College of Pharmacy embody entrepreneurialship, innovation and forward thinking. From as far away as Guatemala and Laos to right here
in Chicago, their ingenuity is a true testament of the college’s nearly 150 years of pharmacy excellence.
IN EVERY ISSUE:
FEATURE ARTICLES:
FEATURE ARTICLES:
3.
DEAN’S MESSAGE
4.
4.
FACULTY SPOTLITE
15. FULBRIGHT FELLOWSHIP
Fulbright Fellow to search for
TB cure in Laos.
5.
NEWS FLASH
PATHWAYS TO PHARMACY
CVS/pharmacy and Chicago Public
Schools collaborate in this fourth
annual program.
5.
REMEMBERING BIG AL
Loved ones honor long-time UIC
employee’s memory with a gift to
promote medicinal plant research
and education.
6.
AND THE AWARD
GOES TO...
8.
RISING STARS
15. APPOINTMENTS
17. DIGGING DEEPER
PhD graduate explores how
ethnic heritage affects the use of
pharmaceuticals and pharmacy care.
14. PHARMACY NEWSMAKER
7.
COMMENCEMENT
The Class of 2008 celebrates.
8.
ABOVE & BEYOND: BREAKING
DOWN THE LANGUAGE BARRIER
Students address the need to
better communicate with Spanishspeaking patients.
17. DISCOVERIES
20. IN THE LOOP
9.
BRIEFS
Professional student accolades indicate
a bright future for pharmacy.
10. COVER FEATURE
The Karagiannises Keep it
“All in the Family”
12. NORMAN FARNSWORTH
ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIP
Announcing the college’s first ever
endowed professorship in honor of a
world-renowned professor.
12. REUNION 2008
New friends and old reunite.
18. INDEPENDENT
PHARMACY TODAY
In the ever evolving world of
independent pharmacy, read how
one alumnus has found his niche.
ON THE
COVER:
From left to right
Tom, Daniel, Paul,
Elizabeth and Steve
Karagiannis.
DEAR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS,
Growing up in downstate Illinois, I have long wished to have a presence for the University of
Illinois College of Pharmacy outside of the Chicagoland area. We are the flagship college of
pharmacy in the state. While we attract talented students from throughout Illinois, the large
majority of our students come from the Chicagoland area and our students tend to stay in
this area. My desire is to more broadly support the citizens of the state and students’ ability to
gain entrance into the college rather than feeling the need to attend private (and more costly)
universities in surrounding states.
These feelings are supported by the pharmacist shortage in Illinois, which is most obvious
in areas outside of Chicago. For every student we accept, nearly 10 apply. Therefore, we
must turn down qualified students despite the pressing need for pharmacists. We cannot
significantly increase the class size at UIC because of the limitations of our building.
Although we have graduated more students in the past (I think there were more than 200
students in my graduating class!), the current style of pharmacy education—with more clinical
and active learning activities—limits the enrollment at our facility on Wood Street.
Therefore, it was opportune that the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford
decided to expand its class size and build an addition onto its existing facility. They graciously
asked us if we would join them and consider a regional campus for the College of Pharmacy.
We already had a collaborative presence in Rockford, sharing four faculty members. These
faculty practice in Rockford, teach pharmacology in the College of Medicine and take UIC
pharmacy students on clinical rotation. We will begin recruiting Rockford-based faculty soon,
with one of our first priorities to build partnerships for experiential education in northern
and central Illinois. And I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. David Bartels as
vice dean for the Rockford program. Dave has been on our faculty for 30 years and is highly
regarded and widely known—not only throughout Illinois, but nationally as well.
We plan to enter the inaugural class of 50 pharmacy students in late summer of 2010, which
coincides with the anticipated time that the new building will open. We will utilize distance
education technology to deliver course material—both from Chicago to Rockford and from
Rockford to Chicago. We anticipate a “rural pharmacy” theme, which nicely complements the
urban mission of the Chicago campus. Some classes will be interdisciplinary, with pharmacy
and medical students learning together. Recently we worked with Northern Illinois University
to create a way for students to be accepted into the College of Pharmacy during their time in
DeKalb. In addition to securing nonrecurring start-up funds from the state of Illinois, we have
fortunately received large gifts from Walgreens and Robert Dickman, BS ’51, to build named,
high-tech classrooms for pharmacy students in Rockford.
We are extremely excited about our expansion plans and think they provide a unique way
to support the needs of the citizens of the state by not only providing more well-trained
pharmacists but by also allowing more talented students from Illinois into the college. It
builds upon our current strengths and creates an innovative model that integrates pharmacy
and medical education. Regionalization in this way should cement our role as the flagship
college of pharmacy in the state for years to come.
Yours Truly,
Jerry L. Bauman, BS ’76, PharmD, FCCP, FACC
Dean and Professor
3
For every student we
accept, nearly 10 apply.
Therefore, we must turn
down qualified students
despite the pressing
need for pharmacists.
– Jerry Bauman, Dean
PATHWAYS
to Pharmacy > > > > > > >
By Felicia Schneiderhan
In collaboration with Chicago Public Schools
and CVS/pharmacy, the UIC College of
Pharmacy offered its fourth annual Pathways
to Pharmacy program for Chicago Public
Schools high school students this summer.
Interns are selected from a highly competitive group of high school students interested
in the health sciences. They participate in an
eight-week paid academic enrichment and
pharmacy internship, spending three weeks
at UIC in intensive academic activities, followed by five weeks working 30 hours per
week as a pharmacy technician intern at a
CVS/pharmacy close to their homes.
According to Dean Jerry Bauman, “The
CVS-UIC partnership to help attract Chicago Public Schools students into the profession of pharmacy has been a resounding
success and is being copied by other colleges
of pharmacy throughout the nation. This
program is a perfect example of the college
reaching into Chicago, consistent with our
important urban mission.”
Started in 2005 as a work force development initiative, the program first targeted
25 students. This summer, the program expanded to include 35 students from 14 CPS
high schools and 10 students from Thorn-
ton Township District 205. More than 700
students attended the information session.
States Clara Awe, PhD, assistant dean of Urban Affairs and director of the Urban Health
Program, who has overseen the program
since its inception, “It broke my heart—because they were all equally talented, meeting
all the criteria.”
Once accepted into the program, students
spend three weeks at the College of Pharmacy
working with faculty preceptors and mentors
and attending a seminar series covering contemporary pharmacy and public health topics, including diabetes, asthma, third-party
reimbursement and insurance, hypertension/
lipids and controlled substances.
Based on preliminary baseline statistical data,
a total of 130 students have participated in
the Pathways to Pharmacy Apprenticeship
Program since 2005. Sixty-two percent are
enrolled or will be enrolled as pre-pharmacy
students at UIC and elsewhere.
“These talented students have done so well,”
adds Bauman. “I hope we have played a small
part in their subsequent success.”
TOP: Pathways students, along with Dean Bauman, are
photographed with State Representative Honorable Arthur L. Turner from the 9th Congressional District after
he spoke with students on the importance of education.
Faculty In the Spotlight:
Hayat Onyuksel
For faculty member Hayat Onyuksel, PhD, professor and associate
head, department of biopharmaceutical sciences, 2008 has proved to
be quite the exciting year.
Despite facing the hardship of
her lab being shut down for months
due to the fire, as did most college
researchers, she received three
important awards acknowledging
her dedication to teaching and
research. The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
honored her as the 2008 LipidBased Drug Delivery Outstanding
Award recipient. And UIC named
her as both a University Scholar
and a Graduate Mentoring Award
recipient. Both university accolades
are peer-nominated awards and
among the highest honors for faculty to receive.
No stranger to success, Onyuksel
was named both UIC Inventor of the
Year and UIC Woman of the Year
in 2003. More recently, she was
named an AAPS fellow in 2007,
and two of her articles were listed
on ScienceDirect’s Top 25 Hottest
Articles in 2006.
Over the course of her 20-year
career at the college, she has mentored over 20 graduate students.
She and her students
work in the field of
nanomedicine, using
nanotechnology to
investigate drugs that
will target specific
disease sites in the
body. They are working to develop
drugs to treat ailments such as
breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis
and Alzheimer’s disease.
LEFT: Students are recognized at the culmination of the
2008 Pathways to Pharmacy program.
4
Your Guide to Breaking News From the UIC College of Pharmacy
FLASH
N
5
E
W
S
•
College Announces Promotions
The College of Pharmacy proudly announces the following promotions: Andrew D.
Mesecar, PhD, to professor of medicinal
chemistry; Steven M. Swanson, PhD ’90,
to professor of pharmacognosy; Guido F.
Pauli, PharmD, PhD, to associate professor
of pharmacognosy (with tenure); Pavel A.
Petukhov, PhD, to associate professor of
medicinal chemistry (with tenure); A. Simon Pickard, PhD, to associate professor of
pharmacy practice (with tenure); and Nancy
A. Shapiro, PharmD, to clinical associate
professor of pharmacy practice.
•
Schoen Named Fellow
Marieke Schoen, PharmD ’88, associate
dean, Academic Affairs, and clinical associate professor, department of pharmacy
practice, was chosen to serve as a fellow
of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation Academic Leadership Program for the
2008-09 school year. The program is designed to develop leadership and managerial skills of faculty who have demonstrated
exceptional ability and administrative promise. The CIC is a consortium of 12 research
universities, including the 11 members of
the Big Ten Conference and the University
of Chicago.
•
Schumock Appointed to Board
Glen T. Schumock, PharmD, MBA, associate professor, department of pharmacy
practice, and director, Center for Pharmacoeconomic Research, was appointed to the
Pharmacotherapy Publications Inc. Board
of Directors. The three-year appointment
is selected by the president of American
College of Clinical Pharmacy. Pharmacotherapy Publications Inc. is the publisher of
the journal Pharmacotherapy. Since 1996
Schumock also has served on the editorial
board of Pharmacotherapy, the official journal of ACCP dedicated to publishing innovative scientific and professional information
and knowledge that lead to changes and
advances in drug therapy.
Remembering
Big Al
On July 14, family,
friends and co-workers
gathered at the Dorothy
Bradley Atkins Medicinal
Plant Garden to celebrate
the life of Alan “Big Al” Lesniewicz.
Alan was a dedicated employee of
UIC for over 16 years until his untimely
death in February. As a physical plant
driver, he was known by many in the
UIC community—commuters, students
and staff alike could rely on his ready
smile and assistance. At his passing,
his wife, Cherise Greski-Lesniewicz,
a former UIC employee, wanted to
acknowledge his contributions to UIC
as well as remember his support of
her own work at the university. As a
result, Mrs. Greski-Lesniewicz, along
with friends and family, created an
endowment to support the garden in
Alan’s name.
As Mrs. Greski-Lesniewicz stated at
the dedication, “In choosing to remember Alan here in the Atkins Garden, I
am reminded of how he supported me
in my work at U of I and my choices—
particularly when it came to health
issues. For over 22 years, his favorite
thing was to make me smile. When I
developed Bell ’s palsy last year and
lost that ability, he fully supported me
while I developed my own treatment
plan based on research, intuition and
medicinals. We recognized the risks
but believed it was a better choice, and
he agreed to stand by me regardless. It
was the right choice—for on Christmas
Eve morning, I woke up fully smiling for
the first time in three weeks.
The first lecture for the endowment
was presented in August during the
annual Garden Walk. In addition to the
endowment, Mrs. Greski-Lesniewicz
and her mother, Bernie Greski, also a
UIC employee for over 20 years, provided additional funds to upgrade all
the bench plaques in the garden.
Medicinal plant research and education can be continued with a gift to the
Alan “Big Al” Memorial Fund through
the College of Pharmacy Web site
at www.uic.edu/pharmacy/alumni
/donate_online.php.
And the
Award Goes
To . . .
Young Investigator of
the Year
> Jeffrey Bishop, PharmD,
assistant professor,
department of pharmacy
practice, was one of 15
scientists nationally to receive
a 2008 Young Investigator
Award from NARSAD, the
world’s largest and leading
charitable organization
committed to mental health
research. Bishop will receive
$30,000 for two years to fund
his research project. His goal
is to define the relationship
between glutamate receptor
variants and response to
antipsychotic treatment in
schizophrenia. The study
will focus on 70
risperidonetreated patients
from the Chicago
First Episode
Psychosis Program.
Bishop will conduct research
along with John Sweeney,
professor and director of
the Center for Cognitive
Medicine, UIC department of
psychiatry.
Alzheimer’s Drug
Discovery Award
> Alan Kozikowski, PhD,
professor, department of
medicinal chemistry and
pharmacognosy,
was one of four
international
scientists to
be honored
with the third annual
Novel Approaches to Drug
Discovery for Alzheimer’s
Disease award. The
award is sponsored by the
Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery
Foundation, a biomedical
venture philanthropy,
and Elan Corporation,
Inc., a neurosciencebased biotechnology
company. Winners received
$132,500 to support their
drug discovery research
programs. Kozikowski’s work
investigates the histone
deacetylase-based approach
to drug discovery and how
the use of modulators of the
histone code offers great
potential for the treatment of
diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Investigator
Development Award
> Robert J. Didomenico,
PharmD ’96, clinical
associate professor,
department of pharmacy
practice, received a 2008
Investigator Development
Award from the American
College of Clinical Pharmacy
for his project titled “Digoxin
Dosing in Heart Failure
Patients vs. Standard Care.”
Didomenico’s project seeks
to determine if a simplified
dosing tool his team
developed is more effective
than standard digoxin dosing
practices at achieving lower
blood levels. It also looks to
determine if digoxin dosing
may be optimized further
by incorporating patients’
genetic information
believed to
influence the
drug’s properties.
Dosing methods
for digoxin have not been
updated in decades, despite
evidence in recent years
suggesting that blood levels
of the drug achieved with
traditional dosing practices
may increase the risk of
adverse events.
Van Breemen Receives
AOAC’s Top Honor
> Richard B. van Breemen,
PhD, professor, department
of medicinal chemistry
and pharmacognosy, was
awarded the 2008 Harvey
W. Wiley award from AOAC
International. AOAC’s top
scientific honor,
the Wiley award
is given annually
for career
achievements
in analytical methodology.
The honor recognizes van
Breemen’s career-long
achievements, including
his work utilizing advanced
mass spectrometry to trace
active ingredients of dietary
supplements from natural
products to the blood stream.
The award was established in
1956 to honor Dr. Harvey W.
Wiley, who was instrumental
in the establishment of
laws regulating food quality.
He was also a founder of
AOAC International, which
stands for the Association of
Analytical Communities.
6
C O M M E N C E M E N T
On May 12, the College of Pharmacy welcomed
214 students into its impressive alumni family.
For four students, the evening was the perfect
ending to a perfect four-year academic career.
Allison Beck Blackmer, Karen Eckmann, Lynley
Heinrich and Harn Shiue all earned a flawless
4.0 cumulative grade point average over the
course of their professional education. In total,
the university awarded 159 Doctor of Pharmacy
degrees, 38 Master of Science degrees and 17
Doctor of Philosophy degrees. As a final nod to
the difficulties everyone at the college endured
due to the fire,
Dean Bauman
presented the entire
Class of 2008 with
special College of
Pharmacy hard hat
to remember their
final months at the
college.
Peter Vlasses, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, executive
director, Accreditation Council for Pharmacy
Education, addresses the graduates.
Introducing the Doctor of Pharmacy Class of 2008.
Bob Heyman, BS ’52, Pharmacy Alumni Board
past president, leads graduates in the Oath of the
Pharmacist for the first time.
7
Above
& Beyond
Breaking Down the
Language Barrier
By Felicia Schneiderhan
Rising Stars Shine
Up-and-coming researchers
reinforce the college’s leading
position in scientific investigations
Denise Holzle, graduate student in the Center
for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, won first
place in the Life Sciences section at the
UIC Student Research Forum, held in April.
Holzle’s project, titled “Neuronal protection
provided by novel benzofuran maleimides,
which selectively inhibit GSK3ß activate
ß-catenin, a potential downstream neuroprotective pathway,” was one of more than
150 posters presented. Holzle, a Van Doren
Scholar, was also selected to present this
work during a 10 minute talk at the American
Academy of Neurology 60th Anniversary
Annual Meeting. .
PhD student Caitlyn Wilke, MS ’07, department of pharmacy administration, received
the Distinguished Service Award from the
International Society for Pharmacoeconomics
and Outcomes Research. Wilke, who served
as the college’s ISPOR student chapter president for the 2007-08 year, now serves as
the Student Network chair and oversees all
student chapter presidents internationally.
Two years ago second-year pharmacy students
saw a need to better communicate with
Spanish-speaking patients at community
clinics. So in the fall of 2006, they developed
an experimental elective to teach Spanish to
their peers.
“On rotation, students always see a Spanishspeaking patient who is waiting a long time
for a translator because they can’t get some
basic information,” describes Felipe Perez, a
current fourth-year student who helped start
and teach the course.
Perez was born and raised in Peru, and came
to the Chicago area with his family when he
was in eighth grade. Perez’s father worked
as a physician at a clinic at Cermak and
Western, where the vast majority of patients
spoke Spanish. Because his dad could speak
to them directly, “his relationship with
his patients was amazing; they were so
comfortable with him.”
With a faculty sponsor and using a continuing
education model, the team of students
developed a semester-long course that met
during the lunch hour once a week during the
spring of 2007. Eight students volunteered to
teach the 30 P1-P3 students who registered
for the course.
Because there were many levels of fluency,
the course broke into four groups from
beginner to advanced. Each group
modified the curriculum based
on the needs of the
students, covering
grammar, body parts and basic pharmacy
conversation like collecting patient history
and other data. The groups also used role
playing in community pharmacies to build
their fluency.
At the end of the semester, students gave a
final presentation on a topic such as asthma,
hypertension or diabetes and then modeled a
counseling session in Spanish. They received
one credit.
The course was intended to be offered every
spring although the fire prevented the class
from happening in 2008. Initial plans are
under way for a course in 2009.
Says Mike Marquez, a current P4 student
who helped develop and teach the course,
“Teaching forced me to look up words I
don’t know. I know how to say things, but
it’s another thing to teach it.” Now that he’s
on rotations, he finds he is using his Spanish,
which he spoke with his grandparents, more
frequently.
“Spanish is definitely the predominant
language (in community pharmacies) around
the UIC campus,” adds Perez. “It’s great
that students took an interest in learning a
language and came up with a course to help
patient relations. If a provider will try some
Spanish, maybe patients will try to speak
some English and not feel embarrassed. They
can break through the language barrier.
“If you can reach a little bit over to a patient,
you will get the same back.”
8
Fourth-year student
Sherry Maher received
the Foundation for Managed Care Pharmacy’s
Best Poster Award at
Meghan Hayes was one
the 20th annual Acad-
of 15 students nation-
emy of Managed Care
wide to be honored
Pharmacy Annual Meet-
with a 2008 American
ing and Showcase held
Foundation for Phar-
in April. Maher received
maceutical Education’s
Third-year student Maja
the accolade for her
Gateway to Research
Graonic was awarded a
paper titled “Impact of
Scholarship. Hayes, a
prestigious Schweitzer
Rising Costs on Utiliza-
third-year student at the
Fellowship for the
tion, Adherence, and
college, received $5,000
2008-2009 school year.
Patient Satisfaction of
to fund her project titled
As a Schweitzer Fellow,
Contraceptive Therapy
“The Effect of Stable
Graonic will provide
in a University Setting.”
Transfection of Protein
a medication therapy
Judges base their deci-
Fourth-year student
Kinase C Alpha in the
management program
sions on the paper’s sci-
Temeka Magett
Hormone-Dependent
for patients at Commu-
entific merit, innovative
received one of five
Breast Cancer Cell Line
nityHealth, a free clinic
and practical research,
Martin Luther King Jr.
MCF-7.” The Gateway
for Chicago residents
relevance to managed
Fellowships for profes-
to Research program
without health insur-
care pharmacy and the
sional students. The
aims to identify promis-
ance. Since its inception
author’s knowledge of
$5,000 award recognizes
ing pharmacy students
in 1996, the Schweitzer
the subject matter during
students on excep-
and encourage them
Fellowship program has
his/her presentation.
tional academic record,
to consider advanced
supported over 340 ser-
a personal statement,
graduate education and
vice projects throughout
recommendations and a
careers in research by
the city of Chicago and
demonstrated commit-
allowing them to under-
DuPage County—total-
ment to the community
take a faculty-mentored
ing almost 70,000 hours
and/or campus service.
research program.
of community service.
BRIEFS
9
L to R:
Temeka Magett,
Meghan Hayes, Maja
Graonic, Sherry Maher.
ALL
IN
T
Meet
The K
FAMILY
IN THE
FAMILY
ALL IN T
Keeping It All in the
Patients feel right at home at
Norwood Drugs and Home Health
Care, where the counter is front
and center to greet customers,
and the caring staff is working in
every corner to fulfill customers’
needs: from consulting and filling
prescriptions
to preparing
“Medication on
Time” trays to
be delivered to local group homes.
Located at 7124 W. Higgins in
Chicago, Norwood Drugs is
an independent, family-owned
pharmacy. When customers enter,
owner Steve Karagiannis, BS ’76,
emerges from behind the counter
and greets them face-to-face by
name, instantly making them feel a
part of the Norwood family.
With 18 employees, Norwood
Drugs fills prescriptions for anyone
coming to the counter, and offers
diverse services like packaging for
older patients and an expanding
Durable Medical Equipment section. They work with small-to-midsize group homes, sending delivery
drivers within a four-mile radius in
the city and nearby suburbs.
With every service, customer interaction is primary.
“Independent pharmacists are
available all the time,” said Steve.
“It’s easy for a patient to call us and
get through and ask anything they
need to know about their drugs. We
are very flexible—a delivery driver
can be in the same home five times
a day, if needed.”
Born in Greece, Steve came to the
U.S. during high school and graduated from UIC in 1976. His wife, Elizabeth, was also in high school when
she came to the U.S. from her home
in Poland. She graduated from the
College of Pharmacy in 1977.
The two worked together for a brief
period at Mary Thompson Hospital
in Chicago, where they started dating. They married in 1979 and today
have three sons. Their oldest son,
Paul, is a second-year medical student at UIC, and second son, Daniel,
is finishing his business degree at
UIC. Their youngest son, Tom, is in
his sophomore year at UIC, hoping
to enter the pharmacy program.
Early in their marriage, while Elizabeth continued to work in hospital
pharmacies, Steve left the hospital
system to run his own small store.
“I like to be on my own,” he said.
“I like to do things my way, and I find
more satisfaction on my own. I can
change things if something doesn’t
10
THE
aragiannises
ALL
(Pharmacy) Family
By Felicia Schneiderhan
work. I get more creative, I can experiment. Sometimes they work and
sometimes they don’t; you learn as
you go. What makes me survive all
these years is that I’m doing the
same thing over and over again,
and that helps make us better.”
Elizabeth worked full-time in the
hospital setting for 20 years while
helping Steve part-time and raising their three sons. Then the family
business grew too large, and Elizabeth came to work in retail fulltime.
Now, the couple works together but
in separate areas of the drug store.
Steve manages the overall business and takes care of the group
homes and nursing facilities while
Elizabeth handles the outpatient
prescriptions and many of the patient consultations.
To keep a work-life balance, they
try not to discus pharmacy at all
once they leave the store. “There
are so many other issues to address,” said Elizabeth. “I have my
hands full when I get home.”
All three sons have worked in
the family pharmacy, starting out
in stock and working their way up
behind the counter, wearing white
coats as pharmacy technicians.
“I personally think anyone interested in medicine should spend
some time behind the counter in
a pharmacy,” said Paul. “You’re reminded that healthcare’s a team
game and that as a doctor you are
only a link in a chain. I can’t tell you
how many times my parents had to
explain dosages or translate labels
because docs didn’t realize their
patients couldn’t read English.”
Over time, Steve moved away
from the 5,000 square-foot store,
selling toothpaste and renting mov-
ies, to concentrate more on counseling patients, working with group
homes and independent living facilities, and DME. This includes talking with patients in person and on
the phone for as long as necessary,
and also visiting patients in their
homes if needed.
“I can do that because I’m independent,” he said. “It’s my job to
help patients as much as I can.”
Because of the customer service they provide, Norwood Drugs
is constantly attracting new customers, as well as keeping lifelong
customers.
According to Steve, “If you
counsel a patient and give
them the right information,
they like you and keep coming back. It’s trust. Some of
my customers have been
with me 30 years. Even
though I have moved my
pharmacy a few times,
customers still come
to us.”
Paul describes watching his parents’ devotion
to their customers. “They
got to know their patients
and customers for almost 30
years. They knew their wives’ and
their kids’ names, and where the
kids went to school and what
sports they played and who
was getting married and—
especially recently—who was
deployed and who came back
safe. That’s why they opened
so early and closed so late.
For what other reason would
folks from Albany Park take
THE
11
“All in the Family”
Continued on p. 18
Norman Farnsworth >
Endowed Professorship
By Felicia Schneiderhan
The College of Pharmacy has received its
first endowed professorship, made possible by
generous gifts from Norman Farnsworth, PhD,
research professor and director of the Program
for Collaborative Research in the Pharmaceutical
Sciences at the College of Pharmacy, and Tom
Chappell, founder and former CEO of Tom’s of Maine, a natural
care company whose products are made without artificial or
animal ingredients or chemicals.
The Norman R. Farnsworth Professor of Pharmacognosy
endowed professorship will be used to recruit and support a
world-class pharmacognosy professor to the College of Pharmacy.
Farnsworth, in whose honor the endowed professorship was
created, is an international expert in drugs that come from plants,
and one of the most highly recognized faculty at UIC.
According to Dean Jerry Bauman, “Norm has brought so much
recognition to the college through his research and educational
programs, it is appropriate that our very first endowed
professorship should be named after him. It should cement the
legacy of pharmacognosy in the college permanently. There are
many people to thank—in particular, lead gifts from Tom Chappell
of Tom’s of Maine and the Farnsworth family, along with those
from friends and colleagues of Norm, allowed this to happen.”
Endowed professorships are usually given to a faculty
member, providing funding for research and education. They are
considered extremely prestigious and help
the college attract and retain promising
faculty members. Income from the
fund may be used to augment the
professor’s salary or support his/
her scholarly and research needs.
A minimum gift of $500,000 is
required to establish an endowed
professorship.
The college also has received a
generous gift to establish its first
endowed chair in memory of an
internationally renowned
alumnus. More details and
the name of the donor
will be announced at
the Sesquicentennial
Timeless Gala in on
Sept. 26, 2009.
Ronald Weinert, BS ’83
Dean Bauman, Alumnus of the Year Mark Munger
Connie (Lipinski) Kasprzak and Lee (Larson) West
Members of the Class of 1998 before dinner
12
Reunion 2008
In April, nearly 200 alumni celebrated with new friends and old
during Pharmacy Alumni Reunion 2008. From CE sessions and tours of
the college to a heated contest for who had the most classmates in
attendance at the culminating dinner Saturday night
(1983 proved victorious), the weekend revolved around
making memories while reminiscing about adventures at
the college.
The following are the 2008 recipients of the
Pharmacy Alumni Association’s annual awards.
Rising Star Award: Acknowledges an alumnus for outstanding professional
achievements within 10 years of graduation: Judy T. Chen, PharmD ’01
Sister Margaret Wright Award: Recognizes an alumnus of the graduate
program for distinction in service or research: Maulik Nanavaty, PhD ’89
Jesse Stewart Service Award: Honors an individual for generous service to
the profession, community and/or the college: Nicholas G. Popovich,
BS ’68, MS ’71, PhD ’73
Alumnus of the Year: The highest honor awarded by the college recognizing
exceptional career attainment and service to the college: Mark Munger,
PharmD ’86
Mark your calendars for Reunion 2009, Sept. 25 & 26, in conjunction with
the Sesquicentennial Celebration. You won’t want to miss this once-in-alifetime weekend. For full details and a schedule of events, visit
www.uic.edu/pharmacy/alumni/reunion.php.
To nominate an individual for an alumni award,
please visit www.uic.edu/pharmacy/alumni/awards.php.
13
PharmacyNewsmaker > Fall.08
Cindy Flores > BS ’76
Cindy Flores,
owner of
Cindy’s Pharmacy at 5310
N. Sheridan
Rd., Chicago,
is the only Filipino-American
independent
drugstore owner in the metropolitan Chicago area. An active
volunteer in many areas, Flores
currently serves as president of the
Philippine American Chamber of
Commerce of Greater Chicago. She
is the recipient of numerous awards
for her service, including the
Outstanding Dedication Award for
six consecutive years by the Boys
and Girls Club of Chicago. At present Flores also serves as advisory
council to Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois
state treasurer.
What generates your creative
thinking? Excessive government
regulations, cutthroat competition
from the chains and the customers’
compelling need for personalized
service.
What is the key to your success?
Patience, perseverance and the
customer comes first!
What motivates you? My customers’ need for empathy—the human
condition in our rapidly changing world. As a society we are
bombarded with rapid advances in
healthcare, changing insurance reimbursement and increasingly complex government regulations. As a
professional I feel it my obligation to
bridge the gap between “progress”
and my customers’ growing feelings
of frustration and helplessness.
Describe your professional
philosophy: Practicing my profession as a way of living my
values. “Do unto others,”
“what goes around
comes around,” and sharing my attitude with my customers that life is
worth living with the “right conduct.”
Why does the pharmacy
profession need creative thinking? Because the profession is
also an art. Attracting and keeping
customers is a moving target. The
community pharmacist has to be
creative in effectively communicating drug information to the patient,
meeting customers’ changing
needs, sharing their
personal joy and sadness, and listening and
responding to their ever-changing
expectations, not only from a
pharmacologic aspect but also from
a psychosocial perspective.
How did your UIC College of
Pharmacy education prepare
you for your current position? I
was a pharmacy graduate when I
arrived from the Philippines and needed to
spend a couple of years
at UIC to qualify for the Boards.
My UIC education provided me
with the best knowledge base
in the field. Its rigorous program
improved my self-discipline, and
its diverse student body taught me
multiculturalism. My classmates
were “the best,” one great example
being our current dean.
What is the most important
piece of advice you have ever
received? Treat your customers as
family. Listen, share.
Have You Accepted the > CHALLENGE?
In the last issue of UIC Pharmacist,
classmates Joe Green and John
Kirklys, both PharmD ’90, issued a
challenge: What class can raise the
most money for the Sesquicentennial
Leadership Scholarship?
With the cost of a public education
rising, and state support declining,
it is likely that many of the college’s
students will owe over $75,000 in
student loans upon graduating. As the
first full-tuition scholarship and the
first award funded solely by alumni,
the Sesquicentennial Leadership
Scholarship is an important way to
ensure the lasting legacy of the college
while supporting the future
of pharmacy.
Currently, class ambassadors are busy
encouraging their classmates to help
support the college’s Sesquicentennial
Leadership Scholarship—and to win
major bragging rights. To learn more
about the Leadership Scholarship,
how to join the Challenge and to
see where your class stands, visit
www.pharm150.com.
THANK YOU
TO THESE GENEROUS
INDIVIDU ALS
> Last fall, alumni and friends of the
college were introduced to the Class of 2011
through a special mailing piece. It offered the
chance to sponsor a student, providing muchneeded funds to help enrich their educational
experiences. The college, along with the Class
of 2011, thanks the following individuals for
their generous contributions. If you are interested in giving to the Pharmacy Annual Fund
and supporting the future of pharmacy, please
see the envelope included in this magazine.
Kasem S. Akhras, PharmD ’94
John E. Archer, BS ’69
Wayne D. Bauma, BS ’83, PharmD ‘86, Res ’87
Kathleen S. Blahunka, BS ’83, PharmD ’87
Paul C. Blahunka, BS ’81, PharmD ’91
Thomas A. Braun, BS ’57
Seymour I. Cohen, BS ’58
George G. Demos, BS ’69
Pamela J. Eckenrode, PharmD ’89
Michael T. Flavin, PhD ’84
Scott T. Forrest, PharmD ’07
Thomas W. Gosciej, BS ’78
Mark N. Gravdal, BS ’74
Bruce R. Grider, BS ’74
Linda M. Grider, BS ’75
John T. Gulick, BS ’51
Donald E. Gunnerson
James M. Hancock, BS ’74
Nancy K. Hayden, BS ’67
Lois O. Ivy
Sterling E. Ivy, BS ’58
Eileen M. Jaracz, BS ’80, PharmD ’87
David A. Jaracz
Michael S. Maddux
Susan V. Maddux, BS ’81, PharmD ’87
William R. Magruder, BS ’70
Arlynn Hem Manasse
Henri R. Manasse, Jr., BS ’68
Alan M. Mancini, BS ’76
Barbara Limburg Mancini, BS ’76, PharmD ’93
Eileen McGilvray
John G. McGilvray, PharmD ’01
Marianne E. Miller, PharmD ’99
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
14
By Sam Hostettler
FULBRIGHT
:
A
L
H
>
15
;
A
D
=
E
Bethany Elkington, a third-year doctoral
student in medicinal chemistry and
pharmacognosy at the University of
Illinois at Chicago, will study in Laos
this fall as a Fulbright Fellow to
learn whether ancient manuscripts
contain clues to treat tuberculosis.
Elkington, a native of
Tooele, Utah, who received her
undergraduate degree in biology
at Purdue University, will travel to
the Southeast Asian country this fall to
begin her 10-month research project.
Laos is located between Vietnam and
Thailand and has a population of more than 6.5 million—
the majority of whom use traditional medicines on a daily
basis, Elkington said, as they have for centuries.
“Buddhist monks have documented these treatments
for hundreds of years in manuscripts written on palm
leaves that have been dried, sanded down and written
on with a stylus,” she said. “My goal is to find alternative
disease treatments by looking through the manuscripts
for clues about which plants were used in the past, and
to determine if the same plants are still being used for the
same treatments.”
Palm leaf manuscripts frequently were written with
characters reserved for religious documents, taught
primarily to monks, and unknown by lay people, Elkington
said. There is a wealth of information to be uncovered, as
there are vastly more manuscripts than there are people
capable of reading them. The National Library of Laos
contains hundreds of manuscripts that have yet to be
translated into a modern language, she said.
The manuscripts will be examined for indications of
tuberculosis, a disease that is ravaging Southeast Asia
and the entire global population. Elkington said drug
resistance and the evolution of new disease strains
make it imperative to find alternative treatments. Along
with studying the manuscripts, Elkington will conduct
interviews with contemporary healers to learn whether the
plants that were used to treat the disease years ago are
still being used today.
Preliminary results have shown that many plants are
still known by the same name that was recorded in
the manuscripts, she said. Plants that are cited most
frequently will be collected for identification and extracted
for biological and chemical testing at UIC.
As part of her Fulbright award, Elkington will receive
round-trip transportation, maintenance costs for the
duration of her stay in Laos, supplemental health and
accident insurance coverage, and tuition for subject
classes and language and orientation courses.
“This project is unique in that it is more than a report,”
she said. “It’s a living study, incorporating the history and
present use of traditional medicines to return valuable
information to the local population, as well as globally to
other users of traditional medicines, herbal supplements,
botanicals and synthetically derived medicines that have
plant origins.”
> Appointments
This fall, David Bartels,
PharmD, was named Vice
Dean of the Rockford
Regional Program. Bartels
has worked as a faculty
member of the college for
nearly 30 years. Prior to his appointment as
Vice Dean, he served as a clinical associate
professor at the University of Illinois College
of Medicine at Rockford in the department
of family and community medicine, and the
College of Pharmacy. Bartels also served as the
director of education programs at Rockford
for the College of Pharmacy.
Executive Associate Dean
Jan Engle, PharmD ’85,
accepted the position of
head of the department
of pharmacy practice, the
largest department in the
college. Engle previously served as the associate
dean of academic affairs and is also a clinical
associate professor. She is a past president of
the American Pharmacists Association and
has received numerous accolades over the
course of her career. Engle will continue her
role as executive associate dean.
Marieke Schoen, PharmD
’88, was appointed to
the position of Associate
Dean of Academic Affairs
in addition to her role as
clinical associate professor
in the department of pharmacy practice. An
alumna of the college, Schoen also completed a
residency at the University of Illinois Medical
Center at Chicago and served as the assistant
head for academic programs in the department
of pharmacy practice. Schoen’s areas of research
interest include cardiovascular therapeutics
and issues related to pharmacy education.
Have you visited us on the
Web lately? Our Internet home has
undergone some remodeling. Visit
www.uic.edu/pharmacy
to check it out!
ALGAE AND BACTERIA
... OH MY!
By Sam Hostettler
GEE, ALGAE?
POND SCUM—known more
formally as cyanobacteria—seems like an unlikely source for cancer treatments.
in the College of Pharmacy are looking for new cancer therapies
derived from natural sources such as algae
and plants from tropical rainforests.
BUT RESEARCHERS
“OUR GOAL is to discover naturally occurring
anticancer lead compounds that
will be more effective than
currently available cancer chemotherapeutic
agents,” said Jimmy
Orjala, assistant professor of pharmacognosy.
nearly $3 million of an $8
million National Cancer Institute grant to
complete multiple projects over five years.
Collaborating institutions include Ohio State
University, the Research Triangle Institute in
North Carolina and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
will be conducted to determine exactly how
the substance behaves in cells and in animals,
Swanson said.
IN ADDITION to the cyanobacteria, plant
materials from tropical countries collected
by Doel Soejarto, professor of pharmacognosy, also will be analyzed.
INFORMATION from UIC’s NAPRALERT
database, which catalogs biological activities
of many plant species found throughout the
world, will be used in the project.
A. DOUGLAS KINGHORN, former UIC professor
of pharmacognosy who is now chair of
medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy at Ohio State, will oversee the
entire project.
UIC WILL RECEIVE
CYANOBACTERIA,
a source of many unique
chemical structures, is found in nearly
every habitat, from oceans to fresh
water to bare rocks to soil.
ORJALA WILL COLLECT small samples
of pond scum throughout the Midwest,
to grow in liquid solutions in a temperaturecontrolled laboratory. Using methodology he
developed to speed up drug discovery from
blue-green algae, Orjala will identify pure active compounds at submilligram levels.
IF ANY APPEAR PROMISING,
the researchers will grow larger amounts for further
evaluation.
STEVE SWANSON,
associate professor and
assistant head for research in medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy, leads the team of
UIC researchers who will analyze the biological materials for biological activity once they
have been extracted from the algae.
SHOULD NEW COMPOUNDS be discovered that
act on these targets, more detailed studies
are Mansukh Wani
of Research Triangle Institute, the co-discoverer of anticancer drugs Taxol and camptothecin, and researchers at pharmaceutical
manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb, which
has developed many therapies currently used
in the clinic to combat cancer.
OTHER COLLABORATORS
and newer macrolide antibiotics azithromycin and clarithromycin
often are used to treat respiratory tract infections, as well
as outbreaks of syphilis, acne
and gonorrhea. The drugs can
be used by patients allergic
to penicillin.
ERYTHROMYCIN
act upon the ribosomes, the protein-synthesizing factories
of the cell. A newly made protein exits the
ribosome through a tunnel that spans the
ribosome body. Antibiotics can ward off an
infection by attaching to the ribosome and
preventing proteins the bacterium needs
from moving through the tunnel.
MACROLIDE ANTIBIOTICS
have learned how to sense
the presence of the antibiotic in the ribosomal tunnel, and, in response, switch on
genes that make them resistant to the drug,
Mankin said. The phenomenon of inducible
antibiotic expression was known decades ago,
but the molecular mechanism was unknown.
SOME BACTERIA
UIC SCIENTISTS DISCOVER HOW SOME
BACTERIA SURVIVE ANTIBIOTICS
MANKIN AND HIS TEAM of researchers—
Nora Vazquez-Laslop, research assistant
professor in the Center for Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, and undergraduate student
Celine Thum—used new biochemical and
genetic techniques to work out the details
of its operation.
at the University of Illinois at
Chicago have discovered how some bacteria
can survive antibiotic treatment by turning
on resistance mechanisms when exposed to
the drugs. The findings, published in the
April 24 issue of the journal Molecular Cell,
could lead to more effective antibiotics to
treat a variety of infections.
“COMBINING BIOCHEMIdata with the knowledge of the structure of
the ribosome tunnel, we
were able to identify some
of the key molecular players involved in the
induction mechanism,” said Vazquez-Laslop.
RESEARCHERS
“WHEN PATIENTS are treated with antibiotics,
some pathogenic microbes can turn on the
genes that protect them from the action of
the drug,” said Alexander Mankin, professor
and associate director of the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Center for Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology and lead investigator of the
study. “We studied how bacteria can feel the
presence of erythromycin and activate production of the resistance genes.”
CAL
“WE ONLY RESEARCHED response to erythromycin-like drugs because the majority
of the genetics were already known,” she
said. “There may be other antibiotics and
resistance genes in pathogenic bacteria
regulated by this same mechanism. This is
just the beginning.”
THE RESEARCH was funded through a grant
from the National Science Foundation.
14
16
A team of researchers including Norman Farnsworth,
PhD, director, UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary
Supplements Research, Scott Franzblau, PhD, professor
and director, Institute for Tuberculosis Research,
and Guido Pauli, PharmD, PhD, associate professor,
department of medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy,
recently studied the anti-tuberculosis activity of Angelica
sinesis, an herb indigenous to China used for thousands
of years in eastern medicine. The researchers also
explored the herb’s ability to transmit both serotonin
and aminobutyric acid and isolated five groups of
organic compounds that are promising for molecular
nanotechnology due to their rigidity (polyynes). Then,
researchers tested the compounds against two strains
of virulent tuberculosis. Their findings, published in the
July 2008 issue of the Phytotherapy Research journal,
not only revealed a new therapeutic value for Angelica
sinesis, but it also highlighted the role of polyynes
as anti-tuberculosis principles in ethnobotanical
preparations and as lead compounds.
career
explorers
A group of researchers including Sarah M. Langridge,
clinical assistant professor, department of pharmacy
practice, set out to explore the effect of a five-week Career
Explorers Program on high school students’ perceptions
of the pharmacy profession, including pharmacists’
characteristics, duties and training. A 16-item survey
with attitudinal, frequency and relative quantity response
options was completed by all CEP students on the first
and last day of the program. Of the 50 students who
participated in the CEP program in 2003, 70 percent
of respondents’ answers to the attitudinal subscale
questions changed significantly from pre-assessment to
post-assessment as reported in the June 2008 issue of
the Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. The program
provided participants with a drastically more realistic
perception of pharmacists’ roles, duties and training
before pursuing pharmacy education.
S
O
C
S
I
D
A recent study in the June American Journal of
Pharmaceutical Education sought to examine whether
the inclusion of a primary care nutrition course into
Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum affects students’ ability
to counsel patients on dietary issues. The team of
researchers headed by Linda Feng Chang, PharmD ’97,
clinical assistant professor, department of pharmacy
practice, included Nicholas G. Popovich, BS ’68, MS ’71,
PhD ’73, professor and head, department of pharmacy
administration, and two researchers from UIC’s
educational psychology department. Chang designed a
two-credit-hour elective course offered to second- and
third-year students. The course used minimal formal
lectures and featured problem-based learning exercises,
case-based scenarios and scientific literature to fuel
informal debate. Upon completion, students’ confidence
improved, and it empowered them to speak more
comfortably about the role of nutrition in the prevention
of chronic disease.
angelica
sinesis
V
E
R
I
E
dietary
issues
Digging Deeper >
By Felicia Schneiderhan
Joanna Michel’s interest in the use of medicinal
plants came from time spent in Guatemala working as
the director of a sustainable agriculture program with a
nonprofit organization, Association Ak’ Tenamit, which
brings healthcare and education to remote rainforest
communities.
The experience put Michel, PhD ’06, close to the
roots of modern pharmacy. “Before pharmaceuticals
and the little white pill, it all started with plants in the
forest,” she said. Wanting to study medicinal plants
from both chemical and ethnographic perspectives,
she enrolled in the PhD program in the department of
medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy.
Now a CDC postdoctoral fellow in community
health sciences at UIC School of Public Health, she
is developing a pilot study to learn how Mexican
and Puerto Rican women in the Humboldt Park
neighborhood of Chicago navigate the healthcare
system. “A lot of times we’re thinking forward—what
happens when patients get to the doctor—instead
of looking at what they tried before they get to the
doctor,” Michel said.
The study will explore who patients first consult in
health matters and the use of nonbiomedical remedies
such as medicinal plants and home remedies, prayer
and ceremonies, and visits to healers. “If these practices
are used in conjunction with biomedical techniques,”
said Michel, “what are the effects and interactions? If
patients tell their practitioners, how does the practitioner
respond to this information and how does that response
affect the patient’s decisions for the future?”
Michel hopes her results will supplement efforts to
improve cultural literacy among biomedical students
and practitioners in Chicago. She also would like to
provide community members with information on the
benefits, risks and possible interactions of combining
their cultural remedies with pharmaceuticals.
“Maybe they were using these practices in Mexico
and Puerto Rico, but they didn’t have the same type
of access to pharmaceuticals that they have here.
Even things like garlic and ginger can have negative
interactions with pharmaceuticals.”
Michel emphasizes the importance of this cultural
awareness for pharmacists. Because pharmacists work
in settings that diverse populations often go to before
visiting a clinic, pharmacists may be the first medical
practitioner the patient talks to. She suggests asking
clients in a sensitive way what other remedies they
may have tried and pursuing continuing education in
areas of complementary and alternative medicines.
Individuals interested in obtaining a book on Latino
cultural beliefs or collaborating with Michel are
encouraged to contact her at jmiche3@uic.edu.
> “All in the Family”
Continued from page 11
Independent
Pharmacy Today
By Felicia Schneiderhan
According to the National Community
Pharmacists Association, 40 percent of the
nation’s 58,661 drugstores are independent
pharmacies, dispensing 1.4 billion
prescriptions annually, 41 percent of all
retail prescriptions.
To survive—and thrive—in a highly
competitive market, independent pharmacy
owners like Mark Mandel, BS ’83, must
find a niche.
Mandel carved his niche in compounding
and natural medicine. He has owned Mark
Drugs Roselle since 1990, and this spring
opened his second store, Mark Drugs
Deerfield.
“You can’t always complete tasks
with medicine alone,” Mandel said of the
integrative approach toward healthcare
in his pharmacies, which combines
allopathic with nutritional, Ayurvedic and
homeopathic medicine.
This work requires more than a
pharmacist; he also employs a clinical
nutritionist, licensed dietician, massage
therapist and physician. Nutritional products
and Durable Medical Equipment round out
his retail.
“Illinois has lost a lot of independent
pharmacies over the last two decades,”
said Mandel. “Those who have survived
have discovered a niche, or they’ve found a
unique patient care aspect, taking on a more
clinical role.” In his pharmacies, Mandel
offers independent pharmacy consultations—
anything from drug interactions to biomedical
hormones to pain management to adjunctive
cancer treatment—which patients pay
for directly.
“Insurance companies don’t recognize
that pharmacists can do anything besides
dispensing,” said Mandel. “We’re a lot more
than that and always have been.”
Because his focus is compounding,
Mandel made a business decision to opt
out of the Medicare Part D prescription
drug plan.
Medicare Part D has negatively impacted
independent community pharmacies since
2006, according to the annual 2007 NCPAPfizer Digest, a comprehensive financial
and demographic survey of the nation’s
independent community pharmacies. The
preliminary 2006 data shows store closings,
stagnation in the average total prescription
sales and a loss of net operating income.
The only significant factor in the
marketplace to explain these dramatic
changes, according to NCPA, was the launch
of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid
Services’ prescription drug plan under
Medicare Part D, whose “low and slow”
reimbursements force many community
pharmacies to take out large loans to
maintain cash flow.
THANK YOU
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
Gloria J. Mizer, BS ’65
Ronald E. Mizer
Jill A. Morgan, PharmD ’94
Jackie L. Novario
Michael D. Novario, BS ’78
Edith A. Nutescu, PharmD ’94, Res ’02
Bharat L. Patel
Hina Patel, PharmD ’98
Pravina B. Patel, PharmD ’06
Lawrence M. Pawola, BS ’75
Beth Phillips Res ’95
Bradley G. Phillips, Res ’89
Dean G. Pontikes
Pamala J. Pontikes, PharmD ’91, Res ’02
Anthony A. Provenzano, PharmD ’92
Michael J. Rajski, BS ‘76, PharmD ’91
Sossity A. Riordan, PharmD ’07
Thomas C. Riordan, PharmD ’07
Charles B. Rothschild, BS ’61
Merle C. Rothschild
Christopher H. Scalzitti, BS ’81
Dimitra Vrahnos Travlos, PharmD ’90
Jean M. Tschampa, PharmD ’98
Susan Link Van Sickle, BS ’74
Mark A. Vittorini, BS ’84, PharmD ’86
Mary G. Wartick
Richard D. Wartick, BS ’70
Laura Warzecha
Thomas John Warzecha, BS ’83
Alan W. Weinstein, BS ’74, PharmD ’89
Thomas L. Welsh, BS ’59, PhD ’63
Albert M. Wong
Lily K. Wong, BS ’79
Ching Kelly Yip, PharmD ’92
Daniel J. Yousif, BS ’83
Saja Yousif
Paul J. Zega, BS ’81
two buses to get their prescriptions filled at Norwood Drugs?”
The Karagiannises see an important and
evolving role for today’s community pharmacist.
“The community pharmacist has a place in
present time,” said Elizabeth, “especially with
the growing population of older people in the
U.S. Older people relate much more to the
pharmacist who’s there every day, who has
time to give them instructions, answer questions, deliver medications, and be there to talk
on a personal level, especially in the automated, computerized world we’re entering.”
She points across the street to the Mather
Café, a neighborhood community center for
older adults that offers activities, exercise
classes, lectures and a restaurant. After a visit
to Mather, Elizabeth said, people stop by Norwood for their medication and guidance.
In the growing area of diabetes, Steve believes, “Pharmacists should play a bigger role.
The pharmacist has time, is available, knows
medications very well, and can complement
what the physicians and nurse practitioners are
doing. If a patient doesn’t know how to use a meter or has a problem seeing, the pharmacist can
help monitor blood sugar and blood pressure.”
He also sees the future pharmacist trained
to diagnose and treat with a third class of
drugs, prescribed and given over the counter
by pharmacists, working with nurse practitioners in the new, small clinics. “They complement each other: The pharmacist is the drug
expert, and the nurse practitioner is trained in
diagnosis and treatment.”
Pharmacists in any setting can learn from
the adaptability and constantly changing role
of the independent pharmacy owner. “Things
are changing so fast in healthcare, it’s hard to
predict five years from now,” said Steve. “Pharmacists should be prepared with everything.”
Wind up before
Time Winds down!
Reserve your tickets
today for the Historical
150th Sesquicentennial
Timeless GALA!
VISIT/
www.pharm150.com
BE PART OF IT!
18
Time flies
when you’re going
to have fun!
.timeless.
Join Us
September 26, 2009
Field Museum
The Sesquicentennial
Timeless Gala
RS
ITY
OF IL L I NOI S
A
T
ICAG
THE UN
CH
I VE
Tickets and more information
available at www.pharm150.com
O
CO
CY
150 th A N N IV E R SAR Y
LL
EG
E OF PHAR
M
A
1859-2009
UIC College of Pharmacy (MC 874)
833 South Wood Street
Chicago, IL 60612
UIC Pharmacist
Volume 32, Number 2
Publisher
Jerry L. Bauman,
BS ’76, PharmD
Dean
Executive Editor
Louis M. Wright
Director of Advancement
Editor
Erin Tolle
Assistant Director
of Communications
Copy Editor
Kathleen Kopitke
Contributing Writers
Samuel Hostettler
Felicia Schneiderhan
Photography
Barry Donald
Roberta Dupuis-Devlin
David Joel
Kathryn Marchetti
Erin Tolle
Designer
Lori LaRose
L. LaRose Advertising
College of Pharmacy
Administrative Officers
Department Heads
William Beck, PhD
Biopharmaceutical Sciences
Judy Bolton, PhD
Medicinal Chemistry
and Pharmacognosy
Nicholas Popovich,
BS ’68, MS ’71, PhD ’73
Pharmacy Administration
Janet Engle, PharmD ’85
Pharmacy Practice
Executive Associate Dean
DID YOU MEET
YOUR SPECIAL
SOMEONE WHILE
AT THE COLLEGE?
CONTACT
ERIN TOLLE AT
(312)996-3853 OR
ETOLLE@UIC.EDU
TO BE PART OF A
SPECIAL PROJECT.
IN THE LOOP
Upcoming College of Pharmacy Events
For more detail, visit the college
online at www.uic.edu/pharmacy.
Janet Engle, PharmD ’85
Associate Deans
William Beck, PhD
Research
James Bono, MHA
Business Development
and Administrative Affairs
Marieke Schoen, PharmD ’88
Academic Affairs
NOVEMBER 7 – UIC
NIGHT WITH THE BULLS
NOVEMBER 20 –
DEAN’S TOUR
Thomas TenHoeve III, PhD
Student Affairs
7:30 p.m.
The United Center
1901 W. Madison
St., Chicago. Tickets
available at
www.uiaa.org
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Rockford Country Club
2500 Oxford St # 1
Rockford, Ill.
Assistant Deans
Debra Agard,
PharmD ’92, MHPE ’00
Student Affairs
Clara Awe, PhD, EdD
Urban Affairs
Susan Peverly, PhD
Academic Affairs
Jean Woodward, PhD
Student Affairs
UIC Pharmacist
833 S. Wood St. (MC 874)
Chicago, IL 60612
Phone: (312) 996-7240
Fax: (312) 413-1910
E-mail: pharmacy@uic.edu
©2008. All rights reserved.
NOVEMBER 17 – AAPS
ANNUAL MEETING
UIC COLLEGE
OF PHARMACY
RECEPTION
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Omni Hotel at CNN
Center, Club Lounge –
15th Floor, South Tour,
100 CNN Center,
Atlanta, Ga.
DECEMBER 8 –
ASHP MIDYEAR
CLINICAL MEETING
ILLINOIS RECEPTION
5:30 p.m.
Rosen Plaza Hotel
9700 International Drive,
Orlando, Fla.
JANUARY 15 –
ARIZONA DEAN’S
LUNCHEON
Time TBA
The Wrigley Mansion
2501 E. Telewa Trl.,
Phoenix, Ariz.
FEBRUARY 7 –
ALUMNI VOLUNTEER
APPRECIATION DAY
5:00 p.m. Reception
Student Services
Building, 1200 West
Harrison St.
Visit www.uiaa.org
for more details.
FEBRUARY 7 –
CHALLENGE OF THE
DEANS
6:00 p.m.
UIC Pavilion
525 S. Racine, Chicago
SEPTEMBER 25 & 26 –
REUNION 2009
Dean’s Luncheon, CE
Sessions, College Tours,
Awards Ceremony and
more. For full details visit
www.uic.edu/pharmacy
/alumni/reunion.php.
UIC College of
Pharmacy, 833 S. Wood
St., Chicago.
SEPTEMBER 26 –
SESQUICENTENNIAL
TIMELESS GALA
The Field Museum
1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.,
Chicago. For more
information and to
purchase tickets, visit
www.pharm150.com.
PULL UP A CHAIR AND WATCH “ALL IN THE FAMILY” STARRING THE KARAGIANNISES... SEE PAGE 10