Spring 2009 ·Vol. 3,No. 1

School of Pharmacy celebrates major stepin achieving six-year ACPE accreditation

On Monday, March 2, 2009, BillyHughes, PhD, dean of the LomaLinda University School of Pharmacy(LLUSP),demonstrated how gratefulhe was to the more than 100 mem-bers of the School’s faculty, staff, vol-unteer preceptors, students, and theirfamily members by treating them to

an evening of friendship, food, andfun at Gourmet Pizza Shoppe inRedlands.

The School has a lot to celebratethis year. Although it’s only officiallybeen open for business since 2002,administrators recently received newsthat the Accreditation Council for

From the Dean…As you might suspect, our School of Pharmacy‘team’ was delighted to get the news from theAccreditation Council for Pharmacy Educationthat the School is fully accredited through June2013. Satisfying accreditation requirements ismore than a ‘knee jerk’ reaction that occurs everysix years—it’s a commitment to CQI (continuousquality improvement). In decades past, the accreditationprocess for professional schools was akin to the life of a sol-dier—one filled with long periods of boredom, and short peri-ods of terror. But in recent years, accreditation—both regionaland professional—has come to involve ongoing and dynmaicprocesses topromoteCQI.Well-definedoutcomes that are sys-tematically assess-ed, complete withdata and analytics,provide the mech-anism that insuresCQI—soyou thinkyou have a goodPharmD program…prove it! Whatare themetrics thatare monitored toinsure that Loma

LindaUniversitySchool of Pharmacy continues tohave a quality program?Here are four of themany‘dashboards’ that our team systematically assesses.If you were driving your car and looked at the‘gauges’ on the dashboard below there’s one gaugethat you’d be concerned about, and its pretty easyto spot. Why? Fifty-three percent of our SP StaffandFaculty contribute to one ormore of themanyphilanthropic SP funds, and although their num-

bers are small, in 2008 Faculty and Staff contributed tentimes the dollar amounts as alumni. So when given theopportunity to support your alma mater, throw us a‘bone’—$1, $10, $100 or more—and guaranteed the next dashboardyou see will have the gauge reading in the green!Your oppor-tunity to give will come in a couple of weeks when the next

appeal letter goesout. Look closely;there is an op-portunity to dou-ble your donationwith a matchinggift from Dr.Mack. Thank youfor continuing tohelp make ourschool and pro-gram stronger.

Pharmacy Education (ACPE)extended its accreditation from theinitial two-year status to a full six-year accreditation. Bottom line: TheSchool is fully accredited to educatepharmacists through June 2013.

The ACPE news is just one of thePlease turn to page 2

School of Pharmacy celebrates six-year accrediation…reasons the School was celebrating:The National Association of Boardsof Pharmacy (NABP)—the inde-pendent, international, and impartialstandards enforcement agency—justreleased its triennial report rankingthe LLU School of Pharmacy wellabove state and national averages.

“LLU scored high on theNAPLEXtest among both first-time test-takers,and total candidates,” Dr. Hughesreports.NAPLEX is a standard exam-ination created by NABP to help stateboards of pharmacy assess a prospec-tive pharmacist’s competency andknowledge so that he or she may begiven a license to practice.The scores ofLLU students ranked significantlyhigher than both California averagesand the national scores. “Needless tosay, we’re very proud of our students!”Dr. Hughes affirms.

How did they do it? Dr. Hughessays the School has been blessed. Dr.Huges gives credit to the four-yearprogram’s students for applying them-selves to academic excellence andservice. Preceptors were commendedfor their dedication to providing clin-ical training and oversight to students.

In commenting on the School’srecent successes, Dr. Hughes saysthere were a number of challenges onthe road to accreditation since hebecame dean in January 2007. “Priorto that,my life was going in one direc-tion”—referring to his previousassignment as director of educationalsupport services for the University—“and the next week, it was going inanother.”

It didn’t take long for Dr. Hughesand his team to set the School on tar-get for success. “Within five months,with the diligent work of the accredi-tation steering committee, led by Eric

Mack, PhD, associate dean for aca-demic affairs, the situation was turnedaround,” he notes.

“The School’s commitment tocontinuous quality improvement is acore responsibility of Nancy Kawa-hara, PharmD,MSEd, associate deanfor assessment and professionalaffairs,” he continues. “Also, a largepart of our success is a direct result ofthe solid relationship with the LLUMedical Center, to provide introduc-tory and advanced clinical experiencesfor students. Paul Norris, PharmD,associate dean for clinical affairs, withsupport from Ruthita Fike, MA,CEO and administrator of LLUMC,is committed to ensuring this criticalpart of a student’s education.”

But grateful as Dr. Hughes andhis team were for the initial accredita-tion, they knew there was still impor-tant work to be done. When ACPEofficials returned to the School for afollow-up focused visit on October 21and 22 of last year, they gave the

School a green light to extend to a fullsix-year accreditation at their January2009 board meeting.

In commenting on the School’sexcellent showing among Americanpharmacy schools in only its seventhyear of operation,Roger Hadley,MD,dean of the LLU School of Medicine,and Rick Williams, PhD, vice presi-dent for enrollment management andstudent services for LLU, called theSchool’s success “a gift,” but said theUniversity does not covet the highestranking.“Our goal is not to be rankedNo. 1,” Dr. Hadley observes.

“It’s difficult to talk about rankingswithout thinking about GPA,” Dr.Williams states. “There are 125 aca-demic medical centers in the UnitedStates. Just a handful of those arefaith-based. It’s easy to find studentswho are smart—to recruit only thesmartest students—but to find peo-ple who are smart and interested inservice, that’s much harder. That’swhat we’re after.”

2 · News Capsule

Billy Hughes, PhD, dean of the Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy,hosts a party for his team.More than 100 of the School’s faculty, preceptors,staff, students, and family members celebrated the good news from theAccreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

Continued from page 1

News Capsule · 3

Students, faculty inducted into Phi Lambda Sigma

LomaLindaUniversity School of Pharmacy has undertak-en an initiative to provide methods of transportation to facul-ty and staff that use fewer fossil fuels and encourage exercise.

Billy Hughes, PhD, dean of the School of Pharmacy,notes,“Transportation is a potential bottleneck to productivi-ty. By providing green alternatives to this challenge, we canfacilitate efficiency while doing what is right for our planet.”

A 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid was purchased in Aprilprimarily for the use of the experiential education faculty andstaff. They frequently travel across California to evaluate andassess clinical rotation sites for pharmacy students.

The most-recognizable Columbia electric cart on campuswas purchased in June. Its bright red color, shiny wheels, andlow-profile tires are easy to spot. It is available to all pharma-cy faculty and staff to get around campus. This street-legalvehicle is DMV-registered and may be driven on any roadwith a posted speed limit up to 35 miles per hour.

Rounding out the green transportation initiative are twobicycles and two tricycles. The Trek™ Lime and Trek™ LimeLite bicycles were donated by Cyclery USA,Redlands. Theyare unique in that they have automatic three-speed transmis-sions. The bicycle monitors speed and pedal pressure todetermine which gear is best. This gift was made possible byCyclery USA, Redlands owner Craig Kundig, store managerRamon Gonzalez, and Trek Bicycles regional manager, GregJohnson.

Walmart donated two tricycles, complete with behind theseat baskets for hauling items.This donationwasmade possi-ble by Todd Williams, former pharmacy district manager. Inaddition, helmets were also provided.

Dr. Hughes says, “I’m delighted that our corporate part-ners have stepped up to the plate and assisted our efforts toadvance this green initiative. Together we can improve ourworkflowwhile doing something to benefit our environment.”

Nine School of Pharmacy students,one faculty member, and one honorarymember were inducted into PhiLambda Sigma, Gamma Beta chapter,on September 28. The induction ban-quet, held at Wong Kerlee InternationalConference Center, honored those whowere chosen by their peers for theirexemplary leadership skills.

The nine students included (class of2009)NoelaNdrekaj,NgaNguyen,andNorela Ocampo; (class of 2010) Thu

Hoang,AliceKhong,TiffanyRoyer, andLarry Rutebuka; (class of 2011) ScottGlenny and Caroline Nguyen.

The inducted faculty member wasRebecca Cheung, PharmD, assistantprofessor in the department of pharma-cotherapy and outcomes science. Theinducted honorary member was BrianHodgkins,PharmD,director of pharma-cy at Desert Regional Medical Center.

Dr. Hodgkins was also the guestspeaker for the event.Total current

membership in Phi Lambda Sigma,Gamma Beta chapter includes 17 stu-dents, 12 faculty, and three honorarymembers. Phi Lambda Sigma wasfounded in 1965 to honor leadership.

For students to be eligible for mem-bership, theymust be of“highmoral andethical character,” have successfully com-pleted at least one professional year in arecognized pharmacy program, anddemonstrated exceptional leadershipqualities.

Pharmacy undertakes initiative to help campus go green

Ramon Gonzalez, store manager at Cyclery USA,Redlands, presents Billy Hughes, PhD, dean of theSchool of Pharmacy,with twoTrekbicycles.The auto-matic transmission three-speed bicycles complementthe transportation options for faculty and staff.

Dr. Hughes, PhD accepts two tricycles fromWalmartas part of the Schools initiative to provide eco-friendlytransportation for faculty and staff. Pictured with Dr.Hughes are Walmart representatives Day Gooch,PharmD, MBA, regional talent specialist, and ToddWilliams, former pharmacy districtmanager.

4 · News Capsule

New faculty member appointed indepartment of pharmaceutical sciences

A new faculty member has been appointed at the School of Pharmacy inthe department of pharmaceutical sciences.

Dave J.Weldon, PhD, assistant professor of medicinal chemistry, receivedhis BS degree in forensic chemistry from the University of Mississippi in2002. In 2008, he earned a doctor of philosophy degree in medicinal chem-istry from the University of Mississippi.

During his graduate studies, Dr. Weldon completed a two-year NationalScience Foundation (NSF) fellowship studying the interface of the scienceand business worlds. His dissertation involved the synthesis of small mole-cules as anti-malarials through the inhibition of falcipain-2, a critical enzymethat is necessary for the progression of malaria.

Dr. Weldon will continue his research of devel-oping small molecule anti-malarials in the CancerInstitute, located in Chan Shun Pavilion. He willalso play an integral role in instructing the medici-nal chemistry series of the PharmD curriculum.

Dr. Weldon is married to Abby Weldon, aSchool of Medicine graduate student, and has twoLabrador retrievers—Chandler and Titus.

He enjoys playing with his dogs outside andlooks forward to the snow-skiing season.

LLUSP facultymemberawardedAACP grant

School of Pharmacy assistant profes-sor of pharmacotherapy andoutcome sci-ences Elvin A. Hernandez, DrPH,CHES,is the recipientof a$10,000grantfrom the American Association ofColleges of Pharmacy.

Dr. Hernandez was one of 15 recipi-ents from a pool of 70 proposals—andthe only individual in California—toreceive the new investigator award fromthe American Association of Colleges ofPharmacy.

The new investigator program isdesigned to stimulate research amongschools of pharmacy faculty memberswho work at educational institutionsaccredited by the Accreditation Councilfor Pharmacy Education.

Concurrently,Dr.Hernandez receiveda $10,000 seed grant awarded to Schoolof Pharmacy faculty members.

Dr.Hernandez is conducting researchon “The Role of Patient-PharmacistCommunication Regarding HealthDisparities: Minority Patient Attitudesand Perceptions in Clinical Settings.”

“Communication between patientsand pharmacists in a clinical setting isextremely important for positive out-comes for the patient,” Dr. Hernandezsays.

“Patient-provider communication isan essential relationship that may fostercollaboration between the health careprofessional and the patient that leads tooptimal health outcomes.”

Research specifically examining com-munication factors between patients andhealth care providers abounds, accordingto Dr.Hernandez.

“But researchhas rarely been conduct-ed examining pharmacist-patient com-munication processes and how thoseprocesses influence patient health out-comes,” he says. “Those communicationprocesses will be the focus of myresearch.”

The objective of Dr.Hernandez’s pilotstudy is to investigate the communicationbetween pharmacists and their patientsthat will enhance understanding of howthose communication factors may influ-ence health outcomes and disparitiesamong minority populations.

Dr. Hernandez’s study will be con-ducted in two phases.The first phasewillconcentrateon focus groups,while duringthe second phase, a self-administeredquestionnaire will be disseminated to adiverse ethnic population.Many of thosepatients who are expected to participatein the project will be from theSACHS–Norton clinic and EastCampus hospital.

“We plan to conduct our study ininternal medicine and ambulatory caresettings where opportunities for patient-pharmacist interaction are more readilyavailable,” Dr.Hernandez states.

“We hope the study results may laythe foundation for future patient-phar-macist communication research in clini-cal settings—particulary amongminoritypopulations.”

Co-investigators on the project withDr. Hernandez include Joycelyn MallariYamzon, PharmD, assistant professor ofpharmacotherapy, and LaDonna M.Jones, PharmD, assistant professor ofpharmacotherapy.

Elvin A. Hernandez, DrPH, CHES

DaveWeldon, PhD

News Capsule · 5

6 · News Capsule

School of Pharmacy makes gains with philanthropic supportIt has been said that it takes a village to raise a child.Well

in the current economic climate, it takes many philanthropicsupporters to maintain the School of Pharmacy.

The philanthropic story at the School of Pharmacy beganin 1997 with donor RichardChao presenting a gift of$500,000 to the flegling school.With those seed funds, theSchool was able to make capi-tal improvements including theconstrution of a phamraceuti-cal sciences laboratory in theChan Shun Pavilion.

“In 2002, we started seeingseveral of the retail pharmaceu-tical chains becoming involvedin supporting our Schoolthrough scholarship supportand funding student events,”says JimPinder, JD,MBA,direc-tor of development and alumni affairs and assistant professorof pharmacy law.

“Walgreens has been one of the School’s most consis-tent supporters over the past several years,” says Mr.Pinder.“A recent contribution provided funding for a stu-dent laboratory.

In addition, Walmart has provided generous support forthe School’s annualWhitecoatCeremony followed by dinnerfor the graduating students.

Another company providing support to the School ofPharmacy is theAllerganPharmaceutical Company andTheAllergan Foundation with funds for equipment and fundingfor post-doctoral fellows at the School in the research area.

“With the School’s young alumni base unable to supportthe School as they will be able to do in future years, we mustlook to additional sources,” Mr. Pinder continues.

“We do see our alumni as a critical base of support infuture years. To date, 12 percent of our alumni are support-ing the School through annual giving. We feel this level ofsupport is very good considering that theSchool has only hadfour graduating classes.

The School has put together program that the adminis-tration feels will yield exceptional benefits in future years.

“The Dean and the School’s administration feel thatthe philanthropic future of the School will be in largepart due to loyal alumni,” Mr. Pinder says. “The Schoolprovides many amenities to the students throughout

the school year and at graduation.”Continuing in the philanthropic support of the school are

the faculty and staff of the School of Pharmacy. “In 2007,when we first approached the faculty and staff about an an-

nual givingprogram,17percentchose to support the School.

“However, the followingyear (2008) when we madeanother appeal to faculty andstaff, 53 percent of our facultyand staff supported the Schoolthrough an annual giving pro-gram. We expect even greaterparticipation from our nextappeal.

For further information onSchool of Pharmacy philan-thropic opportunities, please

contact Mr. Pinder at (909) 558-4967.

A gift from the Chao Family help fund a School ofPharmacy research laboratory located in the ChanShun Pavilion.

Receiving a check for $25,000 is Jack. J. Chen (thirdfrom left), PharmD, associate professor, movementdisorder clinic, School of Pharmacy. The check waspresented by Mercedes Maruscak (left), MSN, seniormedical science liaison,Ovation Pharmaceuticals, Inc.The grant was presented to Dr. Chen for a researcproject on tetrabenazine (a recently approved FDAdrug for Huntington’s chorea). Dr. Chen and his col-leagueswill review thedrug for its efficacy and safety inthe treatment of various hyperkinetic movement dis-orders. PicturedwithMs.Maruscak andDr.Chen areBillyHughes (second from left), PhD, dean, School ofPharmacy; David Swope (second from right), MD,associate professor of neurology; and KhashayarDashitpour (right),MD,PhD,instructorof neurology.Drs.Swope andDashitpour are co-investigators in theproject.

News Capsule · 7

8 · News Capsule

One of the few pharmacists in thecountry to receive advanced certifica-tion in cardiac life support is JavadTafreshi, PharmD, professor of phar-macotherapy and outcomes science.

As an outcome of this certification,Dr. Tafreshi is encouraging his phar-macy students to follow suit.

“Generally, it is uncommon for apharmacist to be certified in this area,”Dr. Tafreshi says, “but for pharmac-tists working in a hospital setting, it isvery useful.”

Dr. Tafreshi was certified by theAmerican Heart Association follow-ing an intensive two-day course.

“A pharmacist is very useful in a‘code blue’ situation,” Dr. Tafreshistates.

“Because a pharmacist is trained inthe interaction and reaction of media-

…is published by the Loma Linda University School ofPharmacy and is solely intended as an informational publica-tion for students, faculty, staff, and friends of the School. Allmaterial is copyrighted by Loma Linda University and maynot be reproduced without written permission.

Executive editor ........................................ Billy Hughes, PhDAssociate editor .................................... Jim Pinder, JD, MBA

Summer 2009 · Vol. 3, No. 1Phone: (909) 558-1300 ·Website: pharmacy.llu.eduAddress: West Hall, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda,California 92350

• Tony Eid, PharmD, SP’06: I have been working at Travis Air ForceBase for about five months now. I am the pharmacotherapist whichessentially means I respond to the needs of the patient by providingdrug therapies in consultation with a health treatment team. I workwith the health care team to visit the patient both prior to and aftertreatment as well as provide information on new medicines and drugtherapies that may impact or significantly increase the successful recov-ery or treatment of the patients. I currently run anti-coagulation servicesfor our institution and am the preceptor for the University of the Pacificand Touro schools of pharmacy.We are the proud parents of an 18-month year old baby boy,Alexander Tony Eid.

• Tina Liu, PharmD, SP’07: Since graduating in 2007, I have completeda PHY1 residency in general practice at St. Joseph’s Medical Center inStockton. I am now completing a PHY2 cardiology residency withWestern University of Health Sciences.After finishing my PHY2 resi-dency, I plan to find a stimulating job.

• Edward Clement, PharmD, SP’08: I am currently a staff pharmacist atNeighborCare, which is a division of Omnicare.We dispense IV medsfor home infusion. I like working here because my responsibilities areboth clinical as well as traditional (dispensing, etc.).

Alumni notes…

School of Pharmacy professor receives life support certification

tions, a pharmacist on the team couldmean the difference between life anddeath for a patient who is in a life-threatening situation.”

Of all of the pharmacy schools inthe United States only 10 to 15schools offer programs leading to a car-diac life support education certificateas part of their regular curriculum.

Dr. Tafreshi received his doctor ofpharmacy degree from the Universityof Southern California in 1992. Hecompleted a cardiovascular special-ized residency at the University ofIowa Hospitals and Clinics, IowaCity.

Prior to joining Loma LindaUniversity School of Pharmacy, Dr.Tafreshi was on the faculty ofMidwestern University, Glendale,Arizona.

Fourth-year pharmacy students TanidaT.Vidhyarkorn (left) and RommyV.Davalos (right) are among the first Loma Linda pharmacy students planningto certify in cardiac life support education.With the students is their profes-sor, JavadTafreshi, PharmD.