PharmIcthus - TrustedPartnercdn.trustedpartner.com/.../PBA_PharmIcthus_Publication_2013_OCTC… · Pharmicthus The Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy (GSOP) adopted this emblem combining

PharmIcthusA Publication of Palm Beach Atlantic University

Transformational Community Health Carepage 8

Creating a Prototype for Medical Missions page 11

Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy

www.pba.edu/school-of-pharmacy

Dr. and Mrs. John GregoryDr. and Mrs. Joe GregoryDr. and Mrs. Jeffrey GregoryMr. and Mrs. James GregoryMr. and Mrs. Herschel BlessingKingsway CharitiesPublix Super Markets CharitiesWalgreens Diversity Donation ProgramWalgreens CompanyInternational Academy of Compounding PharmacistsPalm Healthcare Foundation

Quantum FoundationCVS CaremarkCVS Caremark Charitable TrustMcKessonTargetWinn Dixie Stores, Inc.WalmartExecutive Women OutreachCardinal HealthGregory Leadership Council Gregory School of Pharmacy Faculty and Staff

Palm Beach Atlantic University wishes to thank the following Gregory School of Pharmacy donors and sponsors. Through their support, we continue to provide exceptional learning experiences for our students and extend our hands into the community to help those in need.

Thank You

FEATURES8

11

3 | Letter from the Dean

4 | Q&A with Dr. John Gregory

6 | A Graduate’s Perspective: Dr. Stacy Carson

| A Student’s Perspective: Julienne Brown

| A Student’s Perspective: Manasseh Heeralall

| From Our Leadership Council: Terry Gubbins

| Pharmacy Residency Program

| PBA at a Glance

On the cover: Palm Beach Atlantic’s commitment to community pharmacy is illustrated by alumna Dr. Jacki Morley ’10 and second-year pharmacy student Jason Howell at Schaefer Drugs in Wellington, Fla.

PharmicthusThe Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy (GSOP) adopted this emblem combining elements identified with the pharmacy profession and the icthus, a symbol associated with early Christians. The pharmicthus symbolizes the GSOP’s mission to incorporate “pharmacy with faith” – the belief that spiritual growth facilitates personal and professional growth.

Medical Mission: Helping Those in NeedAfter leading dozens of international medical outreach trips, the Gregory School is developing models to help other universities establish mission programs of their own.

Faith-Based Community Health: A Rotation to Remember Students find the experience at Community Health Center leads to fundamental and transformational changes in the way they view their roles as health care providers and patient care advocates.

Contents

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3Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy

Dr. Mary J. FerrillDean and Professor of Pharmacy Practice

From the Dean

Praise be to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the many ways in which He has blessed the Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy. A few years ago our students and faculty chose a guiding verse for the school, Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This verse is not something we post on the wall of the school and forget about. It speaks to the heart of our mission – pharmacy with faith – and defines the essence of our vision – excellence with character. At first glance, people find comfort in Jeremiah 29:11 because it is reassuring to reflect on the fact that God wants good things for each of us. But if you look more closely, it starts with a powerful proclamation: “I know the plans I have for you.” We emphasize to all students who enroll in our school that God has an individual plan for each and every one of them.

I attend the Global Mission Health Conference in Louisville, Ky., every year. Medical missionaries from around the world come to speak. One story that a speaker shared helps to illustrate the point that God has an individual plan for each of us. The story is about a husband and wife, one a veterinarian and the other a pediatrician. Both were atheists. The husband decided to go back to school to become an MD, which caused the family to move. While they were riding together in the car, the couple discussed where to send their 4-year-old daughter to school. In the middle of their conversation, the daughter exclaimed, “I only want to go to a school where they teach about Jesus.” The couple was surprised by her statement because they had never taken her to church or referred to the name “Jesus” in front of her. Nevertheless, they decided that it would not hurt her to go to a Christian school, and a private school was preferable to a public one.

The mother took the child to church to make sure she would feel comfortable in that setting. As a result, the mother, and subsequently the father, came to know Christ, all because a 4-year-old girl steadfastly obeyed God’s voice and followed His plan for her. But this isn’t where the story ends. After becoming Christians, the couple followed God’s plan for them to become medical missionaries in Africa. Several tribes lived in the area where they were stationed. Most of their time was spent ministering to an anti-Christian tribe around which they could not mention Christ for fear of death. They finally earned the trust of this tribe and were able to provide medical care. They soon realized that poor nutrition caused many of the tribe’s medical problems because they relied on beef that was often tainted. The husband’s veterinary background came in handy. He vaccinated their cattle and taught them how to do it. At first, the tribal leaders were skeptical of the missionaries’ intentions, but eventually, the leaders came to trust in the sincerity of his service. In fact, the husband became a tribal leader and the tribe’s laws about Jesus were revised. The original law called for anyone speaking about Jesus to be killed. The revision states that if a missionary speaks to you about Jesus, you MUST listen. As this story illustrates, God knew the plans He had for this couple long before they had the slightest idea of what that plan entailed. Little did they know how their daughter’s choice of school would drastically alter the course of their lives, including bringing them into a relationship with the God whose very existence they had denied.

The major lesson from this story is that we need to be attentive to hear God’s voice and follow His plan so we can take part in all of the blessings that He has in store for us. A wonderful story in the Bible about God’s plan and blessings is found in the book of Esther. She was a Jew who married the king of Persia. There was an order placed that all Jews were to be slaughtered on a certain day. Her uncle, Mordecai, came to Esther and told her: “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14. Esther heeded the call, saved the Jews and received God’s blessings. In contrast, we can decide to be like Pharaoh at the time of Moses and stubbornly refuse to follow God’s plan in spite of numerous miracles, or we can choose to be like Moses and give excuses to God as to why we cannot help with his plans and then later cooperate, or we can choose the best path like Mary, who responded to the angel regarding her virgin pregnancy: “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” Luke 1:38.

Each student at GSOP has four years to learn how to be an exceptional pharmacist – academically, profes-sionally and spiritually. We encourage our students to listen to the Lord so that they can be a part of His great plan for them. Pure joy only comes from the Lord and is often found in the journey as much if not more than the destination. As stated in Jeremiah 29:11: God has a plan and purpose for each person’s life. The quality of our life is defined by the extent to which we are obedient in following God’s call.

“We encourage our students to listen to the Lord so that they can be a part of His great plan for them.”

I wanted to be a baseball player. But my father [Lloyd L. Gregory] said, “No, I want you to go to pharmacy school.” And I said, “Farmer school?” And he said, “Not farmer, pharmacy.”- Dr. John Gregory

4 Palm Beach Atlantic University

Lloyd L. Gregory’s name and legacy have long been associated with Palm Beach Atlantic University’s School of Pharmacy. But Mr. Gregory wasn’t a pharmacist. He was a businessman and accountant who was passionate about the pursuit of higher education and fascinated by the field of community pharmacy. Two of his six children – including Dr. John Gregory – became pharmacists. Eventually the Gregory family founded and built King Pharmaceuticals and were major contributors to the build-ing that now houses PBA’s pharmacy school. We spoke with Dr. Gregory and his wife, Joan, to learn more about what motivated their family to create the legacy of the Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy at PBA.

PBA: Would you tell us about your father, Lloyd L. Gregory, and why your brothers and sister decided to support the pharmacy school in his honor?

Dr. Gregory: One of his priorities in life was to make sure that every one of his children had the opportunity to go to college. As we became blessed in business and as we got involved with PBA, it was natural for us to honor him, even though he had passed away. If it hadn’t been for him, we wouldn’t have gone to college, I wouldn’t have gone to pharmacy school, and I wouldn’t have been able to be involved in pharmaceutical manufacturing and all the things that led to us having the financial resources to support the pharmacy school at PBA.

PBA: Why did he believe so strongly in education?

Dr. Gregory: My father was part of the greatest generation, and they believed strongly in always wanting better for their children. I think that was just ingrained in him. He was a family man, he loved the Lord very much, and he believed that was something he had to do.

PBA: You and your brother Jeff are both pharmacists. How did you select this profession?

Dr. Gregory: My father made us become pharmacists. I wanted to be a baseball player. I actually was a pretty good baseball player in high school and I had the chance, potentially, to go into the minor leagues. But my father said, “No, I want you to go to pharmacy school.” And I said, “Farmer school?” And he said, “Not farmer, pharmacy.” I didn’t even know what he was talking about. He said, “Well, you give me two years, and if you don’t like pharmacy school you can go back and play baseball.” So I went to pre-pharmacy school for two years and I stayed in it and became a pharmacist. And then my younger brother just followed me to the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.

PBA: King Pharmaceuticals is an amazing success story. Would you share how your personal faith was instrumental in the success of your company?

Dr. Gregory: Well, I think when [my siblings and I] started King Pharmaceuticals, we just wanted to have a family company. You don’t have too many companies where you have four brothers and your sister all working in different

Making an Impact

Q&A: An interview with Dr. John Gregory


parts of the company to help it grow. We had no idea that it was going to grow from a $3 million company to a company valued by Wall Street at $10 billion.

We did things that I think built fantastic relationships with the people that worked for us. We started Kingsway Charities, our foundation that distributes medicine to third-world countries. It’s provided over $2 billion worth of pharmaceuticals to the poor around the world. Your employees get into that. They realize you have a commitment to help other people.

And we hired a chaplain at King Pharmaceuticals. He not only did things like Bible studies, but he also would go visit our employees when they were in the hospital, and he would visit their relatives. So if someone’s aunt were in the hospital, our chaplain would go and visit her. Then the aunt would say to her family, “Wow, King Pharmaceuticals had a chaplain that came and visited me. You must work for a great company.” So I think when you’re willing to do what the Lord asks, it really impacts the people you’re working with. That was very, very positive.

The other thing that I believe strongly in was that as a public company, you could reward people by giving them stock options. We used to give stock options to all the employees, not just the management. I’ll never forget when one of the guys from the packaging line came up to my office and said, “Dr. Gregory, I want to thank you, because the stock options that I have received have enabled me to buy a house.”

PBA: You and your wife, Joan, are active and passionate about missions and have traveled the world. Tell us about some of your experiences, and why this is important to you both.

Mrs. Gregory: For me, it just opened up how fortunate we are in the United States, unbelievably fortunate and blessed. I had no idea that people lived in the kind of poverty I had not even imagined.

We went to an airstrip in Kenya where there was kind of a quasi-town, with a lot of refugees coming from, I think, the Sudan. They were just living out in the open. Something that really amazed me was that there were Kenyans out there ministering to these people. There was one guy who’d drive around what looked to me like this huge desert area and pick up kids, mostly, and take them to this small cinderblock house, where he and his wife just took care of them. It just blew me away. There are people who are doing just miraculous things in this world, and I don’t think you ever hear about them. What they’re doing is just above and beyond anything I’ve ever seen and really having an impact.

Dr. Gregory: One thing I like about the Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy is that they’re developing a policy where all their students will have the opportunity to go on medical missions trips. When you go on these medical missions trips to third-world countries, you really get to see how some

people have to live and what they have to eat. You can’t come back without it having an impact on you. I think the Lord’s blessed us by opening our eyes to the type of situation that still exists around the world, with so many people needing Christian help. I’m thrilled that PBA is doing that every single summer with their pharmacy students.

PBA: What is it about PBA, and in particular the pharmacy school, that interests you and excites you?

Dr. Gregory: First of all, I was impressed with (Founding Chairman) Dr. Donald Warren. He’s a fantastic Christian gentleman, very serious, very dedicated to the Lord. We could see that the leadership at PBA was sold out for the Lord, so it was something that we wanted to be involved in.

Then as we got to see how they were going to develop the pharmacy school, we got excited. It wasn’t just a pharmacy school that had a Christian title, but it was actually a pharmacy school that was integrating Christian principles into their whole focus. That has been true for the last 10 years, ever since we’ve been involved in it.

PBA: Can you talk about the future of pharmacy education?

Dr. Gregory: At one of the leadership meetings for the School of Pharmacy, it was interesting to hear some of the research that Dr. Dan Brown is doing on the need for pharmacists. Because there’ve been so many schools built, there’s starting to become almost an oversupply. From his research you could see that in the next three or four years it might be a serious situation for the pharmaceutical industry.

Before, you never had to worry about placement. You got out of school, you got a job. But I think we’re going to have to work more on helping our students get jobs, and I think that will become a No. 1 priority for the Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy for the next 10 years.

PBA: Finally, Dr. Gregory, what advice would you give to Gregory School of Pharmacy students as they approach graduation?

Dr. Gregory: Take your time and try all the different disciplines. Make sure, especially during your extern- and internships, that you work at a community pharmacy, that you work at a hospital pharmacy. Look for some of the alternative types of pharmaceutical positions, maybe with a pharmaceutical manufacturer or at the FDA. I would encourage [students] to use this time during your education to experience a lot of different venues so you know where your heart is and what you want to be involved in.


A Graduate’s Perspective

Helping others has always been a great passion in my life – it’s why I chose a career in pharmacy. The Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy’s

focus on creating servant leaders appealed to my desire for helping those in need. The school provided an environment where I could not only learn about pharmacy but also grow as a person. I am grateful for the opportunity as well as for my family and mentors who have guided me and pushed me to get where I am today.

Being chosen as the recipient of the 2009 Gregory Outstanding Graduate Award was a humbling and rewarding experience. It was a culmination of everything that I had worked so hard for and accomplished during my four years at pharmacy school, and gave me the confidence to believe, that with God’s direction and help, that I could accomplish anything I put my mind to. It was an honor to have been selected for this award and it helped me follow my dreams and settle into my post-graduation life.

Following graduation, I completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency and later a PGY-2 Specialty Residency in Drug Information at the University of Kansas Hospital (KUH), a 600 bed teaching hospital. During my residencies, I developed my project management and presentation skills; completed projects relating to formulary management, medical writing and research; provided drug information to health professionals and patients through the Drug Information Call Center; precepted pharmacy students; gave lectures at the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy; and had the opportunity to attend a medical mission trip to Antigua, Guatemala, where I worked as the operating room pharmacist at a missions hospital.

During my PGY-2 residency I found my true calling. At KUH, I was exposed to two high risk patient populations (pediatrics and oncology) that are large focus areas for medication safety.

After spending two months with the hospital’s Medication Safety Officer, I realized my passion for medication safety and went on to complete a one-year Safe Medication Management Fellowship at the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), the only non-profit organization in the country focused solely on medication safety. During the fellowship, I learned the main medication safety standards, participated in hospital consults prospectively evaluating the medication use system, participated in a summit to create guidelines for Safe Preparation of Sterile Compounding, provided the background research and participated in another summit by the ASHP Foundation on recommendations for the safe use of insulin in hospitals, contributed to the medication safety literature, gave medication safety lectures and precepted pharmacy students.

Medication safety appealed to me because the end goal is to make patient care safer. Medication errors are unfortunately common. While the majority of medication errors do not cause patient harm, some do. In my current position as the Medication Safety Pharmacist at North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville, Fla., I work hard to reduce and/or eliminate those errors by evaluating the medication use system and determining the causes.

As leader of the Drug Safety Team and Medication Error Team committees at my hospital, I work with a multidis-ciplinary group to identify errors and make changes for

Dr. Stacy Carson 2009 Gregory Outstanding Graduate

Award Winner


improvement. All of the work that we do comes down to one thing – making patient care safer. Many factors have to occur in order for a medication error to reach a patient. By retracing the steps of errors and close call errors, we try to make changes in our medication use system to prevent those types of errors from recurring. Medication safety is everyone’s responsibility, and part of my job is educating staff on how they influence and can prevent medication er-rors. While this is a big task, it is definitely a rewarding one.

I am also a preceptor for pharmacy students completing a medication safety rotation. During the rotation, the students get hands-on experience with the large scope of medication safety work in the hospital setting and learn medication safety basics.

GSOP was invaluable in helping to prepare me for my specialty career in pharmacy. With classes focusing on the core disease states and therapeutics, I had a solid knowl-edge foundation to build upon during my residencies as well as in preparing for the pharmacotherapy specialty board exam. The drug information and literature evalu-ation skills that are taught at GSOP are stellar and have helped me throughout my career. It is no small task to succinctly evaluate the medical literature and to make clinical recommendations that affect patient care, and GSOP made sure we were well-equipped to handle our responsibilities in those areas and many others.

Throughout my time at GSOP, I learned a variety of im-portant life lessons including how to work in groups and lead meetings, the importance of compromise in order to achieve the end goal and that with focus, drive and faith you can accomplish anything. GSOP also was dedicated to cultivating spiritual growth and teaching how to practice pharmacy with faith.

My faith has helped me persevere to complete my education and training. After joining a church in my new home, I

developed a weekly camaraderie with my new faith family that definitely has helped me succeed. It has helped me keep things in proper perspective and given me supportive friends in towns where I knew no one outside of my job.

On a daily basis I deal with patients who are coming to us at their worst. My faith helps me to bring compassion to what I am doing. It helps keep me in check and reminds me that everything I do affects the patients that we see and that we need to serve them in a loving and compassion-ate manner. And I am constantly reminded that through Christ all things are possible.

Dr. Stacy Carson is a member of the Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy Class of 2009 and its Gregory Outstanding Graduate Award Winner. She is a Medication Safety Pharmacist with North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville.

“As leader of the Drug Safety Team and Medication Error Team committees at my hospital, I work with a multidisciplinary group to

identify errors and make changes for improvement. All of the work that we do comes down to one thing – making patient care safer.”


Serving at West Palm Beach’s faith-based Community Health Center helps students shift from the theoretical to the personal.

The Community Health Center (CHC) of West Palm Beach’s mission is “sharing the love of God through healthcare.” In reality they do much more to serve the needs of their patients and the community while also helping to mold the many students

trained within their walls to “practice pharmacy with faith.” As Class of 2013 graduate Jigna Patel reflected at the end of her clerkship experience, “When I read this verse (Proverbs 3:27) and think back to each of my patient interactions here, I feel like I didn’t do anything for the patient, rather they gave me so much. I had the opportunity to be at an extraordinary site which does work for God’s children every day.”

A Rotation to Remember


Many students find the experience at CHC leads to fundamental and transformational changes in the way they view their roles as health care providers and patient care advocates.

Since its inception in the late 1990s as part of First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach, the CHC has sought to meet the physical, spiritual and emotional needs of their patient population. By providing non-emergency medical, dental and eye care services to those without traditional access to healthcare (the homeless, the working poor and the undocumented), they are able to establish a continuum of care that promotes a healthy body, mind and spirit. CHC is distinctive in comparison to other traditional safety-net clinics in that it is faith-based. Ministry is at the core of each medical service provided and every patient is asked if they would like prayer and counseling at each visit.

The need for alternative access to healthcare within the community was so evident that in its first year the clinic treated more than 10,000 patients. CHC now resides in its fourth location since becoming a separate entity from its founders

at First Baptist Church. While the patients themselves are different, the demand for the services provided remains consistent and CHC continues to rise to the challenge of meeting the healthcare needs of its patients.With a core staff of less than 10 employees, it is operated mainly through grant funding, private donations from individuals and the countless medical volunteers and students who give of their time.

The Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy has two pharmacy practice faculty, Dr. Jacintha Cauffield and Dr. Christine Yocum, who spend approximately 50 percent of their workweek at CHC. In addition to precepting students on experiential rotations, their services at CHC include answering drug information questions for providers, completing medication reconciliations, procuring financial aid for medications through patient assistance programs, assisting in triage and point-of-care testing, and managing the medication

C O M M U N I T Y H E A L T H

C O M M U N I T Y H E A L T H


therapy for patients with chronic conditions (e.g., type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, heart failure) under a collaborative practice agreement with a physician of record. Students are able to participate in all of these activities in addition to helping wherever aid is needed.

Unique to this site is the students’ response to being asked to serve in so many capacities. Rather than balk at the workload, they tend to willingly embrace the amount of work because the need is evident. Class of 2013 graduate Stephanie Barsoum remarked, “I truly believe that God has opened my eyes, through this rotation, to know that my life’s work should be based on helping others in need. I have never been more motivated to work so hard for another person in my life. I now better understand what everyone meant when they said to treat patients as if they were your own family. These patients made it so easy because I truly felt the same love towards them.”

Many students also notice the similarities between an international medical mission trip and their experience at CHC. Their concern shifts from worrying about regurgitating the best pharmacotherapy recommendation per the guidelines to what is the best way to treat their patient, taking the entire person into consideration (e.g., cultural influences, financial situation, emotional state, literacy level, access to follow-up care). It is a fundamental transformational change for many students in the way they alternately view their role as health care providers and patient care advocates.

After spending two weeks on rotation at CHC, another Class of 2013 graduate, Ville Tiitto, reflected, “Oftentimes it seems as though the priorities of the healthcare system can become misguided, especially in this age of drastic cost cutting measures and increasing patient burdens relative to licensed practitioners. The practice of medicine takes on a narrowed perspective as its objective focuses solely on the elimination of disease, rather than the

promotion of a patient’s overall well-being. Good physical health is an undeniably important piece of living well, but living well also must include purpose, personal development, human connection and spirituality.”

For GSOP students fortunate to spend time with patients at CHC, it remains not only an opportunity to hone one’s clinical knowledge and expertise, but to be influenced and touched by the patients they see. For GSOP faculty, it is an opportunity to fill a critical need left by the existing health care system and the ability to witness their students “demonstrate professional excellence grounded in Christian character.”

“I have never been more motivated to work so hard for another person in my life.”

– Stephanie Barsoum, Class of 2013

All Nations Will Be Blessed Through Him.

Psalm 72:19


Creating a Prototype for Medical Missions

Servant leadership is a driving force behind the Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy’s mission. Students are encouraged to follow Christ’s example of serving,

teaching and healing those in need. One way this lesson is accomplished is through the medical mission program.

GSOP sponsored its first medical mission trip to Ecuador in 2003 and the program has blossomed since, growing from one trip per year to four or five with 60 to 70 students attending each summer. Since the program’s inception, mission teams have treated countless patients and filled thousands of prescriptions in countries around the world, including the Amazon, Belize, Bolivia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Taiwan, Uganda and Zambia. They also have conducted numerous health screenings, distributed educational

resources, planned activities for local children and most importantly, helped many individuals start a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Despite the difficult physical conditions of mission trips, GSOP students receive invaluable on-the-job training and are able to put their knowledge and skills to the test. They participate in activities ranging from counseling patients and filling medications to performing blood pressure screenings, helping in triage and diagnostics and praying with patients.

“My experience was very enlightening and truthful at the same time,” said pharmacy student Jose Penaloza of his first GSOP mission trip to Costa Rica. “It was enlightening because I was able to see the immediate change that I was

Helping Those in Need

M E D I C A L M I S S I O N


making since the people were very thankful and kept telling us to come more often. Truthful because I also saw how blessed I am to have the everyday necessities that I take for granted.”

Many students return from the trips humbled by their experiences. They are filled with compassion as they face the challenges of fulfilling the medical and spiritual needs of the people in these impoverished villages and cities. They also have a new appreciation for what God has given them in their own lives.

“I feel like the two mission trips to Costa Rica that I attended really helped establish a sense of humbleness in my life,” said pharmacy student John Chamoun, who also attended a mission trip to Bolivia. “After seeing the poverty and yearning for medical and spiritual

help from the Costa Ricans that we assisted, I have grown to develop a tremendous gratitude for what God has allowed me to accomplish in terms of spiritual growth. I try to take nothing for granted and thank God each day that I’m alive.”

After leading dozens of medical mission outreach trips and as part of its commitment to healing those in need, GSOP has established a Center for Excellence to guide and direct the school’s medical missions while also providing timely and insightful models for others to use. Although still in its infancy, the Center’s purpose is to help others experience the benefits of medical mission work. As part of its outreach efforts to the larger pharmacy community, GSOP faculty, led by Dr. Dana Brown, published a four-part series in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy on the

implementation of medical mission trips. In addition, faculty members have developed various articles and presentations to share GSOP’s expertise in missions with others.

“We want to encourage other schools to give their students the opportunity

“In everything I did, I showed you

that by this kind of hard work we

must help the weak, remembering the

words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed

to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:35

M E D I C A L M I S S I O N


to make a difference by helping those in need of medical care,” said Dr. Mary Ferrill, dean of GSOP, who has led trips to Belle Glade, Fla., Costa Rica and Taiwan. “Because we have conducted more than 30 medical mission trips in 13 countries, we can give other pharmacy schools the tools they need to implement a missions program. If they don’t have to reinvent the wheel or start from scratch, they may be more likely to want to do this.”

GSOP receives generous donations each year from benefactors of the university to provide medical and other supplies. In addition, donations cover half the cost of each student’s trip. Upon their return, many of the teams present their experiences and the impact of the trips during the school’s weekly pharmacy chapels. The experiences are inspirational with testimonies of compassion and faith during the challenges of providing direct patient care to diverse patient populations.

Pharmacy student Andria Farhat, who has attended two mission trips to Costa Rica and one to Bolivia, said that doing mission work is unlike anything else she has experienced. She explained that the trips produce a range of emotions and change people

for the better. She also recommended that everyone do mission work at some point in their life.

“The first time I ever went on a mission trip was with GSOP to Costa Rica,” said Farhat. “The night before we left, I was simultaneously scared and excited. I didn’t know what to expect when we got there, but I knew that God placed this desire to go serve on my heart and anything that happened on that trip would be amazing.”

Dr. Samantha Axtell, a Class of 2013 graduate, also valued the intense clinical experience she acquired during her two medical mission trips to Costa Rica. “The trips not only helped grow my spiritual life, but also my professional life. Being able to have the amount of hands-on experience in such a small amount of time was fantastic. As we all know, practice makes perfect. Being able to practice things over and over allowed me to grow in those areas.”

Not only do the mission trips help treat patients, but teams also are there to spread the word of God to those in need. GSOP uses Jesus Christ as a role model for medical missions, and faculty members and students have

answered the Lord’s commandment to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” This has helped the teams encourage individuals to start a relationship with Jesus Christ. “We enter a country, treat those in need, and then we earn the right to be heard and preach the gospel,” said Dean Ferrill. The mission trip program continues to strengthen each year. Students continually demonstrate their strong faith as they show the love of Christ to the hurting world. Dr. Brown, assistant dean for academics, went on her first GSOP sponsored mission trip in 2006 to the Dominican Republic and said she was in awe at how quickly the missions program has expanded and how the trips can foster spiritual growth for students.

“Teachers can teach for 20 years or more and never experience the level of satisfaction I have been blessed to experience in a short period of time,” she said. “To witness the amazing transformations students undergo while on a mission trip is a blessing from God. Missions is truly the icing on the cake for me in my position here at PBA.”


A Student’s Perspective

Julienne BrownClass of 2015

Choosing the right pharmacy school was not a decision I made lightly; I knew that it was a choice that would affect the foundation of my path to

becoming a pharmacist. I took every effort to ensure that the school I invested my time and money in was one that not only would enhance my learning and growth as a professional, but also one where I could feel at home and comfortable. The Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy was just that.

I was impressed to find that the faculty members were not only highly respected within the pharmacy and academic community, but also invested in supporting me as an individual. The strong Christian atmosphere and principles that the school is based upon made me feel an immediate connection. I declined all other acceptances to start my future at GSOP.

Since beginning pharmacy school at GSOP, I have enjoyed fellowship with my peers and faculty, and also have had opportunities that no doubt will shape the pharmacist I will become. It has been a pleasure for me to serve the local community and beyond through experiences such as health fairs, a medical mission trip to Guatemala and pharmacy advocacy at the Florida Pharmacy “Legislative Days” in Tallahassee, Fla. I also have been exposed to the different realms of pharmacy through my introductory pharmacy rotations in community and institutional settings.

Another experience that greatly impacted me was serving as an asthma educator through the American Lung Association “Open Airways” Program. It was extremely humbling and rewarding to be able to help children understand their asthma condition and what they can do to help themselves while living with it.

Attending the Global Health Missions Conference in Louisville, Ky., was also a highlight for me. There I was able to meet healthcare professionals from around the world who are using their knowledge to impact people in the name of Christ.

I have enjoyed serving as the president of the Class of 2015, the vice president of the school’s chapter of Phi Delta Chi Fraternity and being a part of the Student Leadership Council, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International and the Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Society. In particular, it has been fun to participate in the GSOP student mentorship program and help the incoming P1 students make their transition to pharmacy school an easy one.

The more I learn about the pharmacy profession, the more I know that it is the profession that God has laid out for me. Pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare professionals and make life-changing interventions for patients on a daily basis. I am very excited to begin my role as a pharmacist and happy to follow the servant-leader path at GSOP.

Julienne Brown is a PharmD candidate in the Class of 2015. She was born and raised in Palm Harbor, Fla., and graduated with a bachelor’s of science degree in business management from Florida State University.

I have been blessed to be able to fill a variety of roles

at GSOP.

I first thought of becoming a pharmacist in 2004 when I started working as a pharmacy technician. Pharmacists play such an important role in the medical profession

with the invaluable knowledge and skill set they bring to the medical team. As drug experts, they always advocate for the most appropriate therapy and best outcomes for their patients. Pharmacists are there to advocate for their patients and their safety is at the top of the list. I knew that this was who I wanted to be.

It was important for me to choose the right school for this profession. I needed to support an institution that honors God above all else while also placing a strong emphasis on academic excellence. The Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy had what I was looking for, with its Christ-centered focus and reputation as an outstanding academic institution. Having attended secular schools all my life, I was interested in the integration of faith in the classroom and wanted to find a university that aligned with my religious beliefs and political worldview. This school has provided me with the opportunity to incorporate my faith with a first-rate education.

Being a student here has far exceeded my expectations. GSOP practices a concept called “servant leadership,” which encourages us as future pharmacists to follow Christ’s example of serving, teaching and healing those in need. Before attending GSOP, I was not very familiar with what it meant to be a servant leader; now it is a mindset that I have come to experience firsthand. I grew up in Guyana, where leadership means power and authority – something that you must grab even by force if necessary. As a Christian, however, I looked at the way Christ led his followers – by serving them. He forgave their sins, healed their sick, washed their feet and then died on a cross for them. This is who I wanted to be and this school has brought the idea of servant leadership to life for me

personally. I can see this quality in each professor and staff member as well as my class leaders.

I had the opportunity to implement servant leadership by attending a GSOP medical mission trip to Belle Glade, Fla. As Christians, we are commanded to go into the world and teach the gospel, to make disciples and to minister to the poor. Those words should define us. That is what we should be doing on a daily basis, whether at home or abroad. Although our trip was meant to minister and bless others, we ourselves were being ministered to as a team through the act of service and worship. It is a great blessing to attend a school that provides its students the opportunity to fulfill the Great Commission firsthand.

At GSOP, I am involved in the following organizations: Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists. I had the opportunity to attend the Global Missions Health Conference in Louisville, Ky., which reminded me that our primary goal is to care for those in need and to make disciples. I also help coordinate worship songs for Friday pharmacy chapels and play the bass in GSOP’s pharmacy worship band, The Pharmonics.

We are truly blessed with an exceptional faculty, staff and student body. I enjoy coming to school every day and attending classes. Sometimes I feel as though time moves by too fast here and I’m not ready to leave just yet. It has been an honor and a privilege to have been given the opportunity to attend this amazing school.

Manasseh Heeralall is a PharmD candidate in the Class of 2015. He is originally from Guyana, a former British colony in South America, and moved to West Palm Beach in 2003. He graduated with a bachelor’s of science degree in biology from Florida Atlantic University.


Manasseh HeeralallClass of 2015

A Student’s Perspective


I’m a Boilermaker. I graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. in Pharmacy in 1982.

I’m a Longhorn. I graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a M.S. in Pharmacy Administration in 1990.

I’m a Sailfish. I have been on the Gregory Leadership Council since its inception in 2007.

I’m proud to be a Sailfish. On the Council, we are charged to “assist the Dean in accomplishing the School’s mission by focusing on academic excellence that is grounded in Christian values. The Council guides strategic planning and marketing, provides community outreach, and garners financial support for key initiatives.”

We meet twice a year. It is a gathering of good friends. Over the years, we have built enduring relationships as we work as servant leaders for God, and the school. We take pride in the accomplishments of the students and the faculty. The numerous mission trips are a particular source of pride. No other pharmacy school graduates more students with such a strong desire to help people and that show empathy to their patients at the pharmacy on a daily basis.

It is an absolute pleasure being on the Council. It is not like any other board or organization that I have ever been a member of. We all work toward one goal. We discuss challenges and opportunities, share ideas and move forward.

The Council meeting is like attending church. We meet and greet each other prior to starting and share news since the last time we gathered. We begin the meeting with a prayer. We then hear from our leaders, listen to a few stories and break bread together over lunch. We listen some more, finish our business and, like after a benediction, go forth to do God’s will. The meeting is always so meaningful and enjoyable – a real sense of God’s community coming together – that I also leave my personal offering at the end. Just like at church.

I look forward to our Council meetings. They take precedence on my calendar. I have never missed a meeting. And, with the good Lord willing, I never will.

I’m a Sailfish.

Terry Gubbins is the Tampa Market Pharmacy Director for Walgreens.

From our Leadership Council

Terry Gubbins Gregory Leadership Council Member since 2007

Dr. John M. GregoryFounding co-chair, SJ Strategic Investments LLC

Dr. Joseph R. GregoryFounding co-chair, Gregory Management Co.

Mary Ann BlessingKingsway Charities

Jason Carlson `00/`05 Pharm. D.Publix

John Chandler, R.Ph.Walmart

Rena Coll, Pharm. D.Pfizer Inc.

Terry Gubbins, R.Ph.Walgreens

Paul LeoneThe Breakers Palm Beach

Cristina M. Medina, Pharm. D.CVS Caremark

Wesley Rohn `05 Pharm. D.Walgreens

Michele Weizer, Pharm. D. BCPSJFK Medical Center

Gregory Leadership Council

The Gregory School of Pharmacy Residency Program

The Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy (GSOP) has the only American Society of Health-System pharmacists (ASHP)-accredited residency that has faith integration as one of its three core traits. The other main

components are a focus on ambulatory care services, some involving indigent care safety-net clinics, and the third is academia. The program commenced in 2007 with a start-up grant provided by the Quantum Foundation. The training program was expanded to two positions in 2010.

Consistent with the mission and vision of the school, the residency program prepares pharmacy residents to become servant leaders within the profession. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, pedagogy, time management, collaborative care, clinical site development and professional communication skills. Diverse activities have been designed within each of the nine core-training themes to ensure maximal learning opportunities and to foster personal and professional leadership.

The Pharmacy Practice Residency is divided into nine core-training themes.


Extending a Healing Hand

1

2

Faith Integration (longitudinal)

Ambulatory Care (three locations at five weeks each)

3

4

Internal Medicine (five weeks)

Institutional Practice (longitudinal)

5

6

Academia (four-week block and longitudinal)

Drug Information (longitudinal)

7 Academia Administration (four weeks)

8

9

Research (four-week block and longitudinal)

Electives (six four-week blocks)


This ASHP accredited program is designed to provide a solid foundation in ambulatory care with residents spending time practicing in ambulatory care sites, including safety-net clinics and Veterans Affairs (VA) community-based outreach clinics (CBOCs). Residents are directly involved in medication therapy management services and help provide collaborative care as part of a multi-faceted health care team.

For the academia component, residents complete a series of teaching experiences including concentrated and longitudinal andragogy activities (an educational theory that promotes building self-directed residents who will transition into life-long learners) in a variety of courses with an emphasis on implementing active learning components. The residents also spend a concentrated month learning the art of academic administration with activities such as faculty development, strategic planning, strategies of effective teaching, managing faculty resources, conducting meetings, program planning and programmatic assessment. The concentrated and longitudinal components serve to equip the residents with the best insight into “life as an academician” to prepare them for this career avenue should they wish to pursue it post training.

Faith integration at GSOP is conducted consistent with the mission of both the school and university. The administration and faculty at the school feel that it is imperative for pharmacists to practice with a solid foundation of Christian principles, therefore faith integration and learning of Christian principles is intentional, not happenstance, throughout the curriculum. The residents are provided instruction and given guidance on how to integrate the Christian faith into their didactic teaching and their clinical practice sites. They are also encouraged and afforded the opportunity to lead devotionals and prayer at faculty meetings and faculty development sessions.

Lastly, a plethora of elective rotations are available which are provided by the school and pharmacy partners in the area. This remains a major strength of our unique

program. Rather than be restricted by the offerings of one institution, residents have the opportunity to hone their clinical training at sites as varied as the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center and other medical centers that specialize in pediatrics, oncology or a specialty of their choosing. Residents can also self-select to participate in a medical mission trip, either domestic or international as part of one of the residency electives. This specialized elective serves to train the resident in all facets of the planning process for a pharmacist-led medical mission trip, including distinctive strategies for precepting students under these unique conditions.

“I was sick and you looked after me”

Matthew 25:36

PBAUniversity PBAtlantic PBAVideo


University Academic Facts• Graduate and professional degree programs in business

administration, counseling psychology, leadership, ministry and pharmacy

• 48 undergraduate majors

• Degrees offered: A.A., B.A., BGS, B.S., B.Mus., BSN, M.S., M.A., M.B.A., M.Div., Pharm.D., Pharm.D./M.B.A.

• Undergraduate student-faculty ratio: 13 to 1

• Average undergraduate class size: 17

• 81 percent of PBA full-time teaching faculty hold the highest degree in their field

• 165 PBA full-time faculty

Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy Facts• Pharmacy student-faculty ratio: 10 to 1

• Average pharmacy class size: 75

• 97 percent of GSOP full-time teaching faculty hold the highest degree in their field

To learn more about the Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy, please visit: www.pba.edu/school-of-pharmacy

The Palm Beach Atlantic University Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 135 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 4100, Chicago, IL 60603-4810, (312) 664-3575; FAX (312) 664-4652, web site www.acpe-accredit.org.

Palm Beach Atlantic University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award the associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and a doctor of pharmacy degree. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, telephone (404) 679-4500, or www.sacscoc.org for questions about the accreditation of Palm Beach Atlantic University. Persons wishing to review documents related to the accreditation of Palm Beach Atlantic University should contact the Office of Accreditation and Assessment at (561) 803-2053.

2013-2014

PBA AT A GLANCECONTRIBUTORSDr. Mary J. FerrillDean and Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Dr. Seena HainesAssociate Dean for Faculty and Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Dr. Christine YocumAssistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Jessica LawtenStudent Services Secretary

Julienne BrownPharmD Candidate, Class of 2015

Manasseh HeeralallPharmD Candidate, Class of 2015

Dr. Stacy CarsonMedication Safety Pharmacist, North Florida Regional Medical Center, Gainesville; Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy Class of 2009 and 2009 Gregory Outstanding Graduate Award Winner

Terry GubbinsTampa Market Pharmacy Director, Walgreens

Dr. John M. GregoryRPh, Managing Partner, SJ Strategic Investments LLC

PharmIcthusA publication of the Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy at Palm Beach Atlantic University901 South Flagler Dr.P.O. Box 24708West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4708www.pba.edu(888) 468-6722

William M. B. Fleming, Jr. President

Vicki PughVice President for Development

Jodi MacNealEditor

Diane LeeGraphic Design

Sharing the Love of God Through Health Care

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDWEST PALM BEACH, FL

PERMIT 1356

P.O. Box 24708West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4708

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