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Until last month, Dr. Gary Ten Eyck had to travel thousands of miles to conduct research on the reproductive habits of coqui frogs. Now that he has joined the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy, he can simply walk out the back door.

Ten Eyck hopes his research will aid in the understanding of the reproductive biology of an introduced, alien species that is cause for concern to Hawaii residents both economically and environmentally.

“Some people love them, some people hate them,” Ten Eyck said. “As a biologist, I just find them very interesting. Studying the problem sheds an overall light on the species. A better understanding of the coqui will help us to know the consequences of controlling them on the environment and other issues.”

Ten Eyck joins UH Hilo from New York University. He plans to continue his research at the College of Pharmacy to work toward controlling the coqui.

“The addition of another world-class researcher to the College of Pharmacy is another step toward building Hilo into a community that will be able to survive the new economy,” said John M. Pezzuto, dean of the College of Pharmacy. “Dr. Ten Eyck’s enthusiasm and faith in moving here serves to reaffirm our commitment to improving the quality of life in Hawaii, and we’re happy to welcome him to the UH Hilo ʻohana.”

Results of studies in Ten Eyck’s laboratories have made a connection between the noises coquis make at night to territorial, or aggressive behavior. By using a drug called an agonist, scientists were able to cease calling and aggressive behavior altogether in coqui males.

“We have also found that a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, such as Prozac, has profound effects on the development of male social and aggressive behavior,” said Ten Eyck. “Frogs that are given this drug in our laboratory study typically do not develop calling or aggressive behaviors.”

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Ninety pharmacy students from the class of 2013 recited the Oath of a Pharmacist in front of their peers, professors, community and families last week at the University of Hawaii at Hilo’s College of Pharmacy White Coat Ceremony.

The ceremony is a rite of passage for students entering their first year in the professional program to affirm their commitment to professionalism, respect, integrity and caring. The class of 2013 is the College’s third class of students.

In addition to UH-Hilo administrators, the students were addressed by Mayor Billy Kenoi, Rep. Jerry Chang, Hilo Medical Center Pharmacy Director Nelson Nako, Sen. Daniel Inouye’s Chief-of-Staff Pat DeLeon, and Papatya Tankut, pharmacy professional services vice president from CVS Caremark/Longs Drugs, who sponsored the ceremony.

“We continue to forge ahead and will follow the motto of Queen Kapiolani, which was ‘Kulia i ka nuu,’ meaning ‘Strive for the very top of the mountain,’” said Dean John M. Pezzuto. “That’s what we will continue to do and we’ll do it together. The future is ours to build together.”

Many of the first-year students said they were inspired by the ceremony and the speakers.

Veronica Cummings, from Guam, said it was fitting to hear their stories. “I liked hearing encouragement from the mayor, who pointed out there are going to be hard times but we just need to stick with it,” she said.

Joseph Roan, from San Jose, Calif., who hopes to work in nuclear pharmacy, said the ceremony reinforced the beginning of a journey. “It’s a long road ahead, but this signifies the start,” he said.

Josh Walker, from Ventura County, Calif., echoed that feeling when he said, “We started school a few weeks ago, but now it feels like a real start.”

Michael Taylor, who attended Waiakea High School, moved to California and returned to Hilo to attend pharmacy school, said, “It makes us feel like we’re part of something important to be going through a ceremony that only two other classes have at UH-Hilo.”

A sense of belonging is also what many of the faculty hope the ceremony achieves. Anita Ciarleglio, assistant professor in pharmacy practice, said it’s a big step for the students.

“It brings home to them that they are one of us, part of the ohana of pharmacists,” she said. “They really feel that closeness with the pomp and circumstances of today, you can see it in their faces.”

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Seniors living in rural areas of Hawaii may benefit from medication safety education that will be provided by the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy.

The project was recently awarded $331,254 over a one-year period from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grants Program administered through the Cooperative State Research and Extension Service (CSREES).

According to the state Department of Health, most of Hawaii is medically underserved with primary care staff shortages, especially in rural areas. Excluding Honolulu county, Census estimates indicate there were more than 50,000 residents in Hawaii age 65 and older in 2007.

“Research has shown that seniors have a greater risk of preventable adverse drug events and that medication therapy management is one of the primary health and safety issues associated with aging,” said Dr. Karen Pellegrin, principal investigator for the project.

“This medication safety issue is exacerbated in rural areas by limited access to specialized healthcare services,” Pellegrin said. “The purpose of this project is to develop, deliver and evaluate the impact of medication safety education pertaining to the elderly.”

One of the reasons the project was chosen to receive the grant is because it seeks partnerships with existing community health-related groups, said Dr. Shirley A. Gerrior, national program leader in the Families, 4-H and Nutrition unit at CSREES.

“The project promotes sustainability and community outreach with plans to adapt educational seminars and information for delivery through eXtension, an interactive learning environment connecting consumers with providers,” said Gerrior. “This project is an innovative and relevant program that brings together pharmacy professionals and seniors in rural Hawaii via seminars in an otherwise isolated setting.”

Advanced pharmacy students, under the supervision of a faculty member, will travel to rural communities throughout Hawaii, including all of the Neighbor Islands, to provide seminars to the public. Pharmacy practice faculty will also provide continuing education to physicians and other clinicians in rural areas via distance technology.

These “Webinars” will allow busy clinicians to earn credits toward their license renewal from the convenience of their home or office.

“Our advanced-level student pharmacists will assist with this project as the College of Pharmacy continues its mission to improve healthcare in rural and underserved areas of the state,” said Dr. Scott Holuby, assistant professor in Pharmacy who will supervise the students in the program. “The role of the pharmacist is changing nationwide and the College of Pharmacy is helping to lead the way in the state of Hawaii.”

Pellegrin said the two-pronged approach is designed to improve patient outcomes by changing practices of those who prescribe medication for the elderly and increasing safety behaviors of the elderly who take medications and their caregivers.

For more information about this project and the College of Pharmacy, call 933-3866.

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The University of Hawaii at Hilo will be the first in the country to offer a dual degree with a Nurse Practitioner Specialty and Doctorate in Pharmacy (FNP/PharmD) thanks to a congressionally directed $951,000 grant from the Department of Education.           

“Students studying at the University of Hawaii at Hilo’s College of Pharmacy are able to take advantage of the best that Western science, Eastern traditions and Native Hawaiian heritage has to offer as they explore the healing arts,” said U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, whose office approved the funding. “We must continue to expand the educational opportunities available to them so that new ways to heal our sick and prevent illness emerge.”

The new program is created and jointly offered by UH-Hilo’s College of Pharmacy and the Department of Nursing. It is expected to begin in fall 2010 and require a six-and-a-half-year commitment from the student, said Dr. Edward Fisher, associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Pharmacy.

With aid from the grant, the College of Pharmacy also plans to:

*  Create a general practice pharmacy residency program, as well as a drug information and medication therapy management center and distance learning     program

*  Develop a clinical pharmacist training model for rural and underserved areas in   Hawaii. A secondary benefit will be the production of a pharmacist workforce database that will assist in identifying areas in the state where pharmacy and pharmacist needs are not being met

* Enhance training of pharmacy students through the use of new technologies, such as virtual laboratories

* Begin the planning phase for a doctoral program in physical therapy

“There is critical need for all health care services in rural areas of the Pacific region, including many areas of Hawaii,” said Dr. John M. Pezzuto, dean of the College of Pharmacy. “This grant will help us expand our reach and be used to help increase the availability of both pharmacists and nurse practitioners to these underserved areas. We are very appreciative of the U.S. Department of Education for their vision in helping us to get these innovative programs started.”

The FNP/PharmD degree would broaden the scope of practice of pharmacists through education and training in the diagnosis and hands-on management of common acute and chronic medical conditions, Pezzuto said. 

Additionally, an FNP/PharmD dual degree would provide nurse practitioners additional detailed skills relating to medications and potential food and drug interactions.

Family nurse practitioners already provide services to patients of all ages in diverse practice settings and sub-specialties, said Dr. Kay Daub, chair of the Baccalaureate Nursing Program.

“Nurse Practitioners are working hard to reduce medication errors, which are a major concern in healthcare facilities,” said Daub. “Our goal is to enhance the evidence-based practice of the nurse practitioner regarding drug therapy and prescriptive authority that will improve patient outcomes. The unique collaboration between Nursing and Pharmacy will provide innovative interdisciplinary research and practice to address the complex needs of a rural and richly multiethnic population.”

The UH-Hilo Nursing Program recently received  a Health Resources and Services Administration grant for $383,000 to assist with the graduate studies in Doctor of Nursing Practice and the dual Nurse Practitioner/Pharm D degree program.

Employment opportunities could be in any clinical site, such as private physician or nurse practitioner practices, walk-in clinics, school/ college clinics, extended care facilities, veterans administration facilities, hospitals and hospital clinics, hospice centers, home health care agencies, emergency rooms, public health departments, urgent care sites, or long-term care facilities.

“The most applicable benefit will be essentially supplying two highly needed health care professionals for one individual in a rural setting,” Pezzuto said. “As a result of this work, we can significantly enhance the clinical pharmacy training and applied rural science programs conducted by UH-Hilo.”

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“The J.M. Long Foundation is a long time supporter of the University of Hawai’i. This latest significant gift builds on their legacy of investing in public education and our community.” – Donna Vuchinich, President and CEO, University of Hawai’i Foundation

HILO – The College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo is on track to move forward with the building of additional teaching and research facilities thanks to a $1 million gift from the J.M. Long Foundation. This gift will support the construction of the initial phase of a health sciences complex. In recognition of this generous contribution from the J.M. Long Foundation, the Board of Regents has approved naming Building B the Joseph M. Long Pavilion.

Pharmacy Dean John M. Pezzuto announced the gift saying the donation is essential to help build the College’s eminence in pharmaceutical education.

“This gift embodies the mutual investment that the J.M. Long Foundation and the College of Pharmacy have made in the State of Hawai’i,” Pezzuto continued. “Let me say from the bottom of my heart, thank you to the J.M. Long Foundation for helping us fulfill our pledge to offer our students quality education while addressing the critical shortage of qualified pharmacists in Hawai’i and across the nation.”

The College of Pharmacy’s teaching, research, study, administrative and faculty office spaces are currently distributed across the UH-Hilo campus and the city of Hilo. The site of the new health sciences complex is situated on 10 acres located adjacent to UH-Hilo’s astronomy and science museum, ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center.

The complex is made up of four modular buildings (A, B, C, and D) being built in three phases (1A, 1B, 1C). Phase 1A consists of the construction of Buildings A, B, and D that include a lecture hall, four class rooms, three research labs, student services and IT services. Phase 1C is for the construction of Building C. Other funders include the State of Hawai‘i, which appropriated $6 million for construction. The College of Pharmacy expects to relocate to the new complex in fall 2009.

The J.M. Long Foundation gift will fund phase 1B of the project, which will add 2,880 square feet to Building B with the addition of a lecture hall, student center, and adjoining lanais. The lecture hall will be used daily and will be equipped with networking and distance learning equipment and can be used for nights and weekends for conferencing. The student center will fulfill unmet needs at the College as a site for student advisement and counseling; student group meetings, materials storage and activity planning; and hosting of community related projects. The lanai will be an area for presentations and speeches, receptions, short presentations and speeches, and other informal activities and socialization.

Joseph M. Long, an entrepreneur and co-founder of Longs Drug Stores, created his foundation, The J.M. Long Foundation, in 1966 as a way of giving back to others from whom he received during his lifetime.

He first visited Hawai’i in 1948, sailing across the Pacific on the SS Lurline for vacation. He was very impressed with what he saw, so much so that in 1953 he negotiated a lease for property at the corner of Hotel and Bishop Streets, and built what became the first Longs Drugs store in Hawai’i opening in 1954. He was personally involved in working with Walter Dillingham on the opening of Longs in the Ala Moana Shopping Center in 1959, the second Longs in the islands. During the next 20 years, whenever a Longs store site came up for consideration, he remained an advocate for continued support of the community in Hawai’i.

As Chairman of the Board of Longs Drug Stores, he noted: “In everything we have done I have never forgotten my mother’s admonitions about caring for people; caring for those who work with us, caring for those we work for, caring for our fellowman. We go through this life but once. If there is anything we can do, or help that we can give, let us do it now, because we may not pass this way again.”

Facts about the College of Pharmacy at UH Hilo since its founding in 2006:

• Recognizing the diversity of populations served by pharmacists in Hawai‘i, the College of Pharmacy developed its curriculum based on a philosophical foundation that integrates the Institute of Medicine Core Competencies (fundamental tenets of patient care) and cultural competency to ensure quality in patient care.
• In 2007, 90 students (44 from Hawai‘i) entered the College of Pharmacy as the inaugural class of 2011. In 2008, 88 of these students advanced to a second year of studies, and 90 additional students (48 from Hawai‘i) entered in the class of 2012.
• By the time its inaugural class graduates, the College of Pharmacy will stimulate more than $50.2 million per year in economic activity in the state of Hawai‘i, according to a recent study. The College will support an additional $15 million in earnings by that time.
• The College of Pharmacy collaborates with many other schools and departments within the University of Hawai‘i, including Nursing, Chemistry, Biology and Geology. It further extends its reach throughout the Pacific region including programs at the University of Guam and the University of Samoa, as well as links to Saipan and Palau.

______________________________________________________________________
The JM Long Foundation is a nonprofit, public benefit corporation. It is an independent private family foundation which makes donations and grants to solely private, non-profit, federal tax exempt organizations and qualifying public entities. The Foundation’s purpose is to benefit organizations involved with healthcare, education and conservation in the communities of Northern California and Hawai‘i.

College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo mission: To educate pharmacy practitioners and leaders, to serve as a catalyst for innovations and discoveries in pharmaceutical science and practice for the promotion of health and wellbeing, and to deliver quality patient care.

The University of Hawai‘i Hilo is a comprehensive university with 36 bachelors degree programs, six masters programs and two doctoral programs. UH Hilo strives to integrate culture and science, offer hands-on learning opportunities to its students and use the Island of Hawai‘i as a natural learning laboratory. Enrollment has doubled since 1980 to nearly 3,800 students coming from all 50 states and 40 countries. www.uhh.hawaii.edu

The University of Hawai‘i Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawai‘i System. Our mission is to unite our donors’ passions with the University of Hawai‘i’s aspirations to benefit the people of Hawai‘i and beyond. We do this by raising private philanthropic support, managing private investments and nurturing donor and alumni relationships. www.uhf.hawaii.edu.

Lyndon B. Johnson Tropical Medical Center pharmacist Malaefou Anesi, left, and Chief of Pharmacy Evelyn Ahhing-Faaiuaso, right, welcome a delegation from the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy that includes third-year students Daniel Navas and Robert Esteban; Dr. Carolyn Ma, associate professor and chair for Pharmacy Practice and director of experiential education; and Drs. Anita Ciarleglio and Scott Holuby, assistant professors in the Department of Pharmacy Practice. (Photo courtesy of UH-Hilo)

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There’s only one place in the small, far-flung U.S. territory of American Samoa for its 60,000-plus residents to fill their prescription needs.

Dr. Evelyn Ahhing-Faaiuaso oversees it all as the chief of pharmacy for the Lyndon B. Johnson Tropical Medical Center. She’s one of only two pharmacists on this group of islands 2,600 miles southwest of Hawaii and is the only one licensed in the U.S. That distinction presents tremendous challenges for her.

“There’s such a great need for pharmacists in our setting,” said Ahhing-Faaiuaso, who is a native of American Samoa. “There are not enough to serve our population.”

That’s where the University of Hawaii at Hilo hopes to step in. Three College of Pharmacy faculty members and two third-year pharmacy students recently spent a week in American Samoa to assess the hospital’s pharmacy needs, educate medical staff and encourage island students to pursue a pharmacy career.

The delegation returned July 3.

“My hope is to promote pharmacy to students here so they take up the profession,” Ahhing-Faaiuaso said, “and to return back home and serve our community.”

Dr. Carolyn Ma, associate professor and chair for pharmacy practice and director of experiential education, first visited the hospital in March to determine how UH-Hilo’s burgeoning pharmacy program could help the territory now and in the long term, in line with its mission to improve the quality of health care in Hawaii and throughout the Pacific.

The college has begun a pre-pharmacy initiative at American Samoa Community College through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Ma said she was impressed by the hospital’s successes despite its limited resources.

“The health care providers at the hospital do an incredible job with what they have, and I really admire and respect them for their dedication,” Ma said.

Ma also is a member of an interdisciplinary health-care team from the June Jones Foundation, whose summer mission overlapped the College of Pharmacy’s work in American Samoa.

Jones, the head football coach at Southern Methodist University, worked with athletes at a football camp while his nonprofit medical mission donated $400,000 worth of supplies to the hospital. Members of the pharmacy delegation helped deliver those supplies.

Ma and Drs. Anita Ciarleglio and Scott Holuby, assistant professors in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, also offered continuing education classes for pharmacy staff, physicians and nurses.

Topics included diabetes, hypertension and asthma, which are all prevalent in American Samoa, as well as the prevention of medication errors. The faculty attended rounds to offer assistance to providers, patients and families regarding their medications and to learn more about hospital functions.

“There’s such a huge potential for pharmacy services, but they truly need more pharmacists who are familiar with the culture and sensitive to the needs of the Samoan people,” Holuby said.

“We want to promote pharmacy as the beautiful profession that it is,” Ciarleglio said. “It’s a fine way to give back to one’s community and serve others.”

Ma’s other purpose on this mission was to evaluate a potential partnership between the college and the hospital to place students in fourth-year, advanced pharmacy practice experiential rotations while encouraging island residents to consider a pharmacy career.

“It became apparent from this visit that certainly the LBJ medical center would welcome and benefit from fourth-year students to help build their inpatient pharmacy services, and also that our students could help promote the pharmacy profession at the intermediate, high school and community college levels,” Ma said.

College of Pharmacy students Robert Esteban and Daniel Navas were selected for the medical mission and also will receive elective credits for their efforts.

Both are third-year students on track to graduate with the college’s inaugural class in 2011.
Esteban and Navas shared their educational journeys with a crowded classroom of community college students and encouraged them to follow a similar path.

“I hope I gave students the impression that they are able to make a difference in their communities, as well as their own lives, through education,” said Esteban, a 32-year-old student from Honolulu.

Navas, 36, of Honolulu hopes he has piqued the interest of Samoan students so that one day they will help their islands.

“Understanding the culture is essential in communication and effective patient care,” Navas said. “The situations I encountered here are real and complicated, and need real solutions despite limited resources.”

The need for pharmacists is great, Ahhing-Faaiuaso said, especially native-born people who understand the Samoan language and the islands’ traditions. She received a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in 1987 and a doctorate in pharmacy in 2003. She took over the pharmacy in 2007 after gaining experience in retail pharmacy and at Tripler Army Medical Center on Oahu.

“An affiliation with UH-Hilo would bring the current standards of pharmacy practice into our setting,” Ahhing-Faaiuaso said, “and with the limited resources we have, we can meet them halfway with ongoing teaching for the students who will be spending time here.”

The College of Pharmacy was awarded candidate accreditation status by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education in July 2008.

The college will be eligible for full accreditation when its first class of students graduates from the four-year program in 2011. It will welcome its third class of 90 students in August.

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The University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy offered its second annual spring preceptor training in April and May on Oahu and Maui to student mentors in the pharmaceutical profession. 

This marks the first time pharmacy students from Hilo will be able to receive the experiential phase of their education off the Big Island.

More than 60 preceptors came from the major hospitals such as The Queens Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, Kapiolani Women and Children’s, Pali Momi Medical Center, Castle Medical Center and Maui Memorial Hospital.

The training prepared the preceptor to receive the third-year class in a two-week clinical pharmacy/hospital rotation. The rotation is part of the Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience, which is a major portion of their work toward earning their doctorate in pharmacy, also called a Pharm.D.

“Students in their first and second years have received experience in local health care facilities, such as Hilo Medical Center, the retail stores in Hilo, Hale Anuenue Restorative Care Center and in the Veterans Administration long-term care home,” said Carolyn Ma, chairwoman of the Department of Pharmacy Practice. “Support on the Big Island has been amazing. The experiential training will give students more options to consider when they see additional facets of the pharmacy profession on the other islands.”

In 2007, the College of Pharmacy seated its first class, which will be preparing to enter its third year of study in Hilo this fall. 

During their first year of study, students gained retail and hospital experience by observing pharmacists, nurses and physicians with patients, learning about drugs and gaining some patient contact skills. In their second year, students become more comfortable with patients, and can take blood pressure as well as give immunizations. 

Third-year experiences will help students to become even more comfortable with patient interview skills and the various components of pharmacy practice in the acute hospital setting. 

The experience will help to prepare the students and the preceptor for the more extensive Advanced Pharmacy Practice rotations that will comprise the entire curriculum for the fourth and final year, which the first class will begin in 2010.

“Virtually every possible pharmacy practice site in the State of Hawaii is involved in our experiential program during the four years of experiential curriculum,” Ma said. “The support from the pharmacy community has been tremendous.”

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Physicians will now be able to earn continuing medical education (CME) credits through the University of Hawaii at Hilo’s College of Pharmacy after a vote last week from the Hawaii Medical Association CME Facilities Accreditation Committee.

Hawaii Medical Association (HMA) is recognized by the national Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education as the intrastate accrediting agency for organizations and institutions that provide CME activities for physicians in Hawaii. 

The College of Pharmacy joins 15 hospitals and one other organization accredited by HMA that provide CME activities on a regular and recurring basis primarily to physicians practicing in the state of Hawaii or the Pacific region.

“Physicians and pharmacists have always worked closely together so we are excited to have this outlet to strengthen that relationship,” said Dr. John M. Pezzuto, dean of the College of Pharmacy. “We also plan to offer continuing education to pharmacists in the near future. This is further confirmation that we are on the right path as we work to build one of the preeminent schools of pharmacy in the nation.”

Accreditation is official recognition that an overall program of CME complies with accepted criteria for planning, implementing, and evaluating CME activities, said Nathalie George, CME coordinator for the Hawaii Medical Association.

“Accreditation assures the medical community and the public that such activities provide physicians with information that can assist them in maintaining or improving their practice of medicine,” George said.

These activities are free of commercial bias and based on valid content, she added. Physicians must complete a required amount of CME activities to retain their licenses.           

“The gold standard in continuing education in healthcare is improving patient outcomes, which fits perfectly in the College of Pharmacy’s vision to improve the quality of health care in Hawaii and throughout the Pacific,” said Dr. Karen L. Pellegrin, chairwoman of the continuing education executive committee and director of strategic planning for the College of Pharmacy. 

“Our goal is that physicians not only gain knowledge through one of our courses,” she said, “but change practice in a way that helps patients as a result of it.”

While programs sponsored by the College of Pharmacy will cover a broad range of topics in medicine and patient care, it will emphasize its areas of expertise in medication therapy management.

To receive future announcements about continuing education events, send an e-mail to karen3@hawaii.edu.

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When people need to go to the county’s Aging and Disability Resource Center, they will soon be able to get advice on medications from experts from the University of Hawaii at Hilo’s College of Pharmacy. 

The collaboration is due to funding from the Health Resource Services Administration from a grant that will also benefit UH-Hilo’s Nursing program’s efforts to promote geriatric healthcare.

The project, entitled Pacific Island Geriatric Education Center, gives $22,000 each to the College of Pharmacy and the Baccalaureate Nursing Program to increase the amount of interdisciplinary geriatric care concepts with community projects. 

One of Pharmacy’s projects is to provide counseling at the Aging and Disability and Resource Center.

“We’ll be able to reach parts of the community through the Center for Aging and Disabilities that never have a chance to meet anyone from the University of Hawaii at Hilo,” said Dr. John M. Pezzuto, dean of the College of Pharmacy. “In addition, our collaboration with our colleagues from nursing on this grant allows us to reach inward as well and concentrate on similar health issues. It’s a win-win situation.”

Nursing is using grant funds to support a conference benefiting geriatrics called “Pulama I Ke Ola” (Hold Life Precious), on the Hilo campus May 21-22. 

Cecilia Mukai, an associate professor in nursing who has been a practicing Registered Nurse since 1973, said she envisions further collaborative efforts with Pharmacy to include mutual geriatrics coursework. Currently, she teaches one geritological healthcare course that is open to other disciplines.

“It’s part of our responsibility as healthcare professionals to work together and teach the whole experience of living healthily,” Mukai said. “For the same reason, we are including a youth program and including high school students in our conference this year. We are trying to influence future generations, and the best way to do that will be by working together.”

Through this collaboration, the Pacific Island Geriatric Education Center proposes to increase faculty expertise in the area of geriatric medicine. 

Work at the Aging and Disability Resource Center places Pharmacy faculty in the middle of 11 agencies that provide care and support.

Also called Kahi Malama, or “a place for caring,” the center acts as a single access facility housing the county Office of Aging, the local Area Agency on Aging, the ARC of Hilo, the Center for Independent Living, Coordinated Services for the Elderly, and the Hawai’i County Nutrition Program. A future tenant will be the state Department of Human Services.

“One of the reasons people are living longer is because of medications, so the contract with the College of Pharmacy is a natural fit,” said Alan Parker, Executive on Aging at the center, which had a grand opening in November after three years of planning. “When you start working together, ideas just start popping up.”

Faculty members will be available to start consulting with clients by September, said Dr. Scott Holuby, an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice who is also a licensed practicing pharmacist with a specialty in diabetes. 

He is working on getting supplies, such as computers and projectors, as well as planning group classes, field trips and one-on-one counseling.

“We can show people how to read medication labels, how to choose over-the-counter drugs and how to use their medications properly,” Holuby said. “My goal is to encourage seniors to use their local pharmacist to help them get the most out of their medications.”

Ultimately it will be a rotation site for students, he said. One role of the students will be to help the patients set up medication schedules. They will be able to print lists of medications with instructions, as well as provide additional written medical information from verified online resources available through UH-Hilo.

“Our hope would be that this will lead to a geriatric residency opportunity for our students,” said Dr. Edward Fisher, associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Pharmacy. “It’s the perfect opportunity for students to experience the various problems that geriatric patients encounter by observing other agencies in the Center.”

For more information, call 961-8626. For information on the College of Pharmacy, call 933-2909 or email pharmacy@hawaii.edu.

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Undergraduates at the University of Guam who want to earn a degree in pharmacy can transfer up to 70 credits to the pre-pharmacy program at the University of Hawaii at Hilo due to a memorandum of understanding recently signed by both universities.
The agreement between the two universities seeks to clear the way for course transfer between academic programs and courses at both institutions, help UOG students fulfill the Pacific Pre-Pharmacy Program requirements and to provide advising on both campuses to help students prepare to apply to the College of Pharmacy at UH-Hilo.
The completion of the pre-pharmacy course curriculum is needed for entrance into the professional program, which ultimately leads to a doctorate in pharmacy, also called a Pharm.D.
UH-Hilo is the only school in the Pacific region to offer a doctorate in pharmacy degree.
“Throughout the years of planning the College of Pharmacy, one of our goals has always been to extend our reach to all the islands in the Pacific,” said Dr. John Pezzuto, dean of the College of Pharmacy. “We also are building a base from which to recruit top-notch future doctoral students that will ultimately change the face of healthcare in the region. This is a very good start, and we’re excited to be working with the top-notch educators in Guam.”
UH-Hilo’s Dr. Susan Jarvi, director of the Pre-Pharmacy Program in the College of Pharmacy, visited Guam in October during a tour of the Western Pacific that included Saipan, Guam, Palau and American Samoa.
Along with co-investigator Dr. Anthony Wright, chairman of pharmaceutical sciences, she helped create a list of UOG courses that can transfer to UH Hilo’s pre-pharmacy program.
Jarvi, who will act as primary advisor to students coming to UH-Hilo, said the pre-pharmacy program gives students in this region a level of training never before available.
For more information, call 933-2909 or email pharmacy@hawaii.edu.

(Photo courtesy of UH-Hilo)

Second-year UH-Hilo College of Pharmacy students Jim Wasser, Jessica Toyama and Keegan Sugimoto are recognized by Ron Taniguchi, College of Pharmacy community partnerships director; Dr. John M. Pezzuto, College of Pharmacy dean and professor; Dr. John T. Berthiaume, HMSA vice president and medical director; and UH Hilo Chancellor Rose Tseng for their work in securing a $75,506 grant from the HMSA Foundation for the purchase of handheld personal digital assistants.

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Students in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawaii at Hilo will gain experience using clinical software tools thanks to a $75,506 grant from the HMSA Foundation. 

The grant was acknowledged March 13 before a lecture on disease management to 86 second-year pharmacy students from Dr. John Berthiaume, M.D., HMSA medical director and vice president.

“This generous grant helps assure our students are well versed in state-of-the-art technology that will help them compete in the global marketplace, and we are grateful for the foresight HMSA has shown in awarding us the opportunity,” said Dr. John Pezzuto, dean of the College of Pharmacy. “Keeping pace with technological advancements is especially important as we continue our quest to become one of the top pharmacy schools in the country.”

The grant will provide students in the inaugural three classes with handheld personal computer devices (PDAs), which will enable students to load software tools that can assist with diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making.

“We’re very pleased to support he College of Pharmacy at UH-Hilo,” said Cliff K. Cisco, HMSA senior vice president. “These PDAs will put valuable information at the fingertips of pharmacy students, and will help advance the quality of health care in the community.”

The HMSA Foundation was established in 1986 by the Hawaii Medical Service Association to stimulate research of issues that confront Hawai’i’s healthcare industry. The Foundation awards between $1 million and $1.4 million in grants each year.

“HMSA’s decision to fund this technology is another example of the support the entire community has shown the College of Pharmacy and we are extremely proud to be associated with them,” said Ron Taniguchi, director of community partnerships in the College of Pharmacy and principal investigator on the grant.  

UHHilo’s College of Pharmacy is the only school in the Pacific region to offer a doctorate in pharmacy degree. The degree, also called a Pharm.D., is a professional degree requiring four years of study after completion of at least two years in a pre-pharmacy program in an accredited college or university.

The College of Pharmacy was awarded candidate accreditation status by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education in July 2008. The College will be eligible for full accreditation when its first class of students graduate from the four-year program in 2011.

For more information about the College of Pharmacy, call 933-2909 or email pharmacy@hawaii.edu.

MEDIA RELEASE

By the time its inaugural class graduates in 2011, the University of Hawaii at Hilo’s College of Pharmacy will stimulate more than $50.2 million per year in economic activity in the State. The college will support an additional $15 million in earnings by that time, according to a study by a UH Hilo economist.

“If growth continues as planned, our data shows the College of Pharmacy will more than double its current output, making it a significant growth pole within the university as well as within the state,” said Dr. David Hammes, UH Hilo professor of economics.

Hammes conducted an analysis of the current and projected economic impact of the CoP. The data was based on the period between 2008 through 2012.

“I am pleased to see tangible evidence of residents of the Big Island strengthening the economy and showcasing our academic and research capabilities, and I congratulate a far-seeing university administration, specifically Chancellor Rose Tseng, as well as the Board of Regents for their support of this effort to build a professional College of Pharmacy in our state,” U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye said.

CoP is bringing in $4.2 million revenue from tuition for the 2008-2009 academic year, Hammes found in his study. These are tuition dollars that would not come to Hawaii without this program because UH-Hilo is the only school in the Pacific basin that offers a doctorate in pharmacy, or Pharm.D., Hammes pointed out.

“Building a college that educates pharmacists in Hawaii owes a great deal to the leadership of Chancellor Rose Tseng and Dr. Jerry Johnson,” said Dr. David McClain, president of the 10-campus University of Hawaii system. “Their vision and its execution represent yet another channel via which the University is a positive force in the economy of our state.”

The college attracts students and family from out-of-state who would otherwise not be here, Hammes said.

“CoP keeps students in-state who would leave to attend Pharm. D. programs elsewhere. It’s also interesting and important to note that wage and salary costs associated with the 27 new faculty and staff jobs currently state-funded within the college are significantly more than funded by the new tuition revenues alone,” Hammes said.

But beyond tuition revenues, students, faculty and staff are responsible for injecting $7.7 million into the local economy this year through increased spending by visitors, attracting grant and research funds, and on spending for living expenses. 

Hammes found direct expenditures of $12 million result in a total increase of $22.8 million in increased demand for final goods and services within the state and supports 274 new jobs statewide. These impacts will grow as the college expands, Hammes said.

“The College of Pharmacy facilitates economic development by training health care professionals, conducting research, and forming collaborative partnerships,” U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka said. “The economic benefits of the College of Pharmacy will continue to increase as enrollment, research, and collaborative efforts grow and develop further.”

Hammes said most of this increased economic activity can be expected to be in Hawaii County, though CoP has a presence statewide. Some of the expenditures would be made in the other counties by way of visitor expenditures and research spending.

Every dollar generated by the program is new, and not at the expense of other university or state program, Hammes said. In addition, each dollar used by the state in salary and wages for CoP attracts a new $3.38 from outside sources, including tuition revenue, student and visitor spending. If the college grows as planned, this figure will be $4.04 by 2012 and will level out to $3.58, Hammes said.

“Another way to measure the impact is by measuring the increase in new output per ’state’ dollar, including the direct and indirect, or multiplier, effects,” Hammes explained. “This figure is close to $9 for every $1 of state wage and salary funding.”

When the college has completed its growth arc and reaches its steady-state number of approximately 350 students in 2011-2012, Hammes projects:

* Tuition revenues will more than double to $9.6 million, assuming no change in Board of Regents-approved tuition rates.

* Statewide earnings induced over this four-year trajectory will rise from $6.9 million to $15.3 million.

* New job creation across all industries statewide, including housing, food, utilities, transportation, personal services, etc., will rise from 274 to 610.

* Demand for final goods and services within the state will increase from $22.8 million to $50.2 million.

Hammes said that through time, the college will attract more external funding through increased research funding, continuing education and conference activity that may take place anywhere in the state, bringing in out-of-state funds.

“These activities take time to get up and running, but the college certainly has the expertise to accomplish that,” Hammes said.

CoP seated its inaugural class in fall 2007. Current plans call for the addition of 90 students per year for a total of four classes. The college has grown from a staff of about 15 to 32. Over the next few years, plans call for reaching a total staff of about 70.

Hammes has taught at UH-Hilo for 21 years and has conducted economic research in a number of areas, including a historical analysis on the formation of the U.S. Federal Reserve. In 2003, he was awarded the Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching.