Cedarville University to Host Advancing Competency in Aspetic Compounding Practices Conference

Updated on September 27, 2013

The Cedarville University School of Pharmacy is hosting a two-day conference to train pharmacists and technicians to safely compound sterile medicines.

The conference, schedule for September 28 and 29 at Cedarville’s new Health Sciences Center, is the only training program in Ohio that prepares pharmacists to safely compound, or mix, sterile medicines. These medicines are usually injected directly into the bloodstream or spinal column, placing a high importance on the processes and procedures used to ensure the safety and sterility of the products. The contamination of bacteria and fungus can lead to serious medical issues and, sometimes, death.

Compounding practices were brought into public scrutiny last year, when over 700 people were sickened and 63 people were killed due to contaminated medicines from the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass. These cases gave increased importance to the practices of pharmacists and technicians at compounding facilities when dealing with sterilized medicines.

Marc Sweeney, Pharm.D., dean of Cedarville University’s School of Pharmacy, said he hopes the training will affect the pharmacists and technicians at the conference, but also have a wider reaching effect.

“Hopefully, this conference will influence Ohio to improve the practice standards so the same tragic events don’t happen again,” Sweeney said.

The University’s pharmaceutical lab will be completely full with 25 participants, who will be trained by Kenneth Speidel, Pharm.D., president of PharmaCare Rx. Inc, a specialty compounding pharmacy in Tallmadge, Ohio. Participants will be able to practice compounding medicines in the facility’s IV room, a sterile environment used for procedures.

Sweeney said the school of pharmacy is looking forward to the opportunity to serve the educational needs of its colleagues in such a highly publicized area of practice.

“We want to take the lead in shaping the best practice we can by training pharmacists and technicians to compound medicines in the best manner possible,” Sweeney said.

 Cedarville University, located east of Dayton, Ohio, has 3,459 students in more than 100 areas of study. A Baptist university of arts, sciences, professional and graduate programs, Cedarville is recognized nationally for rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and leading student satisfaction ratings. Visit the University online at www.cedarville.edu.

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