As Jeff Lewis, associate dean of the Cedarville University School of Pharmacy, runs through a mental list of places where pharmacy faculty members and students have been involved or plan to be involved serving underserved people groups, it’s clear that the school’s vision for service is not a small one.

“Cambodia, Swaziland, Kenya, other places in the Caribbean and the Central Americas…,” he begins, launching into an overview of the many areas students and faculty members are putting both their pharmacy practice skills and their faith into action. That list includes locations both domestic and abroad.

This global vision stems in part from the school’s vision, mission and values statements, which repeatedly reference the development of service-related attitudes and skills “locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, maintaining a particular sensitivity to the underserved.”

As those connected to the Cedarville University School of Pharmacy develop themselves as medical professionals while serving in various locations, they always find themselves learning more about themselves and their faith.

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A team of three Cedarville students will compete on the TV show the “American Bible Challenge.” The show will premiere on May 22 on the Game Show Network.

The Cedarville University team, known as “The Heartland Guards,” includes Ryan Beach, a senior from Randoph, N.Y.; Quinn Brandt, a junior from Dumfries, Va.; and Dane Barnett, a senior from Buda, Ill. A second team with Southwest/Central Ohio connections is “Lift Your Voice.” The team is a husband-wife from Hilliard and brother-in-law from Beavercreek (David Faile, pastor at Patterson Park Church).

Participants competing on the show need a strong knowledge of the Bible and the ability to think well under pressure. With a solid background of biblical knowledge from growing up in the church and attending Cedarville, the team felt equipped for the competition. According to Beach, “We wouldn’t have competed as well as we did without the classes in the Bible minor and our time at Cedarville.”

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The Cedarville University School of Pharmacy received several impressive research grants during the 2013-2014 academic year. They include:

Lexi-Comp Underserved Population Gap Analysis Research Grant

A research grant in December 2013 from Lexicomp-Wolters/Kluwer Inc. The $8,192 grant will be used to identify the needs of free medical clinics serving underserved, indigent and underinsured populations. Along with this, research will be conducted to look for ways the School of Pharmacy can partner with external sponsors to meet the needs of these patient populations.

The current service mission initiatives undertaken by the School of Pharmacy, Center for Global Health Education, have also paved the way to further conduct this research in free medical clinics for these populations.

Dr. Miriam Ansong, associate professor of pharmacy practice, headed up the application process for this grant along with co-investigator, Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, Associate Dean of the School of Pharmacy.

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Cedarville University School of Pharmacy students have been working in medication reconciliation at local medical institutions.

Cedarville University’s School of Pharmacy is partnering with regional hospitals to meet a need for medication reconciliation through a program with student pharmacists.

Medication reconciliation involves a comprehensive review of a patient’s medications after being admitted to the hospital and ensures accuracy and safety during treatment. This process allows the medical staff to learn the medications the patient is taking at home, whether they are contributing to the patient’s problems and which medications should be included when the patient is discharged.

Thad Franz, Pharm.D., director of experiential programs and assistant professor of pharmacy practice, said this process is especially important when patients have chronic diseases.

“These patients need a lot of medications and there can be problems,” he said. “Good medication reconciliation work prevents medication errors.”
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Simple actions can make a difference.  In as little as a minute, a child or an elderly person can be harmed, just by assuming something blue is the refreshing sports drink they saw carried into the house. Instead, it may be windshield wiper fluid, mouthwash, or a rinsing agent for the dishwasher. Each can poison an unsuspecting person in very little time.

These “look a-like poisons” are often around our homes, garages, and offices. Apple juice can look like household cleaners or mouthwash. Even candy coated chocolates can look like OTC (over the counter) pain relievers and aspirin. Kids, especially at risk for look a-like poisonings, can get into trouble with colorful individual detergent packets, which can resemble striped candies and lollipops.

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A speakers guild, intended to provide information on current and culturally relevant topics, has been recently developed by Cedarville University. The guild includes experts on a variety of topics, ranging from leadership and bioethics to cultural engagement, paying for college and handling a media crisis.

A benefit of the guild is it allows faculty and staff to share their expertise in their respective areas. Each speaker is highly credentialed, with not only extensive years of professional experience in the related topic, but also in an academic setting. As a result, this guild is expected to be a strong resource tool for school assemblies, teacher in-service days, adult or student ministries, professional associations, homeschool gatherings and church pulpit supply.

Speakers are provided at no charge if the speaking venue is within three hours of Cedarville University.

One of the premiere speakers is Lt. Gen. Loren Reno, a retired three-star general who served for 38 years in the United States Air Force. He’s currently the dean of Cedarville’s school of business administration. During his military career, Reno worked as the Air Force’s senior logistician with policy oversight and budget advocacy for over 200,000 personnel, making him well credentialed to present on leadership. To see the complete list of speakers, visit cedarville.edu/speakers.

For a complete list of speakers, visit cedarville.edu/Offices/Provost/Speakers-Guild.aspx.

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.