Category: Divisions
Pharmacy Researchers Find New Way to Produce Popular Anticoagulant
February 7, 2006Scientists at the UNC School of Pharmacy and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered an alternative way to produce heparin, a drug commonly used to stop or prevent blood from forming dangerous clots. Heparin is most often used during and after such procedures as kidney dialysis, heart-bypass surgery, stent implantation, indwelling catheters, and knee and hip replacement to prevent clots from forming and blocking or restricting the flow of blood. The annual worldwide sales of heparin are estimated at $3 billion. “Synthesizing heparin chemically is extremely difficult, but by doing so, we eliminate the risk of viruses and other forms of … Read more
Kashuba Awarded “Paper of the Year” by SIDP
December 14, 2005A manuscript by associate professor Angela Kashuba has been selected by the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists as “Paper of the Year.” The manuscript is entitled “Combining fosamprenavir with lopinavir/ritonavir substantially reduces amprenavir and lopinavir exposure: ACTG protocol A5143 results”. The Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists is an association of health professionals dedicated to promoting the appropriate use of antimicrobials. SIDP provides education, advocacy and leadership in all aspects of the treatment of infectious diseases.
Study: Second-Generation Antidepressants Very Similar
December 14, 2005Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found evidence that many second-generation antidepressants, despite differences in drug classification and cost, offer patients very similar benefits and only minimal differences in risks. Second-generation antidepressants include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other drugs that selectively affect the activity of neurotransmitters. A paper published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, led by Richard A. Hansen, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Pharmacy , examined the effects of ten commonly prescribed second-generation antidepressants, including Prozac, Zoloft, Wellbutrin , and Paxil . The study examined the role of these … Read more
Graduate Students Recognized by the AFPE and IOA
December 14, 2005Mark Patterson, a graduate student in the Division of Pharmaceutical Policy and Evaluative Sciences, has been selected to receive the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education’s Pre-doctoral Fellowship, beginning in September 2005. The AFPE Fellowship is awarded to outstanding pre-doctoral students who have completed at least three semesters of graduate study in pharmaceutical sciences at a U.S. school or college of pharmacy. Patterson’s project, “Effect of Copayments on Medication Persistence in a Commercially Insured Population with Heart Failure,” is directed by Mick Murray, professor and chair of the Division of Pharmaceutical Policy and Evaluative Sciences. Other School of Pharmacy AFPE Pre-doctoral … Read more
Ferreri Participates in 2005 Nonprescription Medicines Academy Conference
December 14, 2005Stefanie Ferreri, clinical assistant professor, recently participated in the Nonprescription Medicines Academy as one of 42 faculty attendees representing colleges and schools of pharmacy from North America. The Nonprescription Medicines Academy is planned exclusively for college of pharmacy faculty who provide instruction on nonprescription medicines and medical devices. The goal of the conference is to facilitate a learning environment and networking opportunity for faculty to advance education and research in the area of nonprescription therapy. The conference programming includes presentations on topics including education, research and public health issues in the area of nonprescription medicines and medical devices. As a … Read more
Gordon Liu Hosts Nobel Laureate Forum at 2005 China Economic Summit
December 14, 2005Gordon Liu, PhD, hosted a Nobel laureate forum at the 2005 China Economics Summit. The forum was held in the People’s Great Hall in Beijing on May 24. Liu is an associate professor of health economics in the Division of Pharmaceutical Policy and Evaluative Sciences. He is also as the president of the Chinese Economists Society.
SOP Announces New Director of Student Services
December 14, 2005Wendy Cox, PharmD, has been named as director of student services for the School of Pharmacy. Cox’s appointment will become effective on September 12th. Cox, who received her PharmD in 1998 from UNC, completed a pharmacy practice residency at the Medical University of South Carolina in 1999 and a primary care specialty residency affiliated with Campbell University in 2000. She currently serves as director of pharmacotherapy services for the Wake AHEC and as a clinical assistant professor for the School of Pharmacy. Cox is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist and a certified diabetes educator.
School of Pharmacy Graduate Student Awarded Prestigious Fellowship
December 14, 2005Ding Xu, a graduate student in the Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products, has received a predoctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association (MidAtlantic Affiliate). The award is worth $20,000 a year for two years. Ding’s research project, “Understanding substrate recognition mechanism of heparan sulfate 3-O-sulfotransferase,” is overseen by his adviser, Dr. Jian Liu. “Being awarded this fellowship is a great honor,” said Xu. “Understanding how the body creates heparan sulfate will be of great benefit to the medical community and society as a whole.” Xu’s project is designed to understand how heparan sulfate, a molecule on the surface … Read more
CROI Selects Abstracts by School of Pharmacy Fellows
December 14, 2005Abstracts by academic fellow Julie Dumond and GlaxoSmithKline fellow Manoli Vourvahis have been accepted at the 13th Annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. Dumond and Vourvahis have each received a Young Investigator Award to attend the conference in February. Dumond’s abstract “First Dose and Steady-state Genital Tract Pharmacokinetics of Ten Antiretroviral Drugs in HIV-infected Women: Implications for Pre- and Post- Exposure Prophylaxis” was accepted as an oral presentation. Vourvahis’ abstract “A Pharmacologic Basis for the Use of Tenofovir In Pre- and Post-exposure Prophylaxis: Intra- and Extracellular Genital Tract Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics from First Dose to Steady State in HIV-1 … Read more
Sleath Awarded ECHO Grant
December 14, 2005The UNC Program on Ethnicity, Culture and Health Outcomes has awarded associate professor Betsy Sleath a grant to study racial and ethnic health disparities in North Carolina. Sleath’s project, “Improving Pharmacy Services for Latinos in North Carolina” will be conducted over the course of 18 months. The purpose of the project is to describe Latino patients’ medication use, understand Latino patients’ perceptions of the role of U.S. pharmacies and how they differ from pharmacies in their home countries, describe how Latino patients believe that U.S. pharmacies can improve services for them, and understand what community pharmacists believe can be done … Read more