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NASA dream becomes a reality for one student

November 6, 2024

Fourth-year pharmacy student Emma Ives has been broadening her horizons in the NASA/Johnson Space Center Aerospace Medicine Clerkship program in Houston, Texas. Over her clerkship, Ives met with NASA astronauts, scientists, and engineers, toured the facilities and the campus of the space center, and worked on a research project.   Being able to experience NASA has been a lifelong dream for Ives. “I grew up playing in the cardboard ISS module my dad made for me in our living room, so to then go to the actual module and run around in it was a super fun and very surreal.”  Aerospace medicine focuses … Read more


Faculty pioneering changes in hospital pharmacy best practices

October 30, 2024

At the 82nd International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Cape Town, South Africa, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy faculty members Michael Stepanovic, PharmD, MS, and Stephen F. Eckel, PharmD, MHA, took center stage in advancing hospital pharmacy practices globally. Their contributions at the conference demonstrated a dedication to refining and implementing high standards in hospital pharmacy practice.  Stepanovic, assistant professor, and Eckel, associate professor and associate dean for global engagement, led a pivotal workshop titled “Supply Chain Excellence in Africa and Beyond: Unpacking the Procurement Theme of the FIP Basel Statements.” This session was … Read more


Wendy Cox promoted to full professor

October 23, 2024

Wendy Cox, PharmD, has been promoted to full professor in the Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education (PACE) at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She is also the School’s Associate Dean for Admissions and Accreditation.  “Impacting patient care through the education of future pharmacists has been an incredibly fulfilling journey. There’s truly no better place to do this than at Carolina,” said Cox.  She began her journey as a proud Tar Heel, earning her PharmD from the School in 1998. Her post-graduation path took her to the Medical University of South Carolina, where she completed a pharmacy practice residency. … Read more


Kimberly Sanders promoted to associate professor 

October 23, 2024

Kimberly Sanders, PharmD, has been promoted to associate professor in the Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education (PACE) at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She also has a shared appointment at the UNC Adams School of Dentistry.  “My promotion to associate professor means a lot to me in feeling truly established as I further elevate my career in academia,” she said. “I’m excited about my next steps in furthering interprofessional partnerships in the community, exploring more collaboration opportunities between pharmacy and oral health, and continuing to teach and engage our students in meaningful work.”  Sanders earned her PharmD … Read more


One student’s path to pharmacy 

October 16, 2024

Kassidy Johnson, PharmD candidate Class of 2028 at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, is a former health coach, volunteer doula, and self-proclaimed “Swiftie”.   Johnson is a North Carolinian and earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and international studies from East Carolina University (ECU).   “My initial plan was to go to medical school and study neonatology,” she said. “However, I started interviewing neonatologists and learned that they don’t have as much patient interaction as I wanted.”  While at ECU, Johnson worked as a health coach for uninsured diabetes patients. She enjoyed her weekly check-ins with each patient where she would … Read more


Children’s experience of psychotropic polypharmacy and disparities in care

October 14, 2024

A new paper in Psychiatric Services by Kathleen C. Thomas, PhD, in the Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy (DPOP), raises concerns about disparities in care in children with high needs. The paper describes psychotropic polypharmacy, the use of multiple psychotropic drugs to treat a patient, and its association with neighborhood context in a cohort of children with psychiatric conditions, intellectual and developmental disability, and complex medical conditions living in North Carolina. “This paper highlights our concern that, even after accounting for clinical conditions, neighborhood context is associated with children’s experience of psychotropic polypharmacy,” Thomas said. “The findings underscore concerns … Read more


School works with community pharmacies to support new Blue Cross NC program

October 14, 2024

In an effort to support a statewide network, and help pharmacies advance diabetes and hypertension care, the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy is working with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) to create a program called More Than a Script. The idea came about, from Blue Cross NC, after one of the School’s Catalyst events in 2023. “It was music to our ears,” said Jon Easter, BSPharm, professor of the practice and Vice Chair of the Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education (PACE). “Plus, we had a project that we’d already been working on … Read more


Carolyn Thorpe promoted to full professor 

October 9, 2024

For Carolyn Thorpe, PhD, her career path has always been about understanding how people adjust to health challenges, especially chronic illness. With a background in psychology and a master’s in public health, she was first drawn to how individuals manage life-altering diagnoses. “Research was a good fit for my skills and interest,” Thorpe said, recalling her early days working on health behavior research.  She earned her PhD in health behavior from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health where her focus shifted to treatment adherence—understanding how patients carry out prescribed medical plans. “It’s one thing to adjust to illness, … Read more


Molecules to Market: School launches new certificate program 

October 8, 2024

The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, the nation’s top-ranked pharmacy school, has partnered with Deerfield Management to introduce a new educational opportunity, the Molecules to Market certificate program, aimed at bridging the gap between academia and industry in biotherapeutics.   Since the majority of molecules fail to make it to the clinic, this certificate program aims to help participants learn strategies for overcoming the many hurdles along the way. It’s designed to equip students, postdocs, faculty, and professionals with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate the complex journey from scientific discovery to market-ready biotherapeutics. The first cohort will begin … Read more


School receives 2024 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award 

October 3, 2024

The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy received the 2024 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.   This award highlights the School’s outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion, and nationally recognizes its mentoring, teaching, research, hiring and promotion, recruitment, and retention.  “The HEED award reflects the School’s commitment in its values and principles to create an environment that leverages community, connection, and collaboration to bring value to pharmacy and the world,” said Carla White, BSPharm, Associate Dean of Culture and Well-Being. “I am incredibly proud of … Read more