Elder Care Expertise 

UHCOP Students Establish Local Chapter of American Society of Consultant Pharmacists

August 20 — In an effort to educate and support the professional development of pharmacy students interested in careers in the geriatric and long-term care patient environments, the formation of a student chapter of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) has been approved at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy (UHCOP).

The new organization at UHCOP is one of more than 50 student chapters of the national parent organization, which was established in 1969 with its current mission "to promote healthy aging by empowering pharmacists with education, resources, and innovative opportunities." Establishing a student chapter of ASCP was spearheaded by Pharm.D. student Aryonne Gibson, who serves as the UHCOP chapter’s inaugural president.

"I did not think of consulting pharmacy as an option before, so I figured this would be a good option to have an organization for students who would be interested in older patient care," Gibson said.

Consulting pharmacy largely focuses on reviewing and managing medication regimens for patients, especially those in an institutional or long-term care setting such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospice. However, according to the ASCP website, member consultant pharmacists or senior care pharmacists also provide expert advice on the use of medication to older adults in a range of practice settings, including mental health facilities, home health, and community pharmacy.

Focus on Safety

"One of the biggest responsibilities of a senior care pharmacist is to help prevent drug-related problems in older adult populations," Gibson said. "Provide medication therapy management, chronic disease state management, and patient/caregiver counseling."

Gibson said she credits UHCOP alumnus James Plimper, Pharm.D. (’08), BCGP, partner and consultant at Assure Rx Consulting LLC, for opening her eyes to the opportunities available in the specialty field during a presentation at the college.

"I take care of my grandparents’ medications now that I am in pharmacy school, and I see the barriers elders go through," Gibson said. "Dr. Plimper’s presentation introduced me to the field of Consultant Pharmacy and ASCP. He also mentioned how we didn’t have a student chapter at UH, so I took the initiative."

Gibson said that one key factor that drew her to study at UH on the first place, was the different organizations that expose students to diverse areas of pharmacy.

Practitioner Panels, OT Collaboration

The new ASCP chapter at UHCOP has ambitious plans, Gibson said. Officers aim to host two convocations featuring speaker panels and to collaborate with occupational therapists to engage with nursing home residents in games to aid their mobility and well-being.

Gibson also emphasized the broader goal of the new chapter.

"We want to educate health care workers and community members on geriatric/long-term care pharmacy," Gibson said.

With backgrounds on current practice in geriatric patient care, UHCOP faculty members Julianna M. Fernandez, Pharm.D. ('06), BCPS, BCGP, and Nancy Ordonez, Pharm.D. ('98), BCPS, are serving as faculty co-advisors for the chapter.

"I believe that giving the students the opportunity to learn more about our aging population can only benefit future pharmacists as we have an aging population with many medication needs," Fernandez said. "Patients are living longer and there are not enough providers who specialize in the care of older adults; however, the more exposure new providers get to the specific needs of this population will result in better care for older adults."

With the support of a national chapter and nine executive members already on board, the organization is planning to recruit more members for their inaugural year at orientation and throughout the semester.