Posted by Mary Wimberley on 2011-06-07

 

Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy is collaborating with a delegation of Japanese pharmacists to explore American clinical pharmacy for two weeks this summer.

Now in its 18th year, the Samford/Meijo University clinical pharmacy program has involved dozens of pharmacists from the school in Nagoya, Japan. This year’s group includes 10 Meijo master’s in clinical pharmacy students and two professors. The students attend classes on the Samford campus and visit many clinical sites in the Birmingham area during June 5-18.

Of special interest to both the visitors and Samford representatives will be a Friday, June 10, presentation on emergency preparedness and response at the Jefferson County Department of Health.  The topic will focus on the big picture of overall disaster planning, and specifically, pharmacist response.

Although Nagoya is located hundreds of miles from the epicenter of the earthquake and tsunami that shook the island nation in March, the Japanese pharmacists may relate to many public health issues faced by Alabama residents after the April 27 tornadoes, predicts a Samford pharmacy school official.

“This is an excellent opportunity for a learning exchange to take place based upon our shared experiences,” said Michael D. Hogue, Pharm.D., chair of pharmacy practice at Samford.

The Meijo students will make other clinical site visits to St. Vincent’s Family Practice and Hospital, Christ Health Center, Southern Medical Services, Homewood Pharmacy and Children’s Hospital of Alabama.

Afternoon lectures will cover pharmacy-related aspects of pediatrics, community practice, infectious diseases, geriatrics, breast cancer, cardiovascular issues and critical care. On the final day, Meijo and Samford professors will share presentations of their current research, with an eye to possible future collaborations in research between the two institutions.

The group will have time to experience Alabama culture, with planned excursions to Mount Cheaha State Park, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Birmingham Museum of Art and area shopping malls and restaurants.

The Samford-Meijo pharmacy collaboration features a component in which Samford faculty and 4th year doctor of pharmacy students travel to Japan for experiential course work. The next such course is in the planning stages.

 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.