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Letter from the President...
January 1, 2016 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Ajla Dupljak, President-Elect, Rho Chi Beta Delta Chapter – Greetings! My name is Ajla Dupljak and it is with great honor and privilege that I write to you all as your new President-elect for the 2016-2017 Rho Chi Society Beta Delta Chapter. First and foremost I would like to congratulate all those who were… |
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Should Pharmacists Provide Drugs for Lethal Injections?...
September 1, 2015 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Svetlana Akbasheva, Staff Editor – This March, both the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP) and American Pharmacists Association (APhA) updated their official positions regarding the pharmacist provision of drugs for lethal injections as part of executions.1,2 The IACP stated that “while the pharmacy profession recognizes an individual practitioner’s right to determine whether to… |
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Pharmaceutical Fellowship Tips...
July 1, 2015 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Sean Caltabiano, Ramya Mathew & Praneeta Nagraj – Timeline Overview 5th Year: Start thinking about recommendations Your preceptors on rotations and faculty you have worked with are great people to ask for letters of recommendation July–October (or sooner): Research Start thinking about areas that you would be interested in pursuing (e.g., Regulatory Affairs, Medical… |
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Smartphone Applications for Pharmacy Students...
May 1, 2015 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Hayeon Na, PharmD, Co-Copy Editor [Content-focused] – Going through the PharmD curriculum and working as a student pharmacist, I often wished that I could somehow connect my brain to all the wonderful pharmacy resources I had at home or in my bag. I don’t doubt that you’ve also had a variation of this idea… |
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The Overmedication of Foster Care Children...
March 1, 2015 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions The Overmedication of Foster Care Children By: Andrew Leong, Staff Writer – There are over 510,000 children in foster care nationwide.1 They face tremendous emotional stress, affecting their behavior and mental health. To treat their symptoms, many are prescribed psychotropic medications. A study published in the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics found that… |
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A Message from the Rho Chi Society 2015 President-Elect...
January 1, 2015 - Professional Advice / Opinions Greetings! My name is Michael Bosco and I am President-Elect for the 2015-2016 Rho Chi Society Beta Delta Chapter. I wanted to take a moment to address my fellow Rho Chi members and professionals, and share my goals to advance the Rho Chi Society’s ideals of academic excellence and fellowship here at St. John’s University.… |
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A Word From The Immediate Past Editor-in-Chief – Pass...
January 1, 2015 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Katharine Cimmino, Co-Copy Editor [Content-Focused] – Dear Readers, Working on the Rho Chi Post has been an amazing opportunity. Entering a science heavy program, I truly thought I would be putting my love for reading and writing on the back burner. The Rho Chi Post has allowed me to combine my passion for reading… |
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Interview: Med Ed 101: Dr. Eric Christianson...
December 1, 2014 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Tasnima Nabi, Copy Editor [Content-Focused] – Social media is a powerful platform, allowing for the quick and easy exchange of ideas. Although the Internet has facilitated universal access, for many, it can be difficult to find reliable information. By combining the power of the Internet with his dedication to the pharmacy profession, Eric Christianson,… |
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Meet the Air Force: Dr. Joanne Bollhofer-White...
November 1, 2014 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Melissa Roy Co-Copy Editor [Graphics focused] — Many people do not realize the opportunities that are available to pharmacists. Joanne Bollhofer-White has taken the path less traveled by entering into the Air Force. Her position in the military has allowed her to travel all over the country while serving her country. The Air Force… |
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An Interview with an FDA Preceptor: Pharmacist’s Role...
October 1, 2014 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Melissa Roy Co-Copy Editor [Graphics focused] – Our dedicated preceptor Kimberly Defronzo, RPh, MS, MBA is currently a Consumer Safety Officer at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She attended the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy for her Bachelors of Pharmacy. She then went to St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health… |
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Drug Shortages: Effects & Costs in the United Stat...
August 1, 2014 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Valentina DiGangi,PharmD Candidate c/o 2017, Brandon Hu, PharmD Candidate c/o 2018, Sang Hyo Kim, Staff Editor, Samantha Lau, PharmD Candidate c/o 2018, and Seowoo Yoon, PharmD Candidate c/o 2018 – What does a clinician do when there is limited access to a particular drug, such as morphine? Should they treat a patient who is… |
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Quantifying the Benefits of Pharmacist Prescribing Powe...
July 1, 2014 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By Davidta Brown, Senior Staff Editor – The idea of granting pharmacists the right to prescribe, as well as to counsel and dispense, has long been a source of controversy among healthcare professionals. A study out of the University of Alberta in Canada, published online in mid-April, provided some much needed concrete data for an… |
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I Have a Problem...
June 1, 2014 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Sang Hyub Kim, DPM Candidate c/o 2018, New York College of Podiatric Medicine – I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2009. For the past five years, I have literally taken tons of immunosuppressant medications, ranging from corticosteroids (prednisone), to chemotherapeutics (6-Mercaptopurine) in an effort to suppress the inflammation in my colon. Currently, I… |
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Asking Questions...
May 1, 2014 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Bharat Kirthivasan, Co-Copy Editor (Content-focused) – It’s graduation season and some students are moving from academics to professional life. Others are taking a step in that direction. I myself am wrapping up my Ph.D. and working full time in the pharmaceutical industry as a formulation scientist. During my Ph.D., I’ve served as a Teaching… |
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CVS Pharmacy Takes Tobacco Off the Shelves...
April 1, 2014 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Ada Seldin, Staff Editor – CVS, the largest chain pharmacy in the United States, has announced that it will stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products in its 7,600 retail stores on October 1, 2014. As such, CVS will be the first chain pharmacy in the U.S to remove tobacco products from its shelves.In… |
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Dietary Supplements and Their Potential Dangers...
March 1, 2014 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Fatema Elias, Staff Writer – With the New Year and everyone committing to their New Year resolutions, more and more patients are coming into the pharmacy asking for recommendations, particularly for weight loss dietary supplements. I hesitate to recommend an over-the-counter dietary supplement for weight loss. However, we as pharmacists and pharmacy students have… |
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The Importance of Organ Donation: Perspectives and the ...
March 1, 2014 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: James Schurr, PharmD Candidate c/o 2014 and Jennifer Miao, PharmD Candidate c/o 2014 With very special thanks to Jessica Melore and Jennifer McDermott, PharmD, BCPS of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital – Jessica Melore was 16 years old, a senior in high school, and co-captain of the tennis team when her life took a drastic turn. While… |
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To Defend the People...
February 1, 2014 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Davidta Brown, Senior Staff Editor – As the world’s largest market for pharmaceuticals, the United States receives many medications manufactured abroad.1 Patients, physicians, and pharmacists defer the responsibility of ensuring the quality of these imported drugs to the FDA, but it only takes one report of deceit in the pharmaceutical industry for this trust… |
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Low Literacy and Medication Management?...
February 1, 2014 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Jenny Park, Pharm. D. Candidate c/o 2015 – As the Affordable Care Act brings health care to many people who are currently uninsured, healthcare providers should expect an increase in the number of patients who don’t understand their plan, disease states, and medications. Health literacy is defined as “the degree to which individuals have… |
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Pharmacy Across the Border: An Interview with Sherif Gu...
February 1, 2014 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Sang Hyo Kim, Staff Editor – For the brand new year, we present an interview with Sherif Guorgui, the current Vice-President of Pharmacy at the Ontario Pharmacists Association and the former 2011-2012 President of the Ontario College of Pharmacists in Canada. Mr. Guorgui graduated in 1998 from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University… |
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Dr. Robert Mangione – From Student to Provost of ...
January 1, 2014 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Katharine Cimmino, Editor-in-Chief and Melissa Roy, Co-Copy Editor [Graphics-Focused] – Dr. Mangione has been a prominent member here at St. John’s University both as a student and as a leader. Before becoming our dedicated Provost, Dr. Mangione was the Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences since 1999. He joined the St.… |
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Surviving APPE Rotations...
January 1, 2014 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Aleena Cherian, Co-Copy Editor [Graphics-Focused] and Jenny Prakash, PharmD Candidate c/o 2014 – Starting your rotations in 5th year usually brings mixed emotions. On one hand, it’s a relief to finally be finished with labs and D&Ds…imagine, a whole year without any exams! But on the other hand, now you have to test how… |
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Expanding a Technician’s Role...
December 1, 2013 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Sang Hyo Kim, Staff Editor – Pharmacy, like much of medicine, is constantly changing, and the new changes in pharmacy practice are even happening to technicians. While there were originally no national standards for pharmacy-technician education and training, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) have… |
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Meet the President: An Interview with Father Levesque...
December 1, 2013 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Beatrice Popovitz, Staff Editor and Ada Seldin, Staff Editor – In August 2013, St. John’s University welcomed Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., former president of Niagara University, into the community as interim president. Fr. Levesque has an elaborate background in Vincentian leadership and higher education, having taught in various religious institutions such… |
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Moving Towards Provider Status: An Interview with Sandr...
November 1, 2013 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Hayeon Na, Co-Copy Editor and Sang Hyo Kim, Staff Editor – In Volume 1 Issue1 of the Rho Chi Post, we were honored to have an interview with Sandra Leal, PharmD, MPH, FAPhA, CDE, and Director of Clinical Pharmacy at El Rio Health Center in Tucson, Arizona. She had started a petition to support… |
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The Third Wheel or the Steering Wheel? Pharmacists on t...
November 1, 2013 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Joshua Bliss, PharmD Candidate c/o 2016 – Doctor – a word often utilized by both professionals and the general public alike to describe a physician. “Doctor” finds its origins in the Latin word for “teacher.” The word “physician,” however, carries a more complicated origin. It is derived from Latin’s “physicum,” meaning remedy.1 In Luke… |
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What You Should Know About Selecting APPE Rotations...
October 1, 2013 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Aleena Cherian, Co-Copy Editor, Graphics Focused – Selecting APPE Rotations You’ve made it past the progression interviews at the end of 2nd year, the White Coat Ceremony, and the mind-boggling compounding and kinetics equations. You’re almost done with those labs and late night D&D study sessions. Now, halfway through the first semester of your… |
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Meet the Dean: Interview with Dean DiGate...
October 1, 2013 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Katharine Cimmino, Editor-in-Chief and Erica Dimitropoulos, Senior Staff Editor – Just last month, St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences kindly welcomed a new Dean into our family, Dean Russell J. DiGate. Dean DiGate is a highly experienced educator and academic leader. He attended the University of Rochester, where… |
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An Interview with Dr. Barile: Professor, Reseacher, and...
September 1, 2013 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Katharine Cimmino, Editor-in-Chief & Bharat Kirthivasan, Co-Copy Editor – Frank A. Barile Ph.D. is a Professor of Clinical and Applied Toxicology at St. John’s University. He is also a St. John’s University alumnus, having received a B.S. in Pharmaceutical Science, an M.S. in Toxicology, and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology. At St. John’s University, Dr.… |
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Take a Chance!...
August 1, 2013 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Praneeta Nagraj, PharmD Candidate c/o 2015 – Summer is a great time to recover from the school year through reflection and relaxation, but it’s also the perfect opportunity to develop your career and discover where you belong within the pharmacy profession, which can be realized through work or an internship. What if I told… |
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Drugs and Diseases: The Survival Manual...
August 1, 2013 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Beatrisa Popovitz, Staff Editor – You may have heard the countless horror stories passed on by upperclassman of how D&Ds seep into the crevices of our brains and take over our psyches to inevitably make us breathe, sleep, and speak pharmacy. Stressing out over exams and investing what may seem like all of your… |
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Journey to a PharmD...
July 1, 2013 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Jacqueline Chirico; Pharm D Candidate c/o 2016 – The reasons behind the choice to study pharmacy here at St. John’s University vary from student to student. Some are interested in helping patients, while others are interested in the science behind how drugs affect the body. For me, it was the experience that I had… |
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Angelina Jolie’s Double Mastectomy: What it Reveals A...
July 1, 2013 - Professional Advice / Opinions By Sang Hyo Kim, Staff Editor – Angelina Jolie, the actress recognized for her charismatic beauty, revealed to the New York Times that she had undergone double mastectomy, the surgical removal of the breasts. Because her mother died of ovarian cancer at 56, when Jolie learned that she had a mutation in her BRCA1 gene,… |
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Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Heather Mavronicolas Forges the ...
July 1, 2013 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Tasnima Nabi, Content-focused Co-Copy Editor – The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has officially launched a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program and accepted applications for Fall 2013. Public Health has become an increasingly important area of study over the years as our country experiences rising numbers of chronic disease, health care… |
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Pay to Delay: The Honest Truth...
June 1, 2013 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: David Ong, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2014 – Our current healthcare system receives much criticism from the press as well as the public. Big pharmaceutical companies (“Big Pharma”) have consistently been characterized as part of the problem. Most of the blame for high drug costs is levied on Big Pharma. One of the criticisms is… |
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Interview with Dr. Omudhome Ogbru, Founder of RxEconsul...
June 1, 2013 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Steve Soman, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 – Q: I see that you got your PharmD at the University of the Pacific. Looking back, what made you choose pharmacy and how has this changed over the years of your practice (if it has)? A: I became a pharmacist because I like to care for others… |
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Disclosure of Clinical Research Funding: Can Ignorance ...
May 1, 2013 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Bharat Kirthivasan, Co-Copy Editor [Content-Focused] – Most people would prefer that a research paper be mandated to disclose its source of funds. For example, if a publication effusively supports a certain drug, we want to know if its parent company is footing the bill. Transparency allows research to be viewed in light of its… |
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Regulation of Low to Moderate Risk Medical Devices by t...
May 1, 2013 - Featured , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Hayeon Na, Co-Copy Editor [Content-Focused] – On March 22, 2013, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) aired an episode of “Need to Know” on the safety of low to moderate risk medical devices. The episode closely followed the lawsuit of patient Linda Gross who has pelvic organ prolapse and was advised by her doctor to undergo… |
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A Word From The Immediate Past Co-Editors-in-Chief R...
May 1, 2013 - Professional Advice / Opinions Dear Readers, The past two years have been an exciting opportunity for us as editors and, more recently, as Editors-in-Chief of the Rho Chi Post. Your contributions, comments, and articles have inspired and enabled us to set a high standard for student publication platforms across the nation. We want to take this opportunity to thank… |
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Breaking the Mold...
April 1, 2013 - Professional Advice / Opinions By Beatrisa Popovitz, Staff Editor, Why does that pharmacist have to be two and a half feet higher than everybody else? Who the hell is this guy? “Clear out everybody I’m workin’ with pills up here. I’m taking pills from this big bottle and then I’m gonna put them in a little bottle! That’s my… |
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Make A Resolution to Get Involved in 2013!...
February 1, 2013 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Jena Marion, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 – It was a few weeks into the spring semester of my freshman year at St. John’s University when I earned my wings. I was on a plane trip, flying cross-country to San Diego with friends that I had only known for a few months, on my way… |
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Pain Management and Palliative Care...
January 1, 2013 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Monica Correia, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 – This past year of advanced pharmacy rotations, has been a tremendous learning experience for me; I was exposed to the day to day functions and roles of pharmacists in a multitude of environments. While each experience allowed me to focus on a different aspect of pharmacy, the… |
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Volunteer Opportunities: Urban Humanitarian Projects...
January 1, 2013 - Events , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Sibyl Cherian, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2013 – Last year’s piece on “Carrying the Vincentian Torch” featured the endeavors of the Urban Humanitarian Project (UHP) in order to raise money for their multiple annual charity projects. Since then, the organization has grown and strived to new heights to reach the community around them. 2012 Urban… |
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Tackling America’s Drug Shortage Crisis...
December 1, 2012 - Featured , In the News / Politics , Professional Advice / Opinions By: John S Lim, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 – America’s focus on healthcare, as well as its position as one of the wealthiest nations of the industrialized world, is incongruous with the consequences of drug shortages suffered by its population. Shortages in pharmaceutical supply compromise quality of life while increasing health care costs. The pharmaceutical… |
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Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2012!...
December 1, 2012 - Professional Advice / Opinions Dear Readers, Christmas is just a few days away, and an amazing year of great challenges, pleasant surprises, and endeavors is coming to a close. From working on your Drugs & Diseases courses to simply having the privilege of being part of the profession at the White Coat Ceremony, the students have endured much and… |
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Giving a Second Chance: The Prescription Drug Abuse Epi...
December 1, 2012 - Featured , In the News / Politics , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Maria Sorbera, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 at AMSCOP (LIU) – Author William S. Burroughs states in his novel, “The question is frequently asked: Why does a man become a drug addict? The answer is that he usually does not intend to become an addict. You don’t wake up one morning and decide to be… |
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NYS Legislature to Ban Selling Tobacco Products in Phar...
October 1, 2012 - Featured , In the News / Politics , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi – The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of the Rho Chi Post, Rho Chi Beta Delta Chapter, or St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. For the past few months, I have been on rotation at… |
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A New Frontier in Health Care: Digital Medicine...
October 1, 2012 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi – We live in amazing times. Technology does not progress by steps anymore, it grows by leaps. Health-care has reaped the benefits of these advances just like any other industry. It was not a very long time ago that pharmacists would look up patient records in a book full of names… |
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My Experiences at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital...
October 1, 2012 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Addolorata Ciccone, Student Copy Editor – As a fifth-year pharmacy student researching and ranking advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) sites, I felt excited at the prospect of taking the knowledge and skills I obtained in the classroom and applying it to real world patients and scenarios. My years of work in community pharmacies were… |
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Studying Abroad: The Perspective From a Pharmacy Studen...
October 1, 2012 - Professional Advice / Opinions By: Shannon Tellier – When applying to St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences five years ago, I never would have dreamed that I would have the opportunity to study abroad twice while obtaining my PharmD degree. At the end of my freshmen year, there were rumors about second year pharmacy students having… |