R. Lee Evans

Implementation of a Weight Management Pharmaceutical Care Service

Background: Obesity, a national epidemic, is one of the leading causes of preventable morbidity and mortality in the US. Pharmacists can play an integral role in weight management. Offering weight management services provides an opportunity to increase public awareness of pharmaceutical care and attract patients to pharmacy programs. Objective: To describe the implementation and evaluate outcomes of a weight management pharmaceutical care service in a stand alone pharmaceutical care center on a college campus. Methods: A retrospective review of data was conducted on 289 patient charts to evaluate the change in weight, body mass index (BMI), percent body fat, and weight-related health conditions in patients who participated in the Healthy Habits program. Results: The net change (change in values observed from first to last appointment) in weight was a loss of 1021.8 kg. The maximum weight change (change seen from the first appointment to the lowest value obtained during the program) was a loss of 1530.5 kg. These values correspond to a net mean weight loss of 3.6 kg per patient (10% of baseline weight) and a maximum mean weight loss per patient of 5.5 kg (15% of baseline weight). Eighty-three patients were able to decrease their BMI category and 76 patients had a decrease in risk status from baseline. Conclusions: The Auburn University Pharmaceutical Care Centers Healthy Habits program has been successful in helping patients decrease total body weight, BMI, and risk of weight-related complications. In addition, the program has increased the opportunity to identify other pharmaceutical care needs of patients and help establish the role of pharmacists in the management of obesity.

Pharmacy Student Debt and Return on Investment of a Pharmacy Education

Objective. To describe the current landscape within the profession of pharmacy regarding student tuition, indebtedness, salaries, and job potential. Methods. Pharmacy tuition and student debt data were obtained through the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Institutional Research website. Tuition was defined as average first-year tuition and fees for accredited schools. Debt was defined as the total average amount borrowed. Median salaries and numbers of jobs were obtained from the United States Department of Labor. Results. In-state tuition at public schools rose an average of

Alprazolam (Xanax®, the Upjohn Company)

1,211 ± 31 (r2 = 0.996), whereas out-of-state tuition at public schools rose significantly faster at

Reimbursement model for pharmacist-directed medication therapy management

1,838 ± 80 per year (r2 = 0.988). The average tuition cost for pharmacy school has increased 54% in the last 8 years. The average pharmacist salary has risen from

Preliminary Comparison of Predictive and Empiric Lithium Dosing: Impact on Patient Outcome

75,000 to over

Complex Issues Affecting Student Pharmacist Debt

112,000 since 2002. The increase in salary has been nearly linear (r2 = 0.988) rising

AACP council of deans report, July 2011

4,409 ±

Curricula Then and Now—An Environmental Scan and Recommendations Since the Commission to Implement Change in Pharmaceutical Education: Report of the 2006-2007 Academic Affairs Committee

170 dollars per year. However, average salary in 2011 was

Development of an Office of Teaching, Learning and Assessment in a Pharmacy School

3,064 below the predicted value based upon a linear regression of salaries over 10 years. The number of pharmacist jobs in the United States has risen from 215,000 jobs in 2003 to 275,000 in 2010. However, there were 3,000 fewer positions in 2012 than in 2011. In 2011, average indebtedness for pharmacy students (

Survey of Psychopharmacy Curricula and Faculty at Schools of Pharmacy.

114,422) was greater than average first-year salary (