Pharmacists in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy brought home multiple awards from the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Oct. 12-15.
Dr. Veena Venugopalan elected fellow of the ACCP
Veena Venugopalan, Pharm.D., a clinical associate professor at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, has been elected a fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, or ACCP, the organization’s highest honor.
The ACCP fellow designation is awarded to individuals who have made sustained contributions to the college and demonstrated exceptional performance in clinical pharmacy practice and research. Only members who have practiced pharmacy for at least 10 years and maintained membership within ACCP for at least five years are eligible for the designation.
“Being elected as a fellow of ACCP is an honor that signifies a high level of professional achievement and recognition within the field of clinical pharmacy,” Venugopalan said. “As a Fellow of ACCP, it is my responsibility to continue leading and inspiring others in the pursuit of clinical pharmacy excellence.”
A member of ACCP since 2007, Venugopalan has been actively involved in the Infectious Diseases Practice and Research Network, or PRN, for over a decade. This year, she received the Infectious Diseases PRN Clinical Practice Award for her outstanding contributions. She has also chaired the Global Health PRN and currently serves on ACCP’s 2024 Task Force on Clinical Ethics Committees.
Venugopalan was officially inducted as a fellow and received the Infectious Diseases PRN Clinical Practice Award on Oct. 13, during the 2024 ACCP Annual Meeting in Phoenix.
Dr. Bethany Shoulders receives the ACCP Critical Care PRN Clinical Practitioner award
By Tyler Francischine
Bethany Shoulders, Pharm.D., a clinical associate professor of pharmacy education and practice in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, has been named the 2024 recipient of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, or ACCP, Critical Care PRN Clinical Practitioner Award. Shoulders was recognized during the ACCP Annual Meeting in Phoenix Oct. 12-15.
The award is given to those who have either developed an innovative clinical pharmacy service in the critical care space, provided documentation of the innovative impact of clinical pharmacy services in the intensive care unit, demonstrated leadership in developing cost-effective clinical pharmacy services in critical care, or exemplified sustained excellence in providing clinical pharmacy services in critical care settings.
Shoulders received this honor in part for her work expanding personalized antimicrobial dosing to improve patient outcomes in UF Health’s intensive care unit. She said this recognition from the ACCP reflects both her own sustained efforts and the teamwork she’s contributed to at the UF College of Pharmacy and UF Health Shands Hospital.
“It means a lot knowing that some of the past winners of the award are ICU clinicians who I consider giants in the profession. I think it reflects the effort and prioritization of patient care that I have pursued in the first 10 years of my career,” Shoulders said. “The most rewarding thing for me is working with my multidisciplinary team to make an impact on patients’ lives. I value the environment that our team creates for learning, high-quality patient care, and innovative practice.”
Dr. Michelle Farland wins Best Paper Award at ACCP
The American College of Clinical Pharmacy’s Education and Training Practice Research Network selected a paper co-authored by Michelle Farland, Pharm.D., for its Best Paper Award. The paper’s authors were honored at the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Annual Meeting in Phoenix on Oct. 13.
Farland, a professor and chair of pharmacy education and practice in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, teamed up with five authors in writing the paper, “Opening the Black Box: Agreement and Reliability of a Situational Judgment Test Across Multiple Institutions.” The study was published in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education in May 2023.
The study examined the reliability and validity of a situational judgment test, or SJT, a relatively new approach to teaching and evaluating professional traits in pharmacy education. It found that an SJT aimed at measuring qualities like empathy, integrity, and teamwork showed consistent results among pharmacy practice faculty from five different U.S. pharmacy schools. These findings suggest the test could be used with pharmacy students located within multiple institutions in the future.
Farland’s co-authors included Kathryn Smith, Pharm.D., Brent Reed, Pharm.D., Stephen Neely, M.P.H., Stuart Haines, Pharm.D., and Jennifer Robinson, Pharm.D.
UF College of Pharmacy postdoctoral fellow Dr. Michael Luvera named finalist in ACCP Visual Abstract Challenge
By Tyler Francischine
Michael Luvera, Pharm.D., C.Ph., a postdoctoral fellow in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, was named a top-five finalist in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, or ACCP, 2024 Visual Abstract Challenge.
Luvera and his visual abstract — “Pharmacist review of chronic inhaler therapy appropriateness for hospitalized patients with COPD or asthma,” a summarization of work conducted by pharmacists at Vanderbilt University — were recognized during the ACCP Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Oct. 12-15.
Luvera said this project, which he entered into the ACCP’s Visual Abstract Challenge with the encouragement of his fellowship director, Rachel Reise, Pharm.D., M.S., C.Ph., provided him with a unique opportunity to utilize his creativity and flex his graphic design muscles in the name of disseminating important science. “I’ve always enjoyed visual art as a form of expression, but aside from flyers for club meetings and a single painting sold for $25 at a festival, I have no professional art experience. This competition and the recent trend toward visual abstracts in scientific literature showed me there are always opportunities to apply your skills and talents. I’m thankful for all the new and exciting ways I have been encouraged to learn and build on my professional development during the fellowship,” Luvera said. “With access to virtually infinite knowledge, it has become increasingly difficult to capture the casual reader’s attention. This is especially true in scientific research, where it can take years of small improvements for a community to make a significant breakthrough. While the visual abstract can’t replace a full article, it’s a great way to efficiently broadcast your research to a larger audience.”