College News Briefs

UNM College of Pharmacy student pharmacists once again made an indelible impression of excellence at the annual meeting of the American Pharmacists Association, March 11-15, 2010.  Thirty-seven of our student pharmacists went to Washington DC and represented the COP with pride and honor.

Student Pharmacist Achievements

Adriane Irwin: Outgoing National President of the Academy of Student Pharmacists (ASP)

This year’s meeting marked the end of UNM student pharmacist, Adriane Irwin’s (Class of 2010) term as National President of the Academy of Student Pharmacists.  This was the first time in the UNM College of Pharmacy’s 65-year history that one of our students held the national position as President.

Brooke Busche Elected National ASP Member at Large & Receives Student Leadership Award

Continuing the College’s prestigious five-year legacy of holding national offices within ASP, student pharmacist Brooke Busche (Class of 2011) was elected National Member at Large.  Brooke, originally from Mesa, AZ, is finishing her third year in our Doctor of Pharmacy program.  She holds and has held numerous leadership positions including the COP ASP chapter Chair of Operation Diabetes (2009-2010) and Historian (2007-008), ASP Region 8 Member at Large (2008-2009), Phi Lambda Sigma Honor Society Chapter Secretary (2008-2009), and present member of the COP Curriculum Committee.  Brooke has earned honors such as the 2008-2009 Rho Chi Achievement Award and has been listed on the COP Dean’s Honor Roll since 2008.  Brooke furthered honored the UNM COP by being selected as one of only four recipients in the nation to earn the APhA Student Leadership Award which recognizes outstanding academic achievement and leadership ability of students entering their last year of pharmacy school.

COP Chapter Wins Region 8 Operation Diabetes Award

The ASP Chapter was honored for their exceptional efforts and results with the Region 8 Operation Diabetes Award.  The operation diabetes award was awarded based on chapter reports that included events the students participated in from January 1, 2009-December 31, 2009.  In 2009, the students organized 15 events related to diabetes and screened 1257 patients for diabetes or other cardiovascular risk factors. Approximately 2500 people were reached through educational materials/public relations at these events. The Operation Diabetes co-chairs who took over leadership in June of 2009 were Brooke Busche and Virginia Morgan.

Faculty Achievements

Amy Bachyrycz, PharmD receives Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management Distinguished Achievement Award in Administrative Practice

Dr. Bachyrycz was selected in recognition of her numerous contributions to the profession of pharmacy, specifically in the areas of tobacco cessation and prescriptive authority in New Mexico.  She has worked tirelessly to educate pharmacists and student pharmacists on the value of pharmacist-provided immunizations and the role of pharmacists within the public health arena.  Dr. Bachyryz is currently shared faculty with Walgreens and the UNM COP and is an assistant professor within the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administrative Sciences.  She is also the Walgreens Patient Care Center pharmacist. This award, which recognizes the achievements of an individual who has made a significant contribution or sustained contributions to the provision of pharmaceutical care within administrative practice.

 Dean John A. Pieper Elected as APhA Fellow

A Fellow of the APhA is a member of either the Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management or the Academy of Pharmaceutical Research and Science, with a minimum of 10 years of professional experience and achievements in professional practice.  An APhA Fellow also has rendered outstanding service to the profession through activities in APhA and in other organizations.  The selection of members as APhA Fellows is made by their respective Academy.

Dean Pieper was selected by the Clinical Sciences Section of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Research and Science.  He has served at UNM as Dean of the College of Pharmacy since November 2002.  He has also served as professor and chair of the Division of Pharmacotherapy at the University of North Carolina, as associate dean for clinical programs and founding chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Colorado, and as a faculty member of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy.  He is a past president, as well as a Fellow, of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and has been a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist with added qualifications in cardiology.  In 2006, he was selected by the APhA ASP for the Outstanding Dean Award.  In 2008, he was elected Speaker of the House of Delegates of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.