September 2022

Welcome to the next edition of the Buffalo Pharmacy Bulletin (BPB) where we will continue to explore and discuss social issues in health care and how we as academicians, practitioners and scientists can lead and support these issues. The BPB will also keep you updated on the latest school news, highlighting the outstanding work of our UB SPPS community.

“The best way to ensure we can support and mentor our future pharmacists and research scientists is to make sure we are reviewing and discussing what is currently happening in the dynamic and ever-changing world we live in.”

On May 14 of this year, Buffalo experienced a truly horrendous act of mass violence when 10 Black people were killed at the Tops Friendly Markets on Jefferson Avenue. The fear, sadness, and anger we all felt in the aftermath of that attack will linger far into the future.

We are not the only community, of course, to experience this. According to the Gun Violence Archive, since May 14 an astonishing 283 mass shooting incidents have been reported, claiming the lives of 278 Americans and injuring an additional 1,194. Through September 12, there have been 481 mass shootings in the United States, accounting for 479 deaths and 2,034 additional wounded.

What does this have to do with academic pharmacy? Quite simply, pharmacists, especially those who practice in a community setting, are the most accessible members of the health care team; the pharmacy profession therefore has a special role to play in helping their communities to address some of the outcomes of interpersonal and community violence. We often think of pharmacists simply in terms of their role in managing pharmaceutical aspects of patient care. However, in many areas a pharmacist continues to be not only a provider of care, but a trusted advisor and an important part of the fabric binding the community. There is nothing that stresses that fabric more than an incident of mass violence, especially one that targets children or a specific racial, ethnic or religious group.

Provision of patient care is important, to be sure, and is the defining characteristic of a pharmacist. However, those of us entrusted with preparing future practitioners have a special obligation to ensure that student pharmacists understand the full depth of their future roles and are sensitive to the cultural and societal issues that surround the level of violence we are observing today. We all need to face this issue head on and, as in so many other things, pharmacy can have a vital role in leading the way.

Gary M. Pollack, PhD '84
Dean and Professor

Donald E. Mager appointed Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Donald E. Mager, PharmD, PhD was appointed Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, effective July 11, 2022.

UB receives nearly $13 million from NIH to improve the quality of HIV research around the world
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $12.8 million to the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences to lead a clinical pharmacology quality assurance program for NIH-funded laboratories and research networks across the globe conducting HIV and infectious disease research.

Christina Cheng, PharmD'24, appointed to ACCP National Student Network Advisory Committee
Christina Cheng, PharmD’24, was appointed Member-at-Large for the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) National Student Network Advisory Committee for 2022-2023.

Thomas Nguyen, PharmD/MS'24, invited presenter at 2022 American Transplant Congress
Thomas Nguyen, PharmD/MS ‘24 was an invited presenter at the 2022 American Transplant Congress for both a Rapid-Fire verbal presentation and What’s Hot, What’s New in Clinical Sciences Section presentation. 

Thank you for reading our September 2022 edition of the Buffalo Pharmacy Bulletin. Please stay in touch! Send us updates on your own personal and professional accomplishments by filling out our alumni update form. 

Regards,
Gary Pollack, PhD '84
Dean and Professor