Hello UCSOP Community!

It has been a great start of the Spring 2020 semester! 

On January 20, UC Enlightened Living Day marked a historic event for our University! This was a time for our community to reflect, grow, and celebrate diversity. In conjunction with these events, we kicked off the Script Your Future Medication Adherence Challenge. We are eager to continue to educate the public on medication adherence and the impact it has on health.

 Please also be reminded that the West Virginia legislative session has begun, and hundreds of bills are being introduced to our state's legislature. Several issues are expected to be important to healthcare and will likely impact future pharmacists.  Our students and faculty will be engaged in advocacy by taking part in Pharmacists' Day at the Legislature on February 24 and speaking with lawmakers to impact change for the future of our profession. Our own Mr. Dave Bowyer is a WV Board of Pharmacy member and he, along with several of our faculty, will be diligently working to improve the WV Pharmacy Practice Act, so that pharmacists can practice to the highest level of their training in West Virginia. 

We are proud that Chronicle of Higher Education named UC as the seventh fastest-growing private college; UCSOP’s enrollment is also looking positive. I am pleased to let you know that our enrollment data is up from the past couple years. There is a lot of interest in our program and many more applications are in progress. Compared to this time last year, we have a higher number of students deposited and more are in the process of interviewing and making new connections. I would like to thank Dr. Michelle Knight, our students, staff, and faculty for your continuous efforts in this regard. 

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Tamer Fandy for becoming the Sub Track Chair for the new Discovery & Basic Research Track for the 2020 PharmSci 360 Scientific Programming Committee of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS). This gives the SOP national as well as international recognition. Congrartulations Dr. Rashrash for publishing his research in two high impact journals,  Innovations in Pharmacy  and  Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice.  Congratulations to Dr. Leffler who started a new rotation site at inpatient psychiatry! This is great opportunity for our student pharmacists to get first-hand experience in psychiatry practice. I would like to commend Mrs. Jane Condee for winning the UC*IC Competition with the project “Get well at UC”- Health and Wellness Plans for All UC Employees. Lastly, I would like to applaud Dr. Tamer Fandy and Dr. Aymen Shatnawi for the publication of their cancer research in  Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry  journal.  

Scripts Magazine is now available via electronic copy. Thanks to Mrs. Carly Williams and all of you for your invaluable contributions in completing this very important task to put UCSOP on a national platform once again. 

"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success."

- Henry Ford

Let us work together as a unified, collaborative team to achieve the ultimate success that we have set for ourselves.

All the best, 

Md Omar Faruk Khan , BPharm, MPharm, MBA, PhD

Interim Dean

On January 20, the UCSOP kicked off the Script Your Future Medication Adhearance Challenge activities in collaboration with UC Enlightened Living Day. Our team provided education and an interactive game of Kahoot to quiz their knowledge on medication adherence. Audrey Hayhurst (P3) and Dyllan Lewis (P1) were our student participants.

On Friday, January 24, Ms. Jamie Bero appeared on the "Highlights from the Heart of Our Community" show informing its viewers about medication adherence, its importance, and where they can learn more about this initiative.

Pictured above: Ms. Jamie Bero and Mr. Jim Strawn (Show host)

Dr. Faruk Khan, interim dean, was recently accepted into the Federal Bureau of Investigation Charleston Resident Agency Citizens Academy. Dr. Khan was one of 25 prominent leaders in the community invited to this program. The FBI Citizen Academy allows these leaders to get an inside look into the FBI. The FBI hopes to foster a greater understanding of its role in the community through informative presentations and frank discussions. This is also an opportunity for the FBI to better understand our community and to equip our leaders with skills to be advocates for the FBI.

The Volume 12 Edition of Scripts is now available via electronic copy. The cover features Alejandra Albino Ramirez (P1) and Anthony Carfagna. (P1). Some highlights include faculty research and certifications, alumni updates, and a section to learn more about the new leadership here at the SOP. Click the photo to read now!

Mrs. Jane Condee along with her co-chair, Ms. Nicky Bell (SHS) were named the winners of the University of Charleston Innovation Competition UC*IC with their project "Get Well at UC"- Health and Wellness Plans for All UC Employees. Their project was selected from fourteen entries that were submitted by 26 faculty and staff members. As part of this initiative, several UC employees attended an Orange Theory Fitness class on January 24. The interprofessional event included SOP and UC Physician Assistant program employees.

SOP Participants included: Mrs. Jane Condee, Dr. Michelle Knight, Mrs. Carly Williams, and Ms. Jamie Bero

Dr. Rashrash was recently published in the Journal of Pharma-ceutical Policy and Practice with an article titled, Herbal Medicines: A Cross Sectional Study to Evaluate the Prevalence of Predictors of Use Among Jordanian Adults. The study focuses on the understanding and identifying the factors that result in herbal medicine use to construct herbal medicine policies and education programs.

Dr. Rashrash was also published in the Innovations in Pharmacy Journal with his research titled, "Anemia and Dietary Behaviors Among Young Adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study focuses on the prevalence of the disease and identifies risk factors for anemia in men and woman between the ages of 18-28. The research found that females are at higher risk for developing anemia due to various factors encountered by the female gender.

Pictured: (Top) Dr. Fandy (Bottom) Dr. Shatnawi

Drs. Fandy and Shatnawi recently published research in the Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry journal entitled Identification of the Inhibitor of Growth Protein 4 (ING4) as a Potential Target in Prostate Cancer Therapy.

Dr. Tamer Fandy was selected as Sub-Track Chair of the new Discovery & Basic Research Track for the 2020 American Association of Pharmeceutical Scientists PharmSci 360 Scientific Programming Committee. PharmSci 360 is an annual meeting sponsored by AAPS. This year the meeting will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 25-28.

Learn more about  AAPS PharmSci 360

The University of Charleston School of Pharmacy invites all alumni to attend the 2020 Alumni Reception on June 26 and June 27.

June 26, 4:30-7:30 P.M. 

Recovery Sports Grill

600 Virginia Street East

Charleston, WV 25301 

After the reception, alumni have the option to take a short walk to Haddad Riverfront Park to enjoy live music as part of Charleston’s Live on the Levee series. 

June 27, 2-5 P.M . 

Wine & Jazz Festival 

Reception in the School of Pharmacy building 

Class photos will be taken. Five and ten-year reunion lapel pins will be provided to members of the Class of 2015 and 2010.