Pharmacy college teams up with UHS

by Daniel J. Fitzgibbons, Chronicle staff

Joseph Pelis (center), Pharmacy manager at University Health Services, discusses a medication with clinical pharmacist Jason Cross and doctoral student Theresa Fay, who are part of a new Massachusetts College of Pharmacy externship program under development at UHS. (Stan Sherer photo)

     Starting in February, teams of students MCP's Worcester campus will begin six-week rotations at the UHS Pharmacy, gaining valuable practical experience behind the counter and in clinical settings as well as conducting research. For its part, UHS is gaining the services of a clinical pharmacist, MCP assistant professor Jason Cross, who will oversee the externship program and work with the medical staff.

     The genesis of the partnership goes back two years, when Joseph Pelis, the UHS Pharmacy manager, attended a conference in Boston where an MCP professor mentioned the school was looking for new sites to place its students for short experiential rotations.

     The idea appealed to Pelis, who had already established an informal "shadowing" program for local high school and UMass students interested in his profession.
"There's a tremendous shortage of pharmacists nationwide," says Pelis. "Whatever we can do to stimulate interest will help."

     So, with the backing of UHS director Bernette Melby and medical director Dr. Alan Calhoun, Pelis began exploring the possibilities of an affiliation with MCP's Worcester campus, which offers an accelerated, five-year doctoral program. Students in the program complete their prerequisites at other schools before enrolling, then engage in an intense, three-year course of study at MCP.

     Things began to jell earlier this year when two MCP officials visited the health center to assess the facilities and discuss the program with UHS executive staff. With the go-ahead given at both ends, Cross was assigned to setup the MCP program. After arriving on Aug. 1, Cross set about meeting with various UHS staff and departments to arrange a program for his students.
     
     According to Cross, one of the integral components of the MCP curriculum involves on-the-job experiences. For first-year students, that means shadowing pharmacists in various settings, such as retail drug stores and hospitals, where they are exposed to different aspects of the field.

     By their senior year, MCP students spend most of their time in advanced clinical rotations to gain more hands-on experience.

     "Most opportunities are community-based, like a CVS, or hospital-based," says Cross. "This is an opportunity to see college-age students and a different range of medical problems."

     When the program kicks off in February, teams of three MCP students - one first-year and two seniors - will arrive every six weeks at UHS, according to Cross. Along with assisting in dispensing medications at the pharmacy, says Pelis, the students will work with medical staff on patient profiles and advise on medications.

     Cross says the third-year students will also work with doctors in Urgent Care, helping to choose the best medicinal therapy for particular cases. The students may also pursue research on various topics, he says.

     The first-year MCP students will work with Pelis, observing the work of the Pharmacy staff.

     All the while, says Pelis, Cross will be available to share his expertise and training as a clincial pharmacist. "He'll work closely with the medical staff on problem cases," says Pelis.

     In fact, Cross is still exploring the potential for other collaborations with other UHS departments, such as Health Education and Mental Health. "I'll be spread around during the week," he says.

     He also hopes to open up more opportunities for his students. "By February, the students can spend time in each area," says Cross. "My college gets a pretty good rotation" while UHS gains some extra assistance.

     Medical director Dr. Alan Calhoun, agrees that the program has potential benefits for both partners.

     "Ideally, it will provide an educational opportunity for their students and also for our patients and medical staff," he says. "They'll be able to work with us on our projects, such as quality assurance studies" tied to professional accreditation standards.

     UHS director Melby says the presence of Cross means medical staff will "have an immediate resource who isn't busy filling prescriptions."

     Melby also expresses hope that Cross will help mainstream the pharmacy area into clinical practice.

     Cross says UHS may also prove to be a good site for various studies, including research on medications. One area he's looking at is treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) in adults. Such studies could involve students and attract external research funding, says Cross.

     Some of Cross' ideas are getting a tryout from Theresa Fay, a third-year MCP student from Palmer who started a rotation at UHS two weeks ago. Fay is helping in the Pharmacy, dispensing medications, advising patients and contacting doctors with questions about prescriptions. She's also interested in studying adult ADD.

     "It's really good," says Fay. "I have a lot of resources available to me. "

     Fay, who completed five-week rotations last year at a 24-hour CVS and Baystate Medical Center, says UHS "is a little bit of both" experiences.

     And that's what Joe Pelis was looking for, even back when he was arranging his informal shadowing programs.

     "We're an educational institution - it's exciting that a small area like our pharmacy is making a direct link to a pharmacy college," says Pelis, noting how much he enjoys sharing his profession with students. "It sort of gets you away from your normal working mode."