School of Pharmacy Wins National Award for the 9th Time

The University of Charleston School of Pharmacy has been named the Interprofessional Award winner for the 2023 Script Your Future Medication Adherence Team Challenge. This is the ninth time that UC has won an award from the competition.

“Winning the Script Your Future Interprofessional Team Event Award is a testament to the unwavering dedication, excellence, and innovation that defines UC SOP,” stated Dr. Kristy Lucas, Dean of the UC School of Pharmacy. “Only five of these awards are given each year, and our receiving national recognition nine different times is a testament to the consistently positive impact we are making, and it inspires us to continue our mission of enhancing healthcare through interprofessional collaboration.”

The annual competition is held by the National Consumers League (NCL) and its partners. The goal of the competition is to engage health profession students and faculty across the nation to develop creative initiatives to raise public awareness about the importance of medication adherence in improving health outcomes and reducing total healthcare costs.

It is sponsored by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation, the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).

For the challenge, the UC School of Pharmacy took interprofessional collaboration in an unexpected direction, working with UC political science and public health students during the West Virginia Rural Health Day and WVA Pharmacy Day at the West Virginia Capitol events to support pharmacy students present to legislators and state leaders.

Pharmacy students also worked with the UC Nursing Program, Athletic Trainers, and Exercise Science undergraduate students, along with others who could share their knowledge during various community outreach events.

The team also collaborated with community partners including the WV Pharmacists Association, WV Rural Health Association, WV Collegiate Recovery Network, American Foundation for Suicide Awareness, the American Heart Association, Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, and local and state representatives.

“Our achievement highlights the dedicated efforts of our students, faculty, and staff, who worked tirelessly to enhance the well-being of our community,” continued Lucas. “It serves as a reminder of the profound difference we can make when we come together as professional teams to address healthcare challenges. This recognition is not only a cause for celebration but also a reminder to continue striving for excellence and delivering outstanding care to those who depend on us. It is truly gratifying for our program to receive acknowledgment for the significant impact we make and the hard work we invest in transforming lives in our community.”

According to Sally Greenberg, NCL Chief Executive Officer, the Script Your Future campaign has supported close to 2,000 community health events, engaged over 60,000 healthcare providers, and reached 27.5 million consumers and counting since its launch in 2011.

For more information on the National Consumers League and the Script Your Future campaign, visit https://scriptyourfuture.org/about/