The year 2020 is one like none other we have experienced. A global pandemic dawned early in the year and brought its full force to the United States in February and March. Forced shutdowns, except for “essential services” that included the work of pharmacists on the frontlines, shuttered businesses and imposed economic hardship on individuals and commerce.

The Jie Du Center for Innovation and Excellence for Drug Development will promote innovation through education, training and mentorship. Pharmaceutical entrepreneur and University of the Pacific alumna Dr. Jie Du has donated $5 million to found the Jie Du Center for Innovation and Excellence for Drug Development at the university’s Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy in Stockton.

Pharmacy schools can help address the nation’s obesity crisis by incorporating competencies into the curriculum. Despite public health efforts at all levels of government, obesity continues to be a serious issue in the United States. Defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher, obesity has been linked to numerous chronic health conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity affected 42.4 percent of U.S. adults in 2017–18.

While scientists frequently study and map out future healthcare models for pharmacists and physicians, something is often missing for years: delivering clinical care.

The Award for Excellence in Assessment will require the submission of a Letter of Intent which describes the project.  After review, applicants may be invited to proceed to a full submission.

The Pharmacy Workforce Center, a nonprofit corporation comprised of nine national pharmacy professional organizations, announced the release of the Pharmacy Demand Report (PDR), a new tool that provides an enhanced measurement of pharmacist demand in the United States by utilizing artificial intelligence technology to analyze hundreds of millions of publicly available online job postings.