Pharmacy Students, Faculty Attend ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting to Present, Network

In December, 22 students and several faculty from the Wegmans School of Pharmacy attended the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Meeting in Las Vegas.

Students presented 15 posters at the conference. P4 students Laura Witt and Sam DeWitt represented Fisher at the Patient Counseling Competition, competing against more than 100 schools from across the country.

Witt reflected on the size of the event, grateful for the opportunity to network with so many peers and professionals throughout the week.

“Each interaction I had reminded me that I am in the field I am meant to be in, and I feel more motivated than ever to pursue residency to expand my knowledge and grow even further as a professional,” she said.

Her poster, “Optimizing Adjuvant Combinations to Potentiate a Microparticulate Breast Cancer Vaccine,” summarizes the results of her research experience with Dr. Lipika Chablani, professor in the School of Pharmacy. For Witt, attending the meeting also helped solidify her decision to pursue a PGY1 residency.

“I am so pleased with each of the interactions I had with the residency program directors and residents that I spoke with during the residency showcase, and I have more clarity on which programs would suit me best,” she said.

Corey Plakosh, another P4 student, presented “Evaluating Vancomycin Monitoring Strategies: A Retrospective Analysis of Trough Versus Area-Under-The-Curve Approaches,” a project he completed as a long-term student for Highland Hospital alongside his preceptors Alexandra Mancuso and Heather Daly.

“The project retrospectively compared the hospital’s previous trough-based vancomycin monitoring to its current area-under-the-curve-based monitoring. This particular drug is dosed and monitored by pharmacists, so this project allowed me to see how our interventions benefit patient outcomes. Furthermore, I was able to compare monitoring parameters to find out how they impact patients and hospital resources. I hope my colleagues see this and continue to remind themselves how beneficial a pharmacist is on the health outcomes of the patients we serve,” he said.

DeWitt said that attending the conference allowed him to see the many opportunities available in the pharmacy field and helped him to better understand the level of innovation and collaboration that currently defines the pharmacy profession.

“I was able to engage with residents and preceptors, reinforcing my desire to pursue future training and the type of pharmacist I aspire to be. I also got to learn more about the pharmacy profession and the wide range of career paths it offers,” he said.

His research, “Evaluating the Use of a Pharmacist Distribution List and Educational Needs Across Pharmacy Departments within a Health-System,” was a quality improvement project at the University of Rochester Medical Center that evaluated current educational opportunities for pharmacy staff and explored ways to enhance how this content is delivered. “I hoped to highlight that while many staff members are satisfied with the existing model, there are meaningful opportunities to strengthen and modernize our approach to continuing education.”

For DeWitt, the most valuable session was the ASHP Clinical Skills Competition.

“It was not only an excellent opportunity to test our clinical knowledge alongside students from hundreds of pharmacy programs, but it also allowed me to connect with peers from across the country. The experience also fostered meaningful connections; one of the students I met there came to my poster presentation,” he said.

Drs. Christine Birnie and Keith DelMonte also hosted a pharmacy alumni event at the conference, with 40 alumni, preceptors, and students in attendance.

Other student poster presentations, co-authored by faculty, preceptors, and fellow students, included:

• “Blood Pressure Measurement Training for Pharmacy Students,” by Marwa Said, with co-authors Adam Freeman, Dr. Shawn E. Fellows, Dr. Juliette A. Miller
• “One Week, One Mission: Evaluating Pharmacist-Driven Antibiotic Prescribing in El Salvador,” by Yaritza Markezich, with co-author: Sabrina Wight, Mohamadia Nassar, Dr. Nicole Dellelo, Dr. Christine Birnie
• “Effectiveness of Medication Interventions to Prevent Suicide in the Department of Veterans Affairs: A Scoping Review,” by Emily Parsons with co-authors Jeff Cullen, Dr. Jill Lavigne
• “Pharmacist-Driven Framework for Evaluating Emerging and Repurposed Therapies in Rare Oncology Using a Scoping Review Approach: A Desmoid Tumor Case Example,” by Colleen Maclay
• “Flag to Action: A Unified Pharmacy–Behavioral Health 7-Day Sprint—Suicide Risk Management Strategy for Integrated Health Systems,” by Isjan Cortes Castro with co-authors Mariela Cruz Nazario, Dr. Jill Lavigne, and Natalia Acosta Nazario
• “Clearing the Way; Simplifying Creatinine Clearance Calculations for Renal Dose Adjustments －A Retrospective Analysis,” by Angelina Smith with co-author Dr. Christopher Miller
• “Public Perceptions of GLP-1 Weight-Loss Medications on Instagram Compared to Clinical Evidence,” by Arub Abedrabbaa with co-author Dr. Akesha Edwards
• “Off-Label Riluzole Use in Spinal Cord Injury: A Retrospective Chart Review,” by Emma Dabill with co-author Dr. Kelly Guerin
• “Algorithmic overreach: A case series of misinterpretation of polymerase chain reaction guided personalized antibiograms in urinary tract infections,” by Tanner Orfanides with co-authors Dr. Lisa Avery and Dr. Julia Kufel
• “Crushability Assessment of Immediate-Release Oral Tablets and Capsules Approved by the FDA in 2024,” Christina Tzikas with co-authors Dr. Kamaladdin Saei, Dr. Anne Schweighardt, and Dr. Fang Zhao
• “Interventions for Managing Suicide Risk in Active Duty Military Service Members,” by Julia Pilk with co-authors Jaclyn Doucette and Dr. Jill Lavigne
• “Pharmacy-Led Implementation of Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) in Transitions of Care: A Pilot Program,” by Mackenzie Bermingham with co-authors Dr. Kelsey Gregoire and Dr. Gurjot Sandhu