Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy has been named as the recipient of the 2017 Lawrence C. Weaver Transformative Community Service Award by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). This accolade is presented annually to one college or school of pharmacy demonstrating a major institutional commitment to addressing unmet community needs through education, practice, and research.
The College of Pharmacy has demonstrated a commitment to improving the health and wellness of our communities, while providing exceptional educational experiences to students since its inception in 1885. Areas of priority for the college include 1) serving vulnerable populations through FQHCs, charitable pharmacies, and free clinics 2) curriculum-based engagement, 3) public education through programs such as Generation Rx, a program to improve safe medication practices, and 4) global pharmacy advancement to impact global populations through programming at home and abroad.
Jennifer Rodis, PharmD, assistant dean for outreach and engagement at the College of Pharmacy, has headed outreach endeavors since 2013.
“We are extremely excited to be recognized for our commitment to improving the health and wellness of people everywhere,” said Rodis. “From local to global, we strive to balance the needs of community health with research and student education to provide a win-win environment for all stakeholders.”
Last year alone at the college:
- Students provided 9,551 in volunteer service hours, at 130 separate locations that served 37,715 patients
- Outreach and Engagement activities received over $571,000 in funding
- 33 Posters, Publications, and Presentations were tied directly to Outreach and Engagement activities
Representatives from the College of Pharmacy will be presented with the award at the AACP Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN, in July 2017.
The mission of The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy Office of Outreach and Engagement is to empower the profession and the public to improve medication use and promote knowledge, health, and well-being.
Learn more at http://pharmacy.osu.edu/outreach/outreach.