Plein Center News Archives - School of Pharmacy

Growing Older in the Age of AI

Aging is one of the few experiences that is both deeply personal and entirely universal.

If we are fortunate, we grow older. We notice small changes first — a little more effort getting out of a chair, a second look at a medication label, a new awareness of balance or memory. Over time, aging reshapes routines. It invites new kinds of independence and, sometimes, new kinds of support.

Most of us will also find ourselves caring for someone older — a parent, a partner, a friend. We will learn how much daily life depends on small, steady acts: a reminder, a lift, a check-in call, a quiet reassurance.

And now, woven into that everyday reality, is artificial intelligence.

AI is already drafting emails and diagnosing diseases. But its most meaningful role may not be in laboratories or corporate boardrooms. It may be in homes — helping someone live safely, stay connected, and remain independent longer than was once possible.

The question is no longer whether technology will shape aging.

It already is.

The more important question is this:
How can we ensure it does so in ways that strengthen dignity, connection, and choice?

Rethinking What “Value” Means

For Jing Li, Associate Professor of Health Economics and Associate Director of The CHOICE Institute, the word “value” sits at the center of this conversation.

“In the current era,” she explains, “the unprecedented speed at which new technology develops — including advances in AI — has prompted policymakers, researchers, providers, and end users to look for ways to leverage these technologies to maximize their value.”

But value, she emphasizes, is not just about innovation.

“Value, at its core, involves both cost and benefit.”

That balance is broader than it sounds. Benefits include not only technical breakthroughs, but practicality, scalability, sustainability, and ease of use. Economists also look at what Li calls “marginal benefit” — the real, measurable improvement beyond what we already have. Does a tool meaningfully reduce falls? Improve medication adherence? Ease caregiver stress?

Costs are layered, too. There is the price of the technology itself, but also the time required to learn it, the adjustments in workflow, and the systems needed to support it. Trust and ethics, Li notes, cut across both sides of the equation. If people feel confident and respected, value increases.

The goal is not simply to build smarter tools. It is to build tools that make life better — in ways that are tangible and lasting.

Supporting the People Who Support Us

When we talk about aging, we often focus on older adults themselves. But caregiving is part of the picture — and often an invisible one.

For Karen Eggleston, Director, Asia Health Policy Program, Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Stanford University, one of the most promising aspects of AI and robotics lies in how they can support care partners.

“One aspect that might be often overlooked,” she says, “is that AI and robotics can bring value to older adults through supporting their care partners — relieving the stress, time burden, or even the back pain of caregivers.”

That support can be transformative. A robotic lift that prevents injury. A digital platform that simplifies coordination. A monitoring tool that provides reassurance from a distance. Small improvements in caregiver burden can ripple outward — preserving energy, patience, and emotional bandwidth.

Eggleston underscores the importance of evidence to ensure these tools truly help. “For assessing value, it will be critical to gather evidence about what works in practice — including both the intended and unintended consequences.”

Done thoughtfully, technology has the potential to make care not only more efficient, but more humane.

Independence, With Support

For Shuai Huang, Professor, Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering at the University of Washington School of Engineering, the measure of success is clear.

“To define value in aging technology,” he says, “the primary metric should be how effectively a tool enhances an older adult’s quality of life, independence, and dignity — according to their own personal goals.”

That focus shifts the conversation. It reframes AI not as a replacement for human care, but as a partner.

“There’s a trade-off between a device providing ‘security’ for a clinician versus ‘surveillance’ for a senior,” Huang explains. Designing thoughtfully means ensuring safety without sacrificing autonomy.

Generative AI and digital tools are already enabling more proactive models of care. Sensors can detect subtle changes in routine. Predictive models can flag risks before they escalate. Virtual companions can supplement social engagement, especially for those aging alone.

The key, Huang believes, is inclusion. When older adults are invited into the design process — when their voices shape the tools meant to serve them — trust grows. The result is what one design participant described as an “ultimate partnership” — technology that feels made for me.

From Innovation to Real Life

In hospitals and long-term care settings, even the most promising technologies must prove themselves in the complexity of daily life.

For Oleg Zaslavsky, Director of the Digital Health Innovation Hub and Associate Professor in Aging, Biobehavioral Nursing at the University of Washington School of Nursing, value comes down to what people experience.

“Value should center on functional independence, caregiver burden, and quality of life — not just utilization or cost offsets,” he says. “True value in aging care must integrate both.”

AI now allows clinicians to detect patterns — changes in speech, movement, or behavior — that were previously invisible. That capability opens the door to earlier intervention and more personalized support.

At the same time, thoughtful implementation matters. Technology works best when it integrates smoothly into existing workflows and respects the people using it — from nurses to family members to older adults themselves.

When done well, these tools do not dominate the experience of aging. They recede into the background, quietly extending safety and support.

A Hopeful Future
If there is a through line in these conversations, it is this: technology should strengthen the experience of aging — not complicate it.

The most powerful tools may not be the flashiest or most visible. They may be the ones that quietly extend independence. The sensor that prevents a fall. The algorithm that catches a subtle health shift early. The digital platform that lightens a caregiver’s load. The interface that feels intuitive rather than intimidating.

Shuai Huang imagines a future in which AI becomes “an empowering, quiet partner — omnipresent yet never overbearing.” Success, he says, would sound like this: “I live alone, but I never feel alone or helpless.”

It is a modest vision, and that is precisely its strength.

Aging does not need to be reengineered. It needs to be supported — with tools that respect autonomy, preserve dignity, and make everyday life safer and more connected. When technology aligns with those goals, it expands choice rather than narrowing it.

The GenAI era offers extraordinary capability. The opportunity now is to apply that capability with care — designing systems that meet people where they are, that adapt to real lives, and that remain accessible beyond early adopters.

If we do that well, the future of aging will not feel futuristic at all.
It will feel steady. Supported. Human.

And perhaps most importantly, it will feel like life — continuing forward, with confidence and connection.

The IRA’s Impact on Long Term Care Pharmacy: Key Challenges and Policy Solutions

Portrait of Shiven Bhardwaj — Shiven Bhardwaj, PharmD, MAS

A new viewpoint article published in the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy examines how key provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 may unintentionally destabilize long‑term care (LTC) pharmacies—providers that serve many of the nation’s most vulnerable older adults.

The analysis, authored by PhD Candidate Shiven Bhardwaj and Associate Professor Douglas Barthold of the University of Washington School of Pharmacy’s CHOICE Institute, Weston Schmutz (Schmutz Health Solutions), and Jonathan H. Watanabe (University of California, San Francisco) evaluates how the law’s drug‑pricing reforms could create significant financial and operational challenges for pharmacies operating in LTC settings.

One of the paper’s central findings points to the projected impact of the IRA’s Maximum Fair Price (MFP) reimbursement structure. For drugs selected under the Drug Price Negotiation Program, LTC pharmacies could face an estimated 85% decline in revenue, a shift driven by reduced payments paired with already inadequate dispensing fees.

The researchers also highlight cash‑flow concerns arising from new Medicare Part D payment flows. Reimbursement timelines are expected to lengthen from roughly 14 days to 22–24 days, potentially creating liquidity shortfalls for pharmacies operating on narrow margins.

The article further notes that requirements tied to the IRA’s Monthly Prescription Payment Plan (M3P) are often incompatible with the retroactive billing processes common in long‑term care. These conflicts could increase administrative burden and introduce friction in medication access for residents.

Beyond identifying risks, the authors outline several policy recommendations designed to stabilize the LTC pharmacy sector. These include codifying refund amounts to maintain acquisition discounts, aligning reimbursement with value‑based care models, and implementing targeted adjustments to ensure continuity of care. The work was supported in part by the Plein Center for Aging.

The researchers emphasize that without policy responses, the future of LTC pharmacies and their essential functions may be jeopardized.

The full viewpoint article is available through JMCP at this link.

Five CHOICE Students Awarded Plein Center for Aging Scholarships

The Plein Center for Aging is a global leader in transformative pharmacy research, education, and outreach. Committed to optimizing medication outcomes for older adults and promoting healthy aging, the Center supports innovative work at the intersection of pharmacy and aging. This year, five CHOICE graduate students were awarded Plein Center scholarships—an opportunity designed to foster student engagement in aging-related research.

Preetika Banerjee, 2nd year PhD Student

Exploring the Relationship Between Antiviral Treatment and Antibiotic Prescribing for Respiratory Illnesses in Older Adults: A MEPS-Based Analysis

Preetika’s research focuses on the intersection of antiviral use and antibiotic prescribing in older adults with respiratory viral infections. Using nationally representative data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Preetika will examine whether early antiviral treatment, such as Paxlovid or Tamiflu, reduces the likelihood of inappropriate antibiotic use during subsequent illness episodes. This work addresses an important gap in antimicrobial stewardship by evaluating how timely antiviral therapy may help curb unnecessary antibiotic prescribing, a key driver of antimicrobial resistance. She will also investigate which patient and provider characteristics are associated with inappropriate antibiotic use, using predictors like frailty, comorbidities, and healthcare access. The goal is to generate real-world, policy-relevant evidence to inform safer, more effective prescribing practices for older adults, a population that disproportionately experiences the harms of both infection and medication overuse.

Dr. Shiven Bhardwaj

Shiven Bhardwaj, 4th year PhD Student

Assessing Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on Long Term Care Pharmacies

Passed in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) includes provisions designed to lower Medicare Part D spending and improve prescription affordability. Several of these policies indirectly affect Long-Term Care (LTC) pharmacies. Shiven will systematically examine these provisions, highlighting their intended and unintended impacts on LTC pharmacies. He will also outline measures that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have taken to mitigate potential harms, along with additional steps needed to ensure seniors continue receiving high-quality LTC pharmacy services

Julia Fox

Julia Fox, 4th Year PhD Student

Investigating Disparities in Healthcare Utilization and Outcomes for Sexual Minority Older Adults

Julia Fox will be leveraging Medicare claims data linked with data from the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) to investigate differences in rates of potentially inappropriate medications, polypharmacy, medication-related problems, and adverse drug events between sexual minority older adults and heterosexual older adults. As sexual minority older adults are less likely to have family caregivers and report higher anxiety about engaging with healthcare professionals, she aims to study if those differences impact pharmaceutical utilization and pharmacological outcomes. Results will additionally be analyzed by dementia status to determine if differences are exacerbated by the condition. She is deeply grateful to the Plein Center for supporting this important research.

Ben Nwogu

Ben Nwogu, 5th Year PhD Student

Comparative Effectiveness of Multiple Treatments for Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer (mHSPC): A Target Trial Emulation Using Claims Data

Ben Nwogu is addressing a critical gap in cancer care for older adults through his innovative research on novel therapies for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). Leveraging rich real-world data, he expertly combines the target trial emulation framework with advanced machine learning methods to evaluate survival outcomes among patients treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in combination with abiraterone, apalutamide, enzalutamide, or docetaxel. By comparing these four treatment strategies, his study addresses an important evidence gap resulting from the absence of head-to-head randomized clinical trials directly evaluating these therapies. His findings will generate robust real-world comparative effectiveness data to support evidence-based treatment decisions by clinicians and patients, while also informing clinical guidelines and policy recommendations.

Olivia Yip, 2nd Year MS Fellow

Cost-Utility Analysis of Non-Prescription Oseltamivir for Influenza Treatment

Influenza is a viral respiratory infection that causes significant morbidity and mortality in older adults. Oseltamivir, when initiated within 48 hours of symptom onset, has been shown to reduce the duration of symptoms and the risk of serious complications. However, the current requirement for a prescription can delay treatment initiation, limiting its potential benefit. With increasing availability of rapid diagnostic tests, reclassifying oseltamivir to be available without a prescription following a positive influenza test may improve timely access and utilization. To evaluate this strategy, Olivia is conducting a decision-analytic modeling assessing the cost-effectiveness of oseltamivir reclassification from both the U.S. healthcare sector and limited societal perspectives. The hope is that this work would help facilitate earlier initiation of antiviral therapy and reduce influenza-related complications, hospitalizations, and healthcare expenditures among older adults.

Julia Fox presented her work at the 2025 Plein Center Research Symposium

Beyond the Script: Addressing Ageism in the Pharmacy Workforce

Kiana Imani, PharmD-MBA Candidate

Plein Research Scholar | Mentor: Dr. Abby Winter, PharmD, MPA, CDCES

Ageism is an important issue in healthcare, often discussed in the context of patient care but less frequently examined within the healthcare workforce itself. While healthcare professionals are trained to recognize and reduce biases that affect patients, less attention is given to biases within our own professional circles. As the pharmacy workforce becomes increasingly multigenerational, the ways we perceive age, both our own and that of our colleagues, play a significant role in shaping team dynamics, hiring decisions, mentorship opportunities, and overall professional respect.

My recent research focuses on this underexplored issue of ageism among practicing pharmacists in Washington State. With an aging workforce and growing demand for age-inclusive care, it is more important than ever to reflect on how ageist attitudes, whether implicit or explicit, influence workplace culture.

As a Plein Scholar, I conducted a project titled, “Exploring Ageism in the Pharmacy Workforce Among Practicing Washington State Pharmacists” to better understand how pharmacists perceive and experience ageism in their work environments. I developed a 37-question survey informed by existing research and validated instruments. It was distributed primarily through the Washington State Pharmacy Association (WSPA), as well as through my mentor’s and my own professional networks. The survey asked participants to reflect on their experiences and perceptions using the World Health Organization’s definition of ageism: “the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel), and discrimination (how we act) toward others or oneself based on age.”

Over four months in 2024, the survey received responses from 57 pharmacists across Washington State, with an average age of 45.2 years. Most practiced in King County, with additional representation from counties including Snohomish, Spokane, Pierce, Yakima, Chelan, Clark, Kitsap, Thurston, Kittitas, and Benton. The majority (84.2%) worked full time in settings such as inpatient hospital (most common), independent community, and ambulatory care. Most had practiced between 6 and 30 years, and while most held a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree, 66.7% had not pursued additional post-graduate training such as residencies or board certifications. Respondents self-identified as 68.4% female and 31.6% male, with a racial and ethnic background consisting of 75.4% White, 19.3% Asian, 1.8% Black/African American, and 3.5% other.

Key findings include:

61.4% of respondents reported personally experiencing ageism in the workplace
73.7% had witnessed ageism directed toward colleagues
Among those who experienced ageism, 80% believed gender or ethnicity contributed
Only 28.1% admitted to holding ageist views, while 43.9% said they had not, and 28.1% were unsure, highlighting a gap between external observation and internal self-awareness

Respondents also identified top concerns:

Discrimination against older candidates during hiring (49.1%)
Negative assumptions about older employees (36.8%)
Older pharmacists being laid off, pressured to resign, or encouraged to retire (35.1%)

These findings suggest that while many pharmacists observe and experience ageism, fewer recognize it in themselves. This underscores how age-based bias shapes not only patient care, but also peer collaboration, evaluation, and mentorship.

We all carry unconscious beliefs; therefore, it’s your turn to try. Take a few minutes to self-reflect using the following:

Check Your Bias: A Quick Self-Reflection Tool

Think of a pharmacist who is 27. Now think of one who is 69.
Write down the first word that comes to mind for each.
Are the words equally positive? Do they reflect assumptions?
Now, imagine a colleague struggling with a new technology or clinical protocol. Do your assumptions differ based on whether they are younger or older?
Have you ever assumed an older pharmacist was out of touch or a younger one was not ready? Have you hesitated to ask for advice or offer mentorship because of someone’s age? What influenced that decision? Write it down!
Lastly, ask yourself: Have I ever discounted a colleague’s opinion or assumed retirement was near, without asking?

If you answered “yes” or even “maybe,” you’re not alone. Awareness is the first step to change. Bias often hides in everyday assumptions, but recognizing it allows us to create more inclusive, effective, and respectful teams.

The findings from this study lay the foundation for future work, including continuing education (CE) modules, workplace conversations, and broader efforts to ensure age diversity is embraced across all areas of pharmacy practice. Moving forward, it is important to recognize that age bias is essential for workforce retention, collaboration, and better patient outcomes.

Faculty Published in the Journal of Health Economics: Impact of Medicare Payment for Advance Care Planning

Dr. Jing Li, Associate Professor of Health Economics at the CHOICE Institute

Dr. Jing Li, Associate Professor of Health Economics at the CHOICE Institute, has led a study recently published in the Journal of Health Economics on the first national impact evaluation of Medicare payment of advance care planning.

Medicare started paying for advance care planning (ACP) in 2016, which are conversations between clinicians and patients on goals of care. The study asks the following question: what is the impact of this policy on end-of-life care and spending?

The study uses an instrumental variables design and national Medicare carrier claims to infer the causal effect of paying for ACP on care and spending near end of life, leveraging the quasi-random attribution of patients to providers during non-deferrable emergency department visits.

The key findings are (all among critically ill Medicare patients):

billed ACP services substantially increase hospice spending and care within a year;
one-year mortality increases as a result of enrolling in hospice earlier;
among decedents, in-hospice death and spending falls.

The findings suggest that ACP billing prompts earlier utilization of hospice which is potentially better aligned with patient preferences. It is also highly cost-saving among decedents. Under certain assumptions, the amount of savings per patient is estimated to be around $30,000 (compared to the $150 cost of one hour of ACP services), with total savings between $255 Million and $1.7 Billion among the study population alone.

Jennifer Bacci Named a 2024 NAM Fellow

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has selected the UW School of Pharmacy’s Jennifer Bacci, Endowed Associate Professor in Innovative Pharmacy Practice, as one of seven outstanding health professionals for the class of 2024 NAM Fellowships. The fellows were chosen based on their professional qualifications, reputations and accomplishments, and the relevance of their current field expertise to the work of the NAM and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The fellows will collaborate with eminent researchers, policy experts, and clinicians from across the country during their two-year fellowship. They will also participate in initiatives convened by the National Academies to provide nonpartisan, scientific, and evidence-based guidance to policymakers, academic leaders, health care administrators, and the public.

“I am delighted to welcome these exceptional health science scholars into the NAM Fellowship program,” said National Academy of Medicine President Victor J. Dzau. “The fellows will play an active role in our process of developing comprehensive policy solutions to provide health advice to the nation and globally, and will gain access to a network of mentors to support them throughout their careers.”

Fellows will continue in their primary academic or research posts while engaging part time over a two-year period in the National Academies’ health and science policy work. They will also work with an expert study committee or roundtable related to their professional interests, including contributing to reports or other products. A flexible research grant will be awarded to every fellow.

The overall purpose of the NAM Fellowship program is to enable talented, early-career health science scholars to participate actively in the work of the NAM and the National Academies, and to further their careers as future leaders in the field.

The National Academy of Medicine, established in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine, is an independent organization of eminent professionals from diverse fields including health and medicine; the natural, social, and behavioral sciences; and beyond. It serves alongside the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering as an adviser to the nation and the international community. Through its domestic and global initiatives, the NAM works to address critical issues in health, medicine, and related policy and inspire positive action across sectors. The NAM collaborates closely with its peer academies and other divisions within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Anirban Basu to Serve on the Advisory Council for the State of Illinois

Professor Anirban Basu, the Stergachis Family Endowed Director of the CHOICE Institute, has been appointed as a standing member to serve on the Advisory Council on Financing and Access to Sickle Cell Disease Treatment and Other High-Cost Drugs & Treatments for Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois. Professor Basu co-led the CureSickleCell Initiative’s Cost and Economic Impact Analysis Consortium for NHLBI, culminating in the economic evaluation and value-based pricing of the recently approved gene therapies in sickle cell disease.

CHOICE Institute Faculty Appointed to Washington State Prescription Drug Affordability Board

Doug Barthold Research Assistant Professor and CHOICE Faculty Fellow, Douglas Barthold, PhD was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to serve on the Washington State Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB). Authorized under Senate Bill 5532, this five-member board is tasked with analyzing data to review price and cost growth of prescription drugs and set upper limits for drugs that may lead to significant excess cost. Dr. Barthold will bring expertise in health economics and outcomes research, with specific attention to analyses of healthcare costs, and to the effectiveness of state policies that affect out-of-pocket costs for patients. This appointment synergizes well with his research agenda, which aims to use health policies to improve chronic condition management and healthy aging.

PDAB is tasked with the following duties:

Identify drugs that may be subject to an affordability review
Conduct affordability reviews on selected eligible drugs
Determine whether a prescription drug is unaffordable for Washington consumers
If a drug is found to be unaffordable, the Board may set an upper payment limit.

Learn more about the board here.

Dr. Barthold’s faculty profile.

UW Professor Anirban Basu Addresses ‘Algorithmic Discrimination’ With New Study

Seattle, WA – University of Washington Professor Anirban Basu, the Stergachis Family Endowed Director of the CHOICE Institute, has published a paper in Science Advances on a controversial topic regarding whether variables such as race and ethnicity belong in clinical prediction algorithms.

Basu said the impetus for the paper was motivated by concerns raised by several federal and state committees about “algorithmic discrimination” as an unintentional outcome of how big data technologies and structures are used and can potentially encode discrimination in automated or humanistic decisions.

“This work tries to answer to what extent can the inclusion or exclusion of race or ethnicity variables as predictors or features in developing clinical algorithms induce algorithmic discrimination,” he said.

These questions, and the framework presented in this paper for thinking about this issue, readily extend to all types of machine learning and AI algorithms, even outside health.

“Race is a social and not a biological construct,” said Basu. “This distinction matters because certain arguments against using Race in developing clinical prediction models invoke this notion of Race not being a biological feature.”

Basu noted that often researchers take a utilitarian approach that aims to maximize a (positive) outcome in the population, irrespective of who can do so, suggesting allocating resources to those with the most opportunities to generate outcomes or utilities.

“Such an approach would suggest that race/ethnicity variables should always be included in algorithms,” Basu added. “However, incorporating any notion of fairness in such predictions would likely result in a different prescription.”

For this study, Basu applied the normative Equality of Opportunity (E.O.) framework, broadly used in many other fairness contexts in social sciences and law, and especially used by the U.S. Supreme Court for several landmark rulings.

“This is the first time anyone will apply this framework to hold machine learning and other artificial intelligence algorithms to the same standard of equity and, in the process, answer whether race should be included in these algorithms under ideal and real data conditions,” he said.

Basu’s work follows two main ex ante E.O. principles: 1) inequality of outcomes is unethical if it arises due to differences in immutable circumstances. Such unethicality can be remedied by compensating individuals with disadvantaged circumstances, giving them the same opportunity to generate outcomes; and 2) inequality in outcomes arising from differential effort across individuals within each level of circumstances is not a moral bad (i.e., acceptable). Two individuals with the same circumstance should be rewarded differentially to preserve differences in their expected outcomes. The work takes these principles to evaluate algorithms and categorize them as 1) diagnostic algorithms (outcome already realized at the time point when decision-making happens using the predictions) and 2) prognostic algorithms that predict future outcomes relative to the time point of decision-making.

Basu shows that in ideal and practical settings, failure to include race corrections will propagate systemic inequities and discrimination in diagnostic models and specific prognostic models that inform decisions by invoking an ex-ante compensation principle. In contrast, including race in prognostic models that inform resource allocations following an ex-ante reward principle can compromise equal opportunities for patients from different races.

“To support these arguments, I use simulations studying how an established algorithmic discrimination metric is affected under different versions of algorithms that include race or not,” said Basu. “In these simulations, I also study issues around measurement errors in outcomes, features, and race. Each has its own set of biases, but none changes the basic conclusions of the paper, based on the E.O. approach.”

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Media Inquiries: Contact Scott Braswell at braswels@uw.edu.

UWSOP Faculty to Receive Distinguished Teaching Award

A very special congratulations to Jennifer Chang, Seohyun “Claudia” Choi, Jennie Do, Karan Dawson and Leigh Ann Mike, who will receive UW’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Teams at the 53^rd annual Awards of Excellence Ceremony next month. Each year, the awards honor outstanding alumni, faculty, staff, students and retirees who contribute to the richness and diversity of our University community. The ‘Distinguished Teaching Award for Teams’ is a new honor granted to outstanding instructional teams.

“The inspiration these faculty provide to our community is palpable, and this award is a testament to that,” said UWSOP Interim Dean and Professor, Peggy Odegard. “This team exemplifies instructional collaboration, reflective teaching practice, and an inclusive approach to learning that fosters an individual and transformative experience for each student. Their dedication to learning and student support is absolutely exemplary.”

The winners will be honored from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on June 8 at the Katharyn Alvord Gerlich Theater in Meany Hall. UW President Ana Mari Cauce and Provost Mark Richards will host a one-hour ceremony, followed by a reception with hors d’oeuvres, desserts and a chance to connect and celebrate with the UW community.

This event is free and open to the public. Please invite your colleagues, friends and family!

Complete list of award winners:

https://www.washington.edu/facultystaff/2023/05/04/the-uw-announces-2023-awards-of-excellence-recipients/

Pharmacy Team

Jennifer Chang (she/her), Clinical Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy
Claudia (Seohyun) Choi (she/her), Assistant Teaching Professor, Clinical Practice, School of Pharmacy
Karan Dawson (she/her), Clinical Associate Professor Emeritus, School of Pharmacy
Jennie Do (she/her), Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Pharmacy
Leigh Ann Mike (she/her), Clinical Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy

Barker-Haliski and Jackson Named 2023 ASPET Award Recipients

Melissa and Klarissa — Melissa Barker-Haliski (L), Klarissa Jackson (R)

Congratulations to School of Pharmacy and Plein Center Research Associate Professor Melissa Barker-Haliski and Medicinal Chemistry post-doc Klarissa Jackson, ’13, who have both been named 2023 American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) Award recipients.

Dr. Barker-Haliski has been honored with the ASPET Division for Translational and Clinical Pharmacology Early Career Award, and Dr. Jackson has received the Richard Okita Early Career Award in Drug Metabolism and Disposition.

Both awards will be presented during the ASPET 2023 Annual Meeting in St. Louis later this year. Additionally, Dr. Barker-Haliski and Dr. Jackson have been invited to each give a lecture on their work as part of the annual meeting.

The ASPET awards recognize excellence in early career scientists’ translational and clinical pharmacology research.

Read more about ASPET and the 2023 awardees here.

Four students awarded Baxter scholarships in Geriatric Pharmacy

The Plein Center is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the Baxter Student Scholarship: Amanda Bryan, Garbo Grossman, Brian Lee, and Nghi Nguyen.

Each recipient will be awarded $500 to put towards their Plein Certificate fee. Students were selected based on essay submissions outlining their vision for the future of geriatric pharmacy and motivation to pursue a career in the field. This scholarship is awarded thanks to a fund set up in honor of UWSOP Alum, Dean Baxter (‘58), by his daughter, Louise Baxter, MD, to support Geriatric Pharmacy.

Amanda Bryan

Amanda hopes that her future patients can come to her to feel seen and heard, and views the care of older adults as a mutually beneficial experience.

“The aging population in particular is a priority for me. I have a lot of respect for the older generations who have paved the way for many of us in the healthcare field. I want to give back to a population that has done so much for me and one that I believe has so much more to still teach me.”

Garbo Grossman

Garbo wishes to support older adults by focusing on their well-being and dignity, helping them feel connected to where they live in their community. She sees a great opportunity for pharmacists to bring this to fruition through advocacy for older adults.

“I want to see more pharmacists trained to comprehensively treat older people, focusing on identifying geriatric syndromes, correcting polypharmacy, and improving cognition and gait impairments.” “I’d like to see geriatric pharmacy practice consider the many factors that influence patient overall health and advocate for housing/healthcare models that support older adult care.”

Brian Lee

Brian’s desire for pursuing the Plein Certificate comes from interacting with older adult patients, and recognizing the varying levels of assistance patients need as they age.

“Added understanding for some of the changes older adults may be experiencing has made conversations with patients at my community pharmacy more rewarding. In pursuing the Plein Certificate in Geriatric Pharmacy, I hope it shows my patients that I am someone who is willing and able to assist them.”

Nghi Nguyen

Nghi is using her experiences working with older adults in various settings to bring passion to and help guide her future work.

“My personal goal as a future pharmacist is to see past the patient, behind the medications, and provide personalized, empathetic, and empowering care. I want to build trust, connect with, and advocate for all my patients.” “Compassion and personal care go a really long way.”

Plein Scholar, Michelle Nguyen, discusses her research project:

Michelle Nguyen (PharmD Candidate 2023) and Shelly Gray presented a poster (co-authored by Abby Winter, Assistant Director for Outreach for the Plein Center) at the ASCP Annual Meeting entitled “Understanding Older Peoples’ Knowledge, Perceptions, and Self-Motivated Health Behaviors Regarding Use of OTC Anticholinergic Medications: A Focus on Assisted Living Community Residents.”

Older adults make up a large proportion of over-the-counter (OTC) product consumers in the U.S. and this is expected to increase as the population continues to age. A variety of OTC medications, ranging from sleep aids and allergy relievers to combination cough and cold products, may contain medications known to produce anticholinergic side effects (e.g. diphenhydramine). Although these OTCs are easily accessible for the treatment of common ailments, they often come with important age-related safety risks. Improper use can increase the risk of unwanted side effects, falls, and even hospitalizations.

To learn more about the use of these medications in older adults, the team created a survey asking residents about different aspects of OTC anticholinergics medications including awareness or knowledge of well-established side effects or safety risks. Nguyen and Winter visited six Era Living retirement communities in the Seattle area, where Michelle presented on safe OTC medication use to encourage participation in the survey.

While all residents who completed the survey “agreed” or “strongly agreed” with statements assessing their knowledge about medication use (such as knowing when to expect symptom relief and when to stop use), most residents were either “unsure” or thought it was “unlikely” that these medications could cause constipation or memory problems. Overall, residents surveyed identified various knowledge gaps which indicated that older adults may benefit from pharmacist education about the potential drug interactions, age-related safety risks, and side effects of OTC anticholinergic medications.

Spotlight on Geriatric APPE Rotation Site: Ottersen’s Pharmaceutical Services

Ottersen’s pharmacy is a small, independent, closed-door, long-term care pharmacy on-site at Foss Home and Village, an assisted living and skilled nursing facility in the Bitter Lake neighborhood of Seattle.

Precepted primarily by Sonya Kousoum, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP, students enjoy working with the diverse geriatric population served by Ottersen’s. As Kousoum’s current PY4 student, Logan Kim explained, “the long-term care pharmacy often requires different strategies when assessing patients’ chart notes, due to its unique setting and available care options. For example, treatments may differ from first-line guideline-recommended therapy due to a patient’s preferences and wishes.”

Students at Ottersen’s are afforded a truly interprofessional experience, interacting with nurses, providers, residents, pharmacy team members, and social workers on a regular basis at Foss Home. They engage in face-to-face interactions, conversations via phone, and in written communication regularly.

A typical day for students begins with a review of patients in the building, followed by students working up any new admissions. Students also have the opportunity to visit patient rooms for things like vaccine administration, a service that grew significantly at Ottersen’s during the COVID vaccine roll-out thanks in part to the many UW School of Pharmacy learners assisting. Students and preceptors engage in regular topic discussions to orient learners to long-term care pharmacy, and prepare them for real-world pharmacy practice, discussing things like management and laws relating to this care setting, and entrepreneurship and leadership.

Ottersen’s provides students with the opportunity to engage in direct patient care in a consulting role, and they develop and provide medication therapy recommendations to providers and nurses at Foss Home. Students serve as drug information providers, answering questions from nursing staff, and they assist with insurance prior authorizations and resolution of insurance claims.

At Ottersen’s, students will learn how to contribute ideas and skills in their future practice, ultimately enhancing patient care and optimizing medication therapy.

Four students awarded Baxter scholarships in Geriatric Pharmacy

Four second-year pharmacy students have been selected to receive a Baxter Scholarship toward their fee for the Plein Certificate in Geriatric Pharmacy. The Plein Center Leadership Team was inspired by the motivation and vision of the scholarship recipients. Each scholarship winner shared compelling personal stories of experiences that inspired them to pursue a career in geriatric pharmacy. A link between all of them is a desire to strengthen relationships with – and uphold dignity and agency to – older adults.

New Geriatric Pharmacy Fund Honors the Legacy of UWSOP Alum Dean Baxter

For Louise Baxter, M.D., the roots of health care and a commitment to geriatrics truly run deep.

In 2011, Louise established the McPhee Geriatric Nursing Support Fund at the UW to honor her mother Sally, who, along with several relatives, devoted her life to a career in nursing. A few years later, Louise decided that a parallel fund to support geriatric pharmacy would be a perfect complement, so in tribute to her late father, UWSOP alum Dean Baxter ’58, she established the Dean Baxter Endowed Support Fund in Geriatric Pharmacy in 2017. The fund supports professional pharmacy students and practicing pharmacists seeking a Plein Certificate in Geriatric Pharmacy.

Plein Center Director Shelly Gray Wins ASCP Award

Congratulations to Professor and Plein Endowed Director of the Plein Center Shelly Gray, who was recently named winner of the 2021 George F. Archambault award by the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP). This is the Society’s highest honor conferred to an individual for their outstanding contributions to the profession.

“I am honored and humbled to receive the Archambault award,” she said. “My passion for improving medication outcomes in older adults has been inspired by many wonderful mentors and colleagues, especially Drs. Joe Hanlon and Joy Plein.”

As the inaugural Director of the Plein Center, Shelly oversees efforts to advance geriatric pharmacy education, research, and outreach to optimize older adults’ medication outcomes and promote healthy aging. She has expertise in pharmacoepidemiology and has published several studies evaluating the risks associated with medication use (e.g., anticholinergics, benzodiazepines) and important health outcomes, including falls, fractures, dementia, and disability. An investigator on numerous federally funded research grants, Shelly has authored over 125 peer-reviewed publications and has over 12 years of clinical experience conducting medication reviews to optimize therapy for older adults and provides instruction in the PharmD program on geriatric-related content.

Shelly will be among ASCP’s prestigious 2021 awardees honored during the Richard S. Berman Memorial Leadership Awards Reception & Red Carpet Event, scheduled to take place in San Diego, CA, in November.

New Plein Center Video Overview

A new video chronicles the Plein Center’s work and history.

The School of Pharmacy Mourns the Passing of Dr. Joy Plein

Joy (Bickmore) Plein, ’51, ’57, a beloved UW School of Pharmacy colleague, mentor and true pioneer in the field of geriatrics, passed away peacefully at Virginia Mason Medical Center on February 19, 2021. She was 97.

“For 48 years, Joy was the heart of the UW School of Pharmacy,” said SOP Professor and Dean Sean Sullivan. “Everyone who knew her felt her deep commitment to excellence in education, practice and research. She forever changed the field of pharmacy practice, and her passion has inspired generations of pharmacists and researchers.”

Joy earned both a master’s and doctoral degree at the University of Washington. In 1952, she married Dr. Elmer Plein, a professor in the School of Pharmacy, beginning a partnership that would create an entirely new field of pharmacy research and practice. One of the School’s first female faculty members, Joy was appointed to a full-time position as associate professor in 1972 and was promoted to full professor in 1974. She continued to teach nursing students fundamentals of pharmacotherapeutics until 1985.

Joy is widely credited for creating the momentum for senior-care pharmacy in Washington State at a time when there were few pharmacists who were geriatricians, and few resources to advocate for older patients. Along with Elmer, Joy developed the first course to be offered in nursing home pharmacy in 1973, which led to the establishment of the Certificate Program In Geriatric Pharmacy Practice in 1986.

The Pleins established three endowed funds to carry on their pioneering legacy in education, research and practice. In 2015, Joy was given the Pharmacy Alumni Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her exemplary service in the field of pharmacy, and in 2017 she was selected as the recipient of the UW-UWRA Distinguished Retiree Excellence award.

Joy’s dedication to geriatric pharmacy and practice, and her expertise in the field, culminated with the creation of the Plein Center for Geriatrics in 2016. Today, the Plein Center is a global leader in transformative pharmacy research, education and outreach, and has expanded the School’s role as a leader in promoting healthy aging.

“Her life-long commitment to supporting training and research in optimizing care for older adults has advanced the field of geriatrics pharmacotherapy,” said Plein Center Director Shelly Gray. “She has inspired generations of dedicated pharmacists.”

“Joy was an educator, an innovator and a pioneer, but most importantly, she was a dear friend and champion of the School and of Pharmacy,” Sullivan added. “Both professionally and personally, she embodied the best of us. We will strive to honor her kindness, passion and humanity, both in our profession, and in our daily lives.”

In memory of Joy, we have provided a link for those interested in supporting her passions and impact at the School of Pharmacy.

We’ve selected a few of the many memories of Joy that have been shared with us since her passing by the countless colleagues, mentees, and friends she impacted in her 97 years of life.

“Dr. Joy Plein had a profound and immeasurable impact on my life, both professionally and personally, as a dear mentor and friend. In addition to being an inspiration to me in all she had done to advance the field of geriatric pharmacy, Joy was continuously one of my greatest supporters and advocates. I would not be where I am today in my career if it weren’t for the incredible influence that Joy had on me. I will continuously strive to honor Joy’s legacy as a pioneer in geriatric pharmacy, as well as her kindness, passion, tenacity, and humility.”
- Laura Hart, ’14

“Beyond being a quintessential professional with an unparalleled commitment to clinical practice, and to our students, Joy was a fine human being. She was a pioneer, role model, and leader. She was kind and compassionate; generous of spirit in every sense of the word. Joy was thoughtful and caring; a loyal and true friend. Joy was a loyal Husky football fan, fun-loving and adventurous, and a great conversationalist. She was brave, cheerful and persevering in the face of adversity. She loved her family and friends dearly and touched so many of our lives with her unwaveringly cheerful spirit. We now have the privilege of carrying out her legacy. Joy lives on in each of our hearts.”
- Beth Devine, ’01

Joy was a teacher, mentor, colleague and friend to me for 43 years. In addition to me, she mentored every student, other faculty members, and our profession. I got to witness how Joy encouraged students and practicing pharmacist by pointing out opportunities such as organizations to join, conferences to attend, faculty and community projects, grants, and employment opportunities. Joy was a powerhouse of vision paired with gentle and persistent determination. Her influence, service, thoughtfulness, and love cannot be adequately captured by words. She had to be experienced.
- Karan Dawson, ’70, ’78

“During my early training with the Pleins, Joy asked me to be her teaching assistant in the pharmacotherapeutics course for nursing and dental hygienist. This stimulated an interest in teaching which was to carry through my entire career. When it came time to write my thesis, Joy and her red pencil completed my sentence fragments, joined then in succinct paragraphs and pages of somewhat literate understanding of my research work. In short she taught me how to write.”
- David Bailey, ’70

Jennifer Bacci Selected as 2021 Recipient of the Albert B. Prescott Pharmacy Leadership Award

The Pharmacy Leadership and Education Institute has named UWSOP’s Jennifer Bacci the 2021 recipient of the Albert B. Prescott Pharmacy Leadership Award. Dr. Bacci is recognized for her outstanding leadership example in the Academia-CPESN Transformation (ACT) Pharmacy Collaborative Task Force by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), as a Flip the Pharmacy coach, and as a network facilitator for Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (CPESN) Washington.

A nationally recognized researcher in implementation science and community pharmacy practice advancement, Dr. Bacci trains the next generation of pharmacists through a high level of involvement in community residency training, mentoring students in research and teaching, and leadership contributions to UW School of Pharmacy’s curricular innovation.

“Jenny has demonstrated exemplary leadership qualities as a young pharmacist passionate about advancing community pharmacy practice and training the next generation of pharmacists,” said UWSOP Dean and professor Sean D. Sullivan. “She envisions and is actively working toward a future where community pharmacists are positioned to take responsibility for the medication-related needs of the communities in which they practice and serve as an integral member of each person’s healthcare team.”

As a faculty member at the UWSOP, Dr. Bacci has been heavily involved in the PharmD curriculum redesign effort, co-chairing the Fundamentals Work Group, a group of faculty and staff across three departments. She also serves as the faculty advisor to three registered student organizations, guiding the professional development of student and future leaders of the profession outside of the classroom. She was recently appointed to the University of Washington’s Population Health Initiative by University President, Dr. Ana Mari Cauce. In this role she joins an interdisciplinary group of faculty and public health advocates representing the diverse University community to guide this effort to advance the health of people globally and in her region.

Dr. Bacci is also a respected leader of practice advancement within Washington state through her research program, which addresses the application of implementation science to advance innovative patient care models in community pharmacy practice. Her work has resulted in over 25 peer-reviewed publications at this early point in her career. But more importantly, her work has drawn the attention of community pharmacy leaders in Washington state and beyond. Dr. Bacci is regularly asked by community partners to advise and collaborate on their pharmacy practice models.

Dr. Bacci will receive her award and deliver a scholarly address during a webcast of the APhA Annual Meeting in March 2021. Details of date, time, and access will be announced later.

Zach Marcum authors a paper published in Neurology on dementia prevention

Plein Center Assistant Director, Zach Marcum, PharmD, PhD, served as co-first author on a paper published in Neurology, along with Plein Center Director, Shelly Gray, PharmD, MS, and Plein Center faculty member, Douglas Barthold, PhD, which compared different antihypertensive sub-classes in their association with incidence of dementia using data from a Dutch trial of dementia prevention. In this paper, investigators from the University of Amsterdam and the University of Washington found that users of thiazides, dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, and angiotensin-I receptor blockers had a significantly lower dementia rates compared to users of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, beta blockers, and non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers. This paper was presented at the 2020 American Geriatrics Society Annual Meeting’s Plenary Session.

Laura Hart publishes report in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society on fall-related drug risks

Plein Center postdoctoral fellow alumna, Laura Hart, PharmD, MS, along with Plein Center Director, Shelly Gray, Pharm D, MS, and Plein Center Assistant Director, Zach Marcum, PharmD, PhD, published a systematic review in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society to summarize literature on whether fall risk-increasing drug use is reduced following a fall-related healthcare episode in older adults. In this paper, they found no reduction in overall fall risk-increasing drug use following fall-related healthcare encounters, highlighting an area for improved care. This article was also featured in the Annals of Internal Medicine ACP Journal Club, indicating the clinical relevance of its findings.

Melissa Barker-Haliski publishes Alzheimer’s disease study in Neurobiology of Disease

Plein Center faculty member, Melissa Barker-Haliski, PhD, was senior author on a paper published in Neurobiology of Disease studying the relationship between Alzheimer’s disease genes and seizures in a mouse model. In this paper, investigators from the University of Washington’s Departments of Pharmacy and Neurology adapted a model of chronic seizures for aged rodents in order to uncover age-related changes in susceptibility to seizure onset and anti-seizure drug efficacy in mice with Alzheimer’s disease.

Abhi Nath co-authors paper in PNAS examining small heat shock proteins

Plein Center faculty member, Abhi Nath, PhD, was a corresponding author on a paper published in PNAS examining small heat shock proteins, which play a vital role in preventing protein aggregation that can otherwise lead to Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. In this paper, investigators from the University of Washington’s Departments of Biochemistry and Medicinal Chemistry discovered a general mechanism by which small heat shock proteins can be activated, revealing a possible avenue for therapeutic discovery.

Lena Chaitesipaseut awarded scholarship from the UWRA

Lena Chaitesipaseut, a Plein Scholar and class of 2021 PharmD-MBA student, was recently awarded a $4,000 scholarship from the UWRA. In addition to this prestigious honor, Lena has been selected to complete an APPE rotation in August at the ASCP national office in Alexandria, VA. Her focus will be on professional association leadership and education management.

Tesfahun Eshetie begins Geriatric Pharmacotherapy Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

Tesfahun Eshetie, PhD, MScClinPharm, began a 2-year fellowship with the Plein Center as of July 1, 2020. He received his PhD from the University of South Australia, School of Medical Sciences and his dissertation topic was on Medication Related Problems in People Living with Dementia. He has hit the ground running and has started several research projects, one of which is examining whether anticholinergic medications are associated with physical performance in older adults.

The Plein Center Welcomes New Assistant Director of Outreach, Abby Winter

For Abby Winter, the Plein Center’s new Assistant Director of Outreach, a passion for health care comes honestly. In addition to her mother being a retired registered nurse, the Chicago native has had a lifelong love of chemistry, which ultimately steered her into the pharmacy field. (READ MORE)

“My love of the profession has grown exponentially as I’ve learned the many possible routes a pharmacy degree can take you,” she added. “And it has been sustained by the everchanging and continued growth of the profession, along with the opportunities I’ve had to work with patients and students in varying capacities to ultimately positively impact patient care.”

Prior to accepting her new role, Abby worked for UW Medicine as a clinical pharmacist, but her passion for academia compelled her to look for opportunities to get involved with the School of Pharmacy.

“When the job of Assistant Director for Outreach for the Plein Center opened up, I knew I could thrive in this position if given the chance,” she said. “This role provides me with a great opportunity to blend my strengths of communication and empathy, my passion for patient care, and my love of meeting new people and making connections.” In her new position, Abby will be working at the eight Seattle-area Era Living Retirement Communities to continue Plein’s fruitful partnership and enhance the services provided by the UWSOP’s faculty and students. “I will work to find new and innovative ways for pharmacists to get involved at Era Living, with an ultimate focus on improving the health and quality of life of their residents,” she added. “I’ll also be working with the other leaders in the Plein Center to keep our students engaged in research and education affiliated with Era Living. Additionally, I’ll be working on preceptor training and development related to geriatric pharmacy and will contribute to teaching in the Plein Certificate in Geriatric Pharmacy, as well as other core content in the PharmD curriculum.”

Educating Our Seniors During A Pandemic

In an age of social distancing, ensuring our older adults have safe, convenient access to the medications they need is essential. In an effort to help educate seniors on best practices to consider when communicating with their providers and pharmacies, the Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy Research, Education and Outreach is developing a new series of senior-specific communications, including a new installment of UWSOP’s Pharmacy Frontline video series. “We’re exploring new methods for communicating and messaging with older adults,” said Director Shelly Gray. “The challenge in an era when we receive cascades of information from different mediums, is how do we differentiate ourselves and create visibility, and beyond that – impact? It’s essential that we message to our communities in an effective, efficient manner, and we’re excited about the opportunity video affords us.”

Chaitesipaseut awarded UWRA scholarship

Lena Chaitesipaseut, a Plein Scholar and class of 2021 PharmD-MBA student, was recently awarded a $4,000 scholarship from the UWRA. In addition to this prestigious honor, Lena has been selected to complete an APPE rotation in August at the ASCP national office in Alexandria, VA. Her focus will be on professional association leadership and education management.

Pharmacists can help solve our overmedication problem — if we let them

Imagine that your local grocery store announced they would start employing several nutritionists, each of whom had years of training to help people improve their diets and health. Excited, you go to the store to get your personalized diet plan. But when you get there, you discover that the nutritionists are all busy filling customers’ carts with food. When you ask if you can talk with a nutritionist to get advice on your diet, one of them says, “We would love to talk to you, but we’re only paid to fill carts with food, not to advise customers on what to eat.”

Marcum first pharmacist to receive prestigious Beeson Award

Zach Marcum, Bailey Faculty Fellow and Assistant Director of Research for the Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy

Zachary Marcum, PhD, PharmD was recently awarded the Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award (K76) from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and The John A. Hartford Foundation.

Notably, Zach is the first pharmacist to receive the grant, which is typically awarded to physician-investigators. This initiative is focused on clinically trained, early-stage investigators who take an active leadership role in creating transformative changes that will lead to improved health care outcomes in the field of aging and geriatrics research.

Granting the Beeson Award to a pharmacist acknowledges the important role pharmacists play on the health care team, particularly for older adults. Four out of every five people over age 65 take more than one prescription medication, making it vital to have pharmacists’ medication expertise included in their care teams.

Zach’s research looks at whether certain blood pressure medicines are protective against dementia. Mounting evidence suggests that certain antihypertensives may reduce one’s risk of dementia if taken during mid-life. This research is important as there are currently no disease-modifying treatments for dementia. Finding preventative therapies like these already-approved medications may help stave off dementia for certain patients and could offer a new preventative option for people at risk for dementia.

“In addition to the support for my research, this grant also provides many opportunities for training, particularly in methods that will be important for observational studies,” Zach shared. “How do we know if a relationship, such as lower rates of dementia in patients on a particular drug, is associated or causal? For that training, I will complete both didactic courses and mentored experiences led by experts in the field to learn more.”

Understanding the relationship between blood pressure medicines and dementia is vital for finding drugs that could be effective in delaying or reducing the effects of dementia.

We want to employ the most robust methods to ensure that our results and meaningful and impactful in people’s lives.

“We want to employ the most robust methods to ensure that our results and meaningful and impactful in people’s lives.”—Zach Marcum, Bailey Faculty Fellow and Assistant Director of Research for the Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy

Zach will use data from the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study, led by Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, which focuses on studying how cognition changes with aging and thus offers opportunities to study dementia prevention. In addition, he will work with researchers in UW’s Neuropathology department.

This 3-year, approximately $700,000 grant, will investigate the association between long-term antihypertensive use and brain health, including Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

A Tradition of Reinventing Pharmacy

UW School of Pharmacy Research Assistant Professor Ryan Hansen, PhD, PharmD — UW School of Pharmacy Assistant Professor Ryan Hansen, PhD, PharmD, and principal/Chief Technology Officer at Kelley-Ross Pharmacy.

Never doubt the profound impact that our faculty and alumni have had on health care nationwide through decades of advocacy for increased access to patient care.

“Pharmacists are the medication experts on the health care team and in the community. Thanks to our work, in addition to improved care at hospitals and clinics, busy people can just pop into their local pharmacy to get the care they need.”—Don Downing, ’75, I2P2 Endowed Clinical Associate Professor

Increasingly, deadly illnesses are becoming chronic illnesses thanks to advances in drug development and improved medical care. This change calls for increased interprofessional expertise on the health care team—which is where pharmacists come in.

The movement to increase the role of the pharmacist on the health care team began in earnest forty years ago. In 1979 Washington became one of the first states in the country to enact legislation to allow pharmacists to participate in collaborative drug therapy agreements (CDTA) with physicians. UWSOP alumnus Tim Fuller, ’69, was instrumental in the process to create these agreements.

As noted in Sean D. Sullivan’s article, “Pharmacists as health care providers” in the Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, “In addition to granting pharmacists dependent prescriptive authority, the revised Practice Act allowed for the direct administration of drugs, drug use monitoring and management, and the ability of pharmacists to order, review, and use laboratory tests to modify drug therapy.” Most importantly, these services were extended to all licensed pharmacists in the state, as long as they had a CDTA.

The 1990s saw big changes in pharmacy practice in Washington state. Recognizing that pharmacists were both underutilized and the most accessible health care providers, Jackie Gardner and Don Downing, ’75, worked together to expand what a pharmacist could do. They began with advocating for and training pharmacists to administer vaccinations—now a nationwide and growing global practice.

Don and Jackie went on from that success to develop the nation’s first pharmacist-provided emergency contraception program and the first pharmacist-initiated ongoing hormonal contraception services. In 1995, the “Every Category of Health Care Provider Law,” was passed, stating that private insurance companies could not exclude licensed providers from their networks, so long as the services provided were within the scope of their license. Initially not considered eligible under this Act, Don advocated for pharmacist inclusion. In 2013, he petitioned the Washington State Insurance Commissioner and the Attorney General to issue legal opinions that Pharmacists had to be included. He followed those supportive opinions with advocating for legislation that required insurers to compensate pharmacists for their clinical work, not just drug dispensing.

That legislation passed successfully in 2015.

The increased access to care provided by pharmacists has been supported by the alumni-supported Institute for Innovation in Pharmacy Practice (I2P2) Endowment.

Jackie Gardner | Epidemiologist & Legendary Advocate for Increased Access to Care

Jackie was co-director of the Retail Pharmacy Management Program and led the Institute for Innovation in Pharmacy Practice (I2P2)—the I2P2 fund was later named after her—in addition to being an early PORPP faculty member. She worked as a pharmacy technician, which inspired her strong advocacy for expanding pharmacy services to include immunization, contraception, and other value-added care. “Jackie changed the profession of pharmacy and the way individual pharmacists embraced patient care,” said Don Downing.

Tim Fuller, ’69 | Father Of Pharmacist Collaborative Drug Therapy

Tim was instrumental in the process to create collaborative drug therapy agreements. He began with a study of the 60 prescriptive authority protocols that were filed in the Board of Pharmacy office, showing an overwhelmingly positive response by physicians and pharmacists to pharmacists prescribing in collaboration with physicians. He worked with pharmacists to expand this practice. His book, The Handbook of Collaborative Drug Therapy, provided templates for pharmacists to use. He is the 2018 PAA Distinguished Alum.

Don Downing, ’75 | Advocate for Pharmacy and Women’s Reproductive Health

After graduating from UWSOP, Don was asked by the Puyallup Tribe to help them open up a tribal health clinic – a clinic where he remained for the next 10 years. He developed the nation’s first pharmacist-provided emergency contraception program and the first pharmacist-initiated ongoing hormonal contraception services. He also helped lead the effort in the 1990s to educate and certify pharmacists in Washington state and numerous other states to provide flu shots and other vaccines.

Jennifer Bacci | Assistant Professor & Community Pharmacy Researcher

Jennifer’s primary research interest focuses on the application of implementation science to evaluate and advance the adoption and reach of innovative patient care models in community pharmacy practice, including being co-investigator on PROJECT VACCINATE with Peggy Odegard. The team saw a 14% increase in the number of influenza, pneumococcal, herpes zoster, and pertussis vaccinations in just one year as a direct result of their work, which was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS).

To study with UWSOP’s top faculty in health economics and outcomes, medicinal chemistry, and pharmaceutics, click here for more information about our Graduate Programs in Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research and Policy, and Biomedical Regulatory Affairs.

Want to earn your PharmD professional degree at the UW? Start here to learn more.

Gray receives AGS Editor’s Choice Award for dementia research

Congratulations to Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy Director Shelly Gray who received the The American Geriatrics Society Editor’s Choice Award for her paper that showed Protein Pump Inhibitors (PPI) are not linked to higher dementia risk.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are medicines commonly prescribed to treat acid-related digestive problems, including gastroesophageal reflux disease. Up to one in five older adults said they used a PPI as of 2011, and recent studies have linked PPIs to greater risk of fractures and kidney disease. Some studies also have linked PPIs to an increased risk for dementia among older adults, though several experts have questioned whether these studies correctly measured the connection.

Research (PDF) published today in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society appears to challenge those earlier findings.

University of Washington School of Pharmacy Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy Director and Shirley & Herb Bridge Endowed Professor Shelly Gray, along with other researchers at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy and Kaiser Permanente Washington Research Institute, reviewed information from the joint UW-Kaiser Permanente Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study, which included 3,484 subjects 65 and older.

Are you interested in working with the top-rated faculty and studying pharmacy with preeminent student peers?

Click here for more information about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate or click these links to learn about the UW PharmD program or thePharmaceutical Outcomes Research and Policy Program.

Meet the Plein Certificate Preceptors: Jason Rusk, PharmD, BCGP

Plein Center Preceptor Jason Rusk, PharmD, BCGP

Jason Rusk, PharmD, BCGP, has been a UWSOP Preceptor for many years. Earlier in his career (2010-2013), he precepted UW students while working in community pharmacy at Bartell Drugs. And for the past two and a half years, he has been a Geriatrics Pharmacy Preceptor for our Plein Geriatric Certificate students. Jason works in Skilled Nursing Facilities for Providence Infusion and Pharmacy Services at Providence Mount St. Vincent in West Seattle and Providence Marianwood in Issaquah. As a consultant pharmacist, in addition to conducting chart reviews, he assists in overseeing smooth operation and communication between nursing and pharmacy.

He told us he chose to specialize in geriatric pharmacy because he could see the powerful impact pharmacists could have on the health of older adults.

“Before I even knew what they were called, I had been told about these pharmacists who had the uncanny ability to slowly whittle away at the massive cups of pills older adults took on a daily basis. The way they were described to me made them sound like superheroes.”—Jason Rusk, UWSOP Geriatric Pharmacy Preceptor

Jason added another benefit is that he has a great population to work with. He shared that he loves learning from and about all the life experience, stories, and extraordinary life events his patients have been through. “They have seen and been through things I can only yet imagine,” he said. “Hearing what they consider the truly important things when looking back on their life helps give me perspective on what I prioritize in my own life.”

Jason earned his PharmD from the University of Montana Skaggs School of Pharmacy. His career started in an independent retail pharmacy—Eastgate Drug—that was beloved in the city of Missoula, Montana. After moving to the Seattle area, he worked for Bartell Drugs as a float pharmacist, a staff pharmacist, and eventually as a pharmacy manager. After transitioning to Providence, he worked as a staff pharmacist in their long-term care pharmacy and slowly worked his way into a more clinical role, in which he now precepts our student pharmacists.

“I enjoy precepting the Plein Geriatric Certificate students because they’re always personable and great to work with—and they bring the latest knowledge with them. I love that I can hand them a chart that I may have been regularly reviewing for months, if not years, and they never fail to bring a fresh perspective. They have made some great catches while working with me.”

Some fun facts about Jason include that he worked in an autobody shop in the paint and detail departments throughout high school and college. “I would often show up to class or afternoon labs slightly dusty and smelling like paint thinner.” He drinks his coffee black and uses a Starbuck’s Verismo coffee maker at home, with the blonde roast. However, when he is at work, he generally prefers whatever coffee is freely available.

Are you interested in working with the top-rated faculty and preceptors while studying geriatric pharmacy with preeminent student peers?

Click here for more information about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate or click these links to learn about the UW PharmD program.

Meet the Plein Certificate Alumni: Grant Walker, PharmD

Grant Walker, PharmD, ’10, is a pharmacist at Mercury Pharmacy Services where he staffs the pharmacy and works as a consultant. He earned his Plein Certificate in Geriatric Pharmacy in 2010

Grant told us he chose to specialize in geriatrics because of the aging population and, “my awesome relationship with my grandparents. I like old people!”

The Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate gave him the confidence to know which medications are not beneficial in older adults, and which resources to refer to.

“What stands out about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate program was the unique opportunity it provided to attain geriatric experience while in still in pharmacy school.”—Grant Walker, PharmD, UWSOP Alumnus

Grant described earning the Plein Certificate as a great way to get fundamental therapeutics knowledge in geriatrics that he could then build on for the rest of his career. The training and education as part of the Certificate gave him insight into the world of long-term care, and helped him see how different this care setting is compared to hospital or retail pharmacy.

Outside of his work helping older adults, Grant enjoys playing golf and shared that a hidden talent of his is creative non-fiction writing. As for coffee, he likes it “strong and black, no funny business.”

Are you interested in working with the top-rated faculty and preceptors while studying geriatric pharmacy with preeminent student peers?

Click here for more information about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate or click these links to learn about the UW PharmD program.

Meet the Plein Certificate Faculty: Melissa Barker-Haliski, PhD

Melissa is a Research Assistant Professor specializing in translational epilepsy research. She develops and implements preclinical models to support the early evaluation of novel investigational pharmacotherapies for epilepsy in discrete patient populations, including elderly patients with epilepsy and those with comorbid seizures associated with aging-related neurological disorders.

Melissa completed her Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Utah. Before arriving at the UW, she was Associate Director of the Anticonvulsant Drug Development Program at the University of Utah. This program was supported by the long-standing National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Epilepsy Therapy Screening Program (ETSP) and contributed to the development of several FDA-approved therapeutics for the treatment of epilepsy, including most recently cannabidiol.

Her work with the NINDS ETSP highlighted a major disparity in preclinical epilepsy therapy development. The majority of preclinical epilepsy therapy development is conducted in young adult, neurologically-intact rodent seizure models, which do not accurately represent the entire spectrum of patients with epilepsy.

Elderly individuals represent the fastest growing patient demographic with epilepsy diagnosis, yet very few preclinical studies are conducted in appropriately-aged preclinical models to support therapy discovery and development.

“My research interests within the Plein Center aim to address this discrepancy to identify and validate preclinical models of seizure and epilepsy in aged rodents and rodents with aging-related neurological diseases to improve therapeutic options for elderly patients with epilepsy. We hope that more frequent use of aged rodent models of seizure and epilepsy for preclinical epilepsy therapy development will provide improved efficacy data, as well as greater confidence in the safety and tolerability of novel therapies for older adults with epilepsy.”—Melissa Barker-Haliski, PhD, Research Assistant Professor

Although a transplant to Seattle, Melissa grew up in Eugene, OR and attended the University of Oregon for undergrad. “I am at home in the Northwest. I honestly missed the rain while in Utah,” she said. Melissa speaks fluent French and lived in the Loire Valley in college. She loves to ski, run, hike and just be outdoors when she is not in the office; she is looking forward to teaching her daughter to ski now that Washington is home. Her preferred coffee is a nonfat latte, unless it’s the holidays, then it’s a peppermint mocha.

Are you interested in working with the top-rated faculty and preceptors while studying geriatric pharmacy with preeminent student peers?

Click here for more information about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate or click these links to learn about the UW PharmD program.

Meet the Plein Certificate Faculty: Nagham Ailabouni, PhD, Senior Fellow

Nagham Ailabouni, BPharm, PgCertPharm Res (Dist), RegPharm NZ, PhD — Nagham Ailabouni,
BPharm, PgCertPharm Res (Dist), RegPharm NZ, PhD

Nagham earned her BSPharm, Postgraduate Certificate in Research Pharmacy, and PhD at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Her dissertation focused on deprescribing in older New Zealanders.

Nagham began geriatric pharmacy as a specialty early in her career during her practice as a registered pharmacist in New Zealand. “I felt overwhelmingly drawn towards helping older adults manage their medications in a variety of settings including aged care facilities, geriatric hospital wards and community settings, which solidified my passion to conduct further research in the field of Geriatric Pharmacy,” she said. Specifically, she was interested in learning how to best promote pharmacist roles that involve optimizing medication regimens for older adults.

She has practiced as a community pharmacist and in the hospital setting. She was appointed the South Canterbury District Health Board Pharmacy Services Manager and managed a team of clinical pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, charged with delivering high quality pharmacy services to patients in the region.

“I was drawn to the postdoctoral fellowship at the Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy at UW due to its esteemed reputation. Learning from Shelly Gray and Zachary Marcum, who are pioneers in this research field, is a wonderful opportunity and I am very grateful for this special experience and all it has to offer.”—Nagham Ailabouni, PhD, Senior Fellow, UWSOP Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy Research, Education, and Outreach

Some of these roles involved being a sole charge pharmacist and others were pharmacy manager positions. She also worked as a clinical pharmacist in two hospital pharmacy departments and was appointed the South Canterbury District Health Board Pharmacy Services Manager. There, she managed a team of clinical pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, charged with delivering high quality pharmacy services to patients in the region.

As her dissertation research shows, her main research interest is deprescribing, the process of reducing or discontinuing medicines in older people. Her passion is to research methods that can help to seamlessly integrate deprescribing in clinical practice, as well as develop tools that can encourage prescribers to ‘deprescribe’ and empower older adults to consider deprescribing one or more of their medications, which they believe they may no longer need or may be causing them more harm than benefit.

Are you interested in working with the top-rated faculty and preceptors while studying geriatric pharmacy with preeminent student peers?

Click here for more information about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate or click these links to learn about the UW PharmD program.

Hart’s research shows risk in older adults with dementia taking CNS-active medications

While competing the postdoctoral fellowship in geriatric pharmacy here at the UWSOP, alumna Laura Hart, PharmD, MS, BCPS, BCGP,’14, ’17, was awarded a research grant by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Research Institute Futures Grants program. Her research focused on the impact central nervous system (CNS)-active medications have on older adults with dementia. She was particularly interested to see how these medications affect the risk of falls in this population. From that research, she published, “The Association Between Central Nervous System-Active Medication Use and Fall-Related Injury in Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Dementia,” in the journal, Pharmacotherapy.

She and her research team, which includes Plein Center Director Shelly Gray and Plein Center Assistant Director Zach Marcum, found that current use of CNS-active medications was associated with an increased risk of fall-related injury, which includes fracture, dislocation, or head injury, even at low doses.

“Our results reinforce the importance of cautious use and close monitoring of CNS-active medications in older adults with dementia. It is important for clinicians to address medication use as part of a comprehensive effort to prevent falls, carefully weighing the risks versus benefits of a given medication.”—Laura Hart, PharmD, MS’14, ’17,

CNS-active medications include antidepressants, anticholinergics, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, sedatives/hypnotics, and opioids, and are widely used in populations of older adults, including those with dementia.

The study used data from the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study, which has been following a population of Kaiser Permanente Washington patients since 1986. The database is widely regarded as providing a rich source of information for researchers to understand better the impact medications can have on older adults.

Laura sees future research opportunities in measuring the effects of CNS-active medications over time for older adult patients with dementia, as well as evaluating which specific medication classes pose greatest risk.

Are you interested in working with the top-rated faculty and preceptors while studying geriatric pharmacy with preeminent student peers?

Click here for more information about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate or click these links to learn about the UW PharmD program.

Congratulations to this year’s class of Plein Geriatric Certificate graduates!

Congratulations to our 2019 Plein Certificate Graduates! Photo: Alex Levine

We are so proud to celebrate this year’s class of Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate graduates! Everyone was recognized at a special ceremony on Friday, July 14, 2019. Congratulations to the graduates on all their hard work!

Emily Archer

Kyle Bigham

Mackenzie Bredereck

Alex Chang

Jennifer Durand

Justin Fernando

Michael Fisher

Elaine Ha

Erica Hecker

Jacqueline Huynh

Mat Jenkinson

Alaina Jewell

Kyungah Jung

Emily Kill

Veronica Kim

Michael Lin

Sean Linn

Derry McDonald

Tuan Nguyen

Tanner Pudden

Eunice Pyon

Sarah Tu

Bestis Wasef

Taylor Yasunaga

Are you interested in working with the top-rated faculty and preceptors while studying geriatric pharmacy with preeminent student peers?

Click here for more information about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate or click these links to learn about the UW PharmD program.

Celebrating our 2019 Plein Student Scholars!

Plein Center Assistant Director of Outreach Leigh Ann Mike and Plein faculty member Jennifer Wilson-Norton celebrate Plein Scholars Mackenzie Bredereck and Sean Linn

The goal of the Plein Student Scholarship is to foster student interest in geriatrics-related research. Research areas may include but are not limited to, translational research projects that move evidence-based, aging research along the continuum from laboratory findings to treatment of disease and maintenance of health and well-being of community-living older adults. We are grateful to Joy, ’51, ’56, and Elmer Plein for their support of student geriatric pharmacy research excellence through the Plein student scholar program.

“Our students are working closely with faculty and preceptors to engage in patient-centered and impactful scholarship on a wide range of topics important to the health of older adults, including osteoporosis, transitions of care, falls, marijuana use, and medication safety. We are so proud of their creativity and enthusiasm they bring to the care of older adults!”—Zach Marcum, Bailey Faculty Fellow and Plein Center Assistant Director of Research

Impact of Osteoporosis Education Among Older Adults

Michelle Lan and Thanh Nguyen

Developing Patient Education Pages for the Plein Center in Geriatrics

Tram Le

Developing Patient Education Pages for the Plein Center in Geriatrics

Quynh Tran

Identifying Potential for Pharmacist Involvement during Transitions of Care within ERA Living Communities

Mackenzie Bredereck

The Impact of Probiotics on Older Adults and Future Pharmacists’ Perception of Probiotics

Soyoung Park

Review of the Impact of Pharmacist’s Intervention in Fall Risks in Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment

Julia Yunkyung Yi

Analyzing multi-year data to improve medication-related quality outcomes

Lena Chaitesipaseut

SHAG Housing Goes Back-to-School: Pharmacist Interventions for Safer Medication Practices

Mat Jenkinson

Managing Medications During Transitions of Care, ERA Living Residents

Sean Linn

Mapping UWSOP Curriculum to the ASCP Geriatric Pharmacy Curriculum Guide

Jane Nazareno

Plein Center Assistant Director of Research Zach Marcum with Plein Scholar Sarah Tu, '19 — Plein Center Assistant Director of Research Zach Marcum with Plein Scholar Sarah Tu, ’19. Photo: Alex Levine

Marijuana for Chronic Pain in the Elderly (see story about the op-ed Sarah contributed to on this topic)

Sarah Tu

Roles of Chinese Community Pharmacists in Osteoporosis Prevention and Management through Elderly Patient Education

Yutong Yang

Student-pharmacist-led fall risk outreach event in older community-dwelling adults

Jina Yun

Click here to learn more about the Plein Certificate in Geriatric Pharmacy.

Click here learn more about the unparalleled education offered in our PharmD program.

Advice from UW pharmacists on senior use of marijuana

Marijuana use among older adults has soared in recent years despite little being known about the effectiveness and safety of the drug in people 65 and older. That’s resulted in more seniors asking health care providers about marijuana use: Is it safe? How much to use? Where to buy?

Now, a group of University of Washington professors has gone on the record to recommend ways to answer some of these questions and reduce the potential harm from marijuana use in this vulnerable population.

“Start low, go slow,” said Zach Marcum, assistant director of research for the Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy at the UW School of Pharmacy. He’s the lead author of a letter to the editor about marijuana use in older adults recently published in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy. “We discourage marijuana use, especially in the elderly. But we also acknowledge the reality that people, including seniors, are trying marijuana. If they’re going to use, use safely.”

Researchers realize that older adults are using weed, even to just try it out. If seniors are going to try marijuana, they should keep some basic safety guidelines in mind:

Buy from a reputable source and avoid buying marijuana products over the internet or on the street. Remember that even the most reputable-seeming retailers are selling an unregulated product that may or may not contain the exact amounts of the chemical compounds on the label.
Choose a product with a high CBD to THC ratio to limit the psychoactive effect. The experts recommend topical or transdermal preparation over anything that’s inhaled or eaten.
Start low and go slow. Use one-quarter to one-half of the recommended dose and monitor for potential adverse effects.

There are good reasons for older adults to worry about potential unforeseen consequences of using marijuana. Despite heavy marketing from the marijuana industry to older adults, this same group often is excluded from clinical research and trials. Changes to the body as one ages includes kidney and liver function that may alter the way the body reacts to the chemicals in weed. And little is known about how marijuana works with other medicines people might be taking.

While there’s much interest in marijuana use for a number of ailments, much more research is needed, Marcum said.

“There is still a need for quality studies regarding potential risks and benefits,” he writes in the journal.

Health care providers should ask their patients about marijuana use and employ risk reduction strategies, helping patients to make informed decisions. Pharmacists, Marcum notes, are uniquely positioned to engage older adults in these conversations as part of an overall medication management process.

Co-authors on the letter to the editor include Sarah Tu, and Dr. Lianne Hirano and Carol Crawford of UW Medicine.

Jackson Holtz

Learn more about cannabis use in older adults at out upcoming public lecture.
In Case You Missed It! Medications Update for 2019
Medication Headlines & Your Health
May 34, 2019 | 5:00 PM | Foege Auditorium, UW Seattle Campus
More information and registration online

CHOICE director Anirban Basu and collaborators receive NIH grant to study costs of dementia care

Team seeks to improve the projections of the future burden of the disease.

PORPP Dir & Prof Anirban Basu — CHOICE Institute at UWSOP Director & Professor Anirban Basu

Anirban Basu, director of the CHOICE Institute at UWSOP, and professor in the schools of Pharmacy and Public Health at the University of Washington, received more than $230,000 from the National Institutes of Health to measure the current and future costs of care for people with dementia. The research is part of a sub-grant from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dementia care has substantial economic costs, with consequences for health care systems as well as for the health and well-being of families who provide care for loved ones with dementia.

Anirban, also an adjunct professor of economics, will work with Paul Fishman and Lindsay White, a professor and postdoctoral fellow, respectively, in the Department of Health Services at the UW School of Public Health. In this study, the research team will take steps to improve the measurement of current dementia care and improve the projections of the future burden of the disease.

Researchers aim to estimate the direct and indirect costs of dementia care, including costs to caregivers, and to assess how costs vary with insurance and care providers. They also plan to develop a forecasting model to estimate the future costs of dementia care in order to inform resource allocation decisions.

The study will be conducted in collaboration with Norma Coe, associate professor of medical ethics and health policy at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, who leads the parent grant.

This research was supported by the National Institute on Aging under award number R01AG049815.

This story was written by Ashlie Chandler and shared with the permission of the UW School of Public Health.

Advance your career in patient-centered outcomes research at the University of Washington. Learn more about studying Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research and Policy at The CHOICE Institute at UWSOP.

Link to CHOICE Institute archived news

Barthold uses economics methods to improve dementia diagnosis and treatment plans across race, ethnicity, and sex

“Economists have a knack for identification strategies—using data in innovative ways to isolate the role of one specific drug and separate it from other confounders that may affect the outcome of interest,” said Doug (pictured right, with CHOICE PhD graduate student Erik Landaas).

The newest researcher in The CHOICE Institute at UWSOP, Doug Barthold is taking a couple of approaches that use data and economic modeling to find potential treatments and trends in care of people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD).

At press time, there are no known drugs that can prevent or delay the onset or progression of Alzheimer’s, so some researchers, including several at UWSOP, are examining the repurposing of existing drugs to help mitigate or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s.

Doug is looking at data on patient prescription drug use to find patterns that may suggest which drugs are protective and which may lead to dementia. “It’s important to know how drugs affect ADRD risk, both positively and negatively. Sometimes, we find protective drugs,” said Doug.

“Overall, it’s vital to understand long term effects of different drug molecules for people of different race, ethnicity, and sex. Using econometric tools and methods in large and diverse samples of data can offer clinical implications for care that can improve patient outcomes.” —Doug Barthold, Research Assistant Professor of Pharmacy and Plein Center Researcher

Similar to Zach Marcum, Doug has been researching anti-hypertensives, using Medicare claims and the Adult Changes in Thought study (ACT), which is currently administered in the Kaiser Permanente Washington health care system. The ACT data goes back to the 1970s and is useful for identifying mid-life risk factors for late life dementia.

In using the Medicare claims data, Doug partnered with a neuroscientist to examine AD risk for users of the four most popular statin molecules, by sex, race, and ethnicity. For example, he found decreased AD risk in African-American women who used simvastatin.

In addition to studying drug repurposing options, Doug’s research looks at patterns of care after dementia diagnoses, and what might affect the disease’s progression, including the management of comorbidities. By looking at diagnoses and treatment practices, he examines if there are racial disparities in the types of care that affect long term patient health. For example, patients that see a specialist for their Alzheimer’s care generally receive treatments that lead to better outcomes.

Using Medicare data, Doug is assessing various health system characteristics that might contribute to these disparities. Understanding those trends can raise awareness of the steps that health care providers, patients, and their families can take to manage the disease optimally.

Are you interested in working with the top-rated faculty and studying geriatric pharmacy with preeminent student peers?

Click here for more information about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate or click these links to learn about the UW PharmD program.

Collaboration with UWSOP results in health benefits against flu for Era Living residents

UWSOP PharmD student presents to Era Living residents

Last year’s flu season was one of the worst in nearly a decade. The people most susceptible to the flu are our most vulnerable people: infants and children, older adults, and people who are chronically ill or have suppressed immune systems.

As alarming reports about how virulent last year’s virus was, Era Living, a top-rated group of local senior living communities, turned to their trusted partners at UWSOP for solutions. Through a program of training and education, UWSOP’s initiatives meant that Era Living avoided an outbreak and stayed open for most of the flu crisis.

Era Living communities are active and have many life-long learners as residents, including retired UW faculty. UWSOP and Era Living have a partnership designed to support residents’ health and create learning opportunities for our student pharmacists, under the mentorship of our faculty. Students and faculty regularly give well-attended talks on different subjects to empower the staff and residents in their own care. Topics include what to do to prevent contagious illnesses like pneumonia, whooping cough, and more.

The team pivoted and focused in on giving talks about the important adult vaccinations including for the flu: covering the importance of the vaccination, the difference it makes when more people who can get the flu shot get it, and, that even if you get the flu, it’s milder if you’ve had the flu shot.

The talks improved the vaccination rates as the SOP team reminded staff that flu shots and other vaccinations are a covered benefit, helped them understand the health benefits not just to themselves, but to their communities, and engaged the community in a little peer pressure (for the sake of good health) by reminding other residents and their families to get their shots and how it benefits everyone, particularly those who are sick, very young or old, or immune-compromised.

Taking care of older adults calls for some cautious steps to be taken from time to time. For example, it’s not unusual in the height of flu season for independent and assisted living communities to close to outside visitors, to protect the health of residents who may be vulnerable to these illnesses.

During last year’s flu season, which was one of the worst in a long time, Era Living facilities had to close very rarely to visitors—which surprised our faculty and students. When they did some research into why the communities were healthier, they found it went back to a series of talks given by the faculty and students on the importance of vaccinations. Era Living staff are invited to the talks as well, which led to a significant improvement during the last flu season. It turned out staff were in those presentations and it led to an increase in all staff getting flu shots, who regularly come in close contact with residents. Other protocols that were taught also helped the community stay strong, such as having residents stay in their apartment if they are sick.

The audience is wider than just the people in the room—it extends to their families, too. By staying up to date on their flu shots and other vaccinations residents protect their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren when they visit.

The work of UW health providers and Era Living residents and staff shows that when people collaborate and actively learn how to improve their health, great results emerge.

Are you interested in working with the top-rated faculty and studying geriatric pharmacy with preeminent student peers?

Click here for more information about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate or click these links to learn about the UW PharmD program.

Meet our Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy Preceptors: Neris Palunas

Neris Palunas, PharmD, BCPG — Neris Palunas, PharmD, BCGP

Neris M. Palunas, PharmD, BCGP, is a Consultant Pharmacist with Consonus Pharmacy, serving people in the Seattle area. Neris consults as a clinical pharmacist to senior living communities at all levels of care. “I love teaching and have been a preceptor in all my roles as a pharmacist, specifically as a Geriatric Pharmacy Preceptor for 4 years,” she told us.

She chose to specialize in geriatric pharmacy to, “honor the wisdom of our elders, advocate and bring comfort to the lives of older adults, optimize the use of medications in geriatric practice, and collaborate with the interdisciplinary health care team at transitions of care, pain management, rehabilitation and end of life.”Her research interests are in transitions of care and palliative care.

Previously, Neris worked in Global Health/Pharmacy Service in Central America, as Director of Professional Affairs for the WSPA, and in Professional Services and Drug Information for biotech giant Immunex Corporation.

Neris is a proud Husky alumna having earned her PharmD at UWSOP. For her undergrad degree, a BS in Pharmacy from the University of Illinois at Chicago, she focused on Pharmacy Administration. Additionally, Neris has piloted an airplane, is an outstanding cook and Lithuanian dancer. She enjoys annual backpacking trips with her son Kovas and daughter Vaiva. As for her coffee, she likes extra hot, triple shot venti lattes.

Are you interested in working with the top-rated faculty and preceptors while studying geriatric pharmacy with preeminent student peers?

Click here for more information about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate or click these links to learn about the UW PharmD program.

Meet our Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy Alumni: Cara McDermott

Alumna Cara McDermott, '11, '12, '16 — Alumna Cara McDermott, ’11, ’12, ’16

Alumna Cara McDermott, PharmD, PhD, MSc, ’11, ’12, 16, is a K12 Scholar in the UW Implementation Sciences Training Program and Acting Instructor, Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, UW School of Medicine.

A three-time alumna of the UW School of Pharmacy, Cara said she chose to pursue the Plein Certificate in Geriatric Pharmacy in 2011 because she liked working with older adults and geriatric pharmacy combined her primary research interests in oncology and palliative care.

During the certificate program, “I learned a great deal about providing high-quality care as the result of working in various healthcare settings and completing research during the certificate,” she said. “My rotations in critical care, oncology and palliative care led me to my research today.”(Read more about her research project, “Care Coordination and Low-Value Care at End-of-Life Among Patients with Advanced Cancer,” here.)

The holistic approach to training Cara received during the certificate helped her think beyond the physical aspects of illness to consider social and environmental factors that may impact the health of older adults, such as insufficient caregiver support or needing access to supplemental insurance.

A little fun fact about Cara–she is originally from New Jersey and has hugged Bruce Springsteen! As for her coffee, she likes a tall triple shot skim latte.

Are you interested in working with the top-rated faculty and studying geriatric pharmacy with preeminent student peers?

Click here for more information about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate or click these links to learn about the UW PharmD program.

Meet our Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy Faculty: Leigh Ann Mike

Leigh Ann Mike, Plein Center Assistant Director for Outreach and Clinical Associate Professor

Learn the latest about the deprescribing education and outreach UWSOP faculty member Leigh Ann Mike provides to older adults and providers.

Leigh Ann Mike, PharmD, is Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy and Assistant Director for Education, Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy Research, Education and Outreach at the UW School of Pharmacy.

“I did not follow a traditional pathway to geriatrics. For many years I worked in a critical care unit in a hospital, but did not at that time consider myself a geriatrics pharmacist. One day, when I was completing a continuing education course with a focus on geriatrics, I realized that I was already incorporating the knowledge, skills, and principles of geriatric pharmacy in my everyday work. That really changed my perspective. It really brings home the fact that no matter what setting you work (with the exception of pediatrics), you are, and should think of yourself, as a geriatrics pharmacist.”–Leigh Ann Mike, Plein Center Assistant Director for Outreach and Clinical Associate Professor at UW School of Pharmacy

We asked her about her work with deprescribing and its impact on patient care. While the term deprescribing is relatively new, pharmacists, particularly those who work in geriatric pharmacy, have had this approach as part of their practice for many years. And word of the benefits of this form of patient care is starting to spread. This past summer, for example, Leigh Ann delivered a presentation at the American Diabetes Association on deprescribing for older adults with diabetes.

Additionally, Leigh Ann conducts educational sessions for audiences of older adults about deprescribing to give them some tools to advocate for themselves and encourage them to ask their prescribers about simplifying their medication regimens. “In my daily practice as a consultant pharmacist working with individual patients, I routinely and intentionally think about how to simplify each person’s medication regimen, sometimes referred to as decreasing medication burden,” Leigh Ann. Through these educational efforts, she works with nurses and older adults who regularly seek out her professional opinion and advice on how to talk to prescribers about simplifying medication regimens. As she works with more providers and older adults, she hopes these grass roots efforts will spread so more people will enjoy the beneficial impact of deprescribing on their overall health.

A fun fact about Leigh Ann is that she lived in Europe twice during her elementary school years and still retains a little bit of her German language skills. Her coffee preference to jump-start the day: dark roast, very strong, with just a touch of sugar.

Are you interested in working with the top-rated faculty and studying geriatric pharmacy with preeminent student peers?

Click here for more information about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate or click these links to learn about the UW PharmD program.

Marcum takes a multi-prong approach toward developing a dementia prevention strategy

Zach Marcum, Plein Center Assistant Director of Research and Bailey Faculty Fellow and Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Photo: Alex Levine

The prospect of developing dementia is terrifying for most people, particularly for those with family members who have had the disease. Many wonder what they can do to prevent the onset of dementia—which is where the research of the Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy has some answers.

Experts know there are healthy habits that will make a difference—exercising regularly, managing heart health, staying intellectually challenged and being connected socially, are among those habits.

Zach Marcum surveyed Kaiser Permanente Washington (KPW) members (1661 total) to learn more about their attitudes and beliefs toward health habits and what they could do to ward off the onset of dementia. Of the survey respondents, most believed that it is possible to improve brain health and reduce their risk of dementia, but one-third lacked confidence that they could take action to reduce their risk. Health habits like managing mid-life hypertension, socializing, and keeping the mind sharp with learning, new activities, and exercise make a difference.

“Dementia is not an inevitable part of the aging process. There are steps people can take right now to reduce the risk of the disease—and it’s never too late to start. We are investigating repurposing medications as a dementia prevention strategy.” —Zach Marcum, Plein Center Assistant Director of Research and Bailey Faculty Fellow and Assistant Professor of Pharmacy

Zach’s study is looking at what the experts say and what the public knows to understand what the gaps are between public and expert knowledge. By understanding the gaps, he anticipates being able to improve public health communications and care recommendations. Additionally, it’s been shown that the earlier Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD) are diagnosed, the better the outcomes are for the patient, making it important to find new ways to detect undiagnosed dementia.

Using the KPWHRI data, he looked at the historic patterns of chronic medication use in patients who are later diagnosed with dementia, prior to that diagnosis. He found that patients with sub-optimal adherence to taking anti-hypertensives were more likely to develop dementia.

Moreover, one of the most promising areas for dementia prevention is managing mid-life cardiovascular risk. One such risk factor is cholesterol. Zach is using the KPW data to examine how cholesterol levels from mid-life onward are associated with late-life dementia. He found both low and high levels of non-HDL (“bad cholesterol”) were associated with an increased risk of future dementia. “It makes sense that high levels of bad cholesterol would increase the risk of dementia,” notes Zach, “but it’s not as clear why the low levels of bad cholesterol do.”

In addition, Zach is looking at medications that might be repurposed to ward off or delay the onset of dementia. This approach aims to investigate the repurposing of blood pressure medications as a dementia prevention strategy.

“Like so many people, I’ve seen first-hand the effect Alzheimer’s disease has on patients and their family members—and that motivates me to find solutions,” said Zach.

Are you interested in working with the top-rated faculty and studying geriatric pharmacy with preeminent student peers?

Click here for more information about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate or click these links to learn about the UW PharmD program.

Plein Center students and faculty research highlighted at ASCP’s annual meeting

Plein Certificate students Julia Yunkyung and Jina Yun, pictured with Julia's ASCP poster — Plein Certificate students Julia Yunkyung and Jina Yun, pictured with Julia’s ASCP poster

Our School’s faculty and students presented two posters at the ASCP Annual Meeting, and the abstracts are in the October issue of The Consultant Pharmacist.

Julia Yunkyung, Laura Hart, and Shelly Gray presented a poster titled, “Definition of fall risk-increasing drugs in the literature: Challenges and implications.” We know falls in older adults can be extremely dangerous, resulting in serious injuries, even death. The team looked at nine studies that evaluated fall risk-increasing drugs (FRID) use in older adults with a recent fall and categorized them by subcategories, such as central nervous system (CNS)-active, cardiovascular, and other. The number of subclasses included in FRID definitions ranged considerably from 6 to 15. The authors found, “inconsistent definitions of FRIDs have implications for evaluating prevalence of FRID use and identifying or prioritizing medications to target for interventions.”

Jina Yun and Leigh Ann Mike presented a poster titled, “Student-pharmacist-led fall risk outreach event in older Korean adults: Summary of participants’ experience and satisfaction,” at the conference. Working with a community of older Korean adults, student pharmacists planned an event to screen and educate attendees on fall risks and osteoporosis. They developed a questionnaire and performed osteoporosis screening by measuring bone density at the ankle. Of those who participated, about a quarter had a fall and half had discussed fall risk with their physician prior to the event. Many of the participants were illiterate in English, Korean, or both languages. The team found that, overall attendees “had a positive experience at the student-pharmacist led event and would benefit from ongoing outreach events that identify and meet their health needs.”

Are you interested in working with the top-rated faculty and studying geriatric pharmacy with preeminent student peers?

Click here for more information about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate or click these links to learn about the UW PharmD program.

Barker-Haliski’s novel research looks at the under-studied problem of epilepsy in patients with Alzheimer’s

Melissa is a neuropharmacologist with a passion for understanding how drugs work in the body. Her research is supported by the UW Royalty Research Fund and the UWSOP Plein Fund Endowment. She and her team will present findings in December 2018 at the American Epilepsy Society meeting. Melissa works in collaboration with Suman Jayadev, associate professor of neurology at UW Medicine and the clinical core director of UW’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. — Melissa is a neuropharmacologist with a passion for understanding how drugs work in the body. Her research is supported by the UW Royalty Research Fund and the UWSOP Plein Fund Endowment. She works in collaboration with Suman Jayadev, associate professor of neurology at UW Medicine and the clinical core director of UW’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

People with Alzheimer’s disease can have up to an 87-fold increased risk of seizures. Patients with early-onset Alzheimer’s have the highest risk for seizures, but even patients with late onset Alzheimer’s disease are at high risk.

Despite the risks, little is known about how genes associated with Alzheimer’s disease may affect a person’s susceptibility to seizure across their lifespan. Even less is known about whether anticonvulsant drugs, which, historically, have been tested in young-adult animal models, are effective and well-tolerated in older populations, including those with Alzheimer’s.

Plein Center researcher Melissa Barker-Haliskihopes to answer this question using preclinical mouse models with Alzheimer’s disease-associated genetic risk factors. Melissa is a neuropharmacologist with expertise in preclinical epilepsy models for anticonvulsant drug discovery. In collaboration with neurogeneticist and UW School of Medicine’s Suman Jayadev, MD, Melissa and her team are investigating how seizures in these preclinical Alzheimer’s disease models age-dependently affect disease trajectory and cognitive outcomes, as well as how anticonvulsant drugs affect seizure control in mice with these Alzheimer’s disease-associated risk genes. Using a mouse model with a mutation in one of the most common early-onset Alzheimer’s disease-associated risk genes (presenilin 2 [PSEN2]), they see how age affects the mice’s susceptibility to seizures and whether those seizures age-dependently respond to available anticonvulsant medications.

Melissa Barker-Haliski's findings suggest that if a patient is having seizures and has an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, anticonvulsant therapies may effectively stop their seizures. — Melissa Barker-Haliski’s findings suggest that if a patient is having seizures and has an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, anticonvulsant therapies may effectively stop their seizures.

Melissa and her former undergraduate student, Megan Beckman (BS ’18), will present this research at the Investigator’s Workshop of the 2018 American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting. Megan received one of 20 highly competitive Young Investigator’s Award from the American Epilepsy Society to offset the costs to present this research work in December in New Orleans, LA. Melissa and Megan’s research shows that many of the approved anticonvulsant medications reduce seizures in aged mice that carry the PSEN2 mutation.

However, clinical studies in Alzheimer’s disease patients are still needed. This work points to the potential positive impact anticonvulsants have on seizures in adults with Alzheimer’s disease, and also may inform anticonvulsant medication usage in the general population of older adults. As older adults represent the fastest growing patient demographic with epilepsy diagnosis, preclinical and clinical studies of anticonvulsant drugs in these individuals is clearly warranted.

“An implication of our findings is that patients with Alzheimer’s disease could benefit if clinicians and neurologists examined their patients early in the disease course to determine if they are experiencing seizures.” —Melissa Barker-Haliski, Research Assistant Professor, Pharmacy

From a clinical perspective, the good news is Melissa’s preclinical research aligns with the few clinical studies demonstrating that anticonvulsant drugs often work well in older adults, which may indicate their seizures can be controlled. People with Alzheimer’s disease commonly present with seizures that are not the “grand mal” type with generalized tonic-clonic convulsions. Seizures in older adults are often focal or what’s historically called complex partial seizures—which can seem like a mild stroke or may be called a “spell”—and patients may be disoriented afterward. These seizures can be difficult to distinguish from common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, making it challenging for clinicians, patients, and their families to recognize when and if seizures occur, further delaying anticonvulsant use.

Some anticonvulsant drugs can even impair cognitive function in patients with epilepsy, so their use in people with Alzheimer’s disease is a decision clinicians, patients, and their families should weigh carefully, given their promise to help. Melissa’s work provides preclinical evidence that will inform the clinical studies of seizure control in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Her ongoing studies within the Plein center support growing recognition in the neurology community that seizures in patients with AD are a common, potentially detrimental, and often under-diagnosed component of the disease.

Are you interested in working with the top-rated faculty and studying geriatric pharmacy with preeminent student peers?

Click here for more information about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate or click these links to learn about the UW PharmD program.

UW Researchers Gray and Phelan to study the impact of deprescribing to reduce falls in older adults

UW Pharmacy’s Shelly Gray and UW Medicine’s Elizabeth Phelan are teaming up to identify ways to prevent falls in older adults. Their study, “Reducing Central Nervous System (CNS)-active Medications to Prevent Falls and Injuries in Older Adults (STOP-FALLS),” will identify medication safety improvements to reduce fall-related injuries and other adverse health outcomes.

“Falls in older adults are a significant public health issue, and many older adults are on risky medications that may cause falling because they cause side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness and impaired cognitive abilities. This study will help health care providers and patients reduce use of these risky medications, including opioids and benzodiazepines, to prevent falls. Finding ways to optimize medication use and safety in older adults is the major mission of the Plein Center.”—Shelly Gray, Director, Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy and Shirley & Herb Bridge Endowed Professor at UWSOP

Gray and Phelan received a $3M grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to study the effect of reducing the use of medications, such as benzodiazepines and opioids, on preventing falls and other unintentional injuries in older adults. These medications are prescribed for conditions such as pain, anxiety and sleep disorders. The team will study the impact that deprescribing can have on people’s safety and reducing the risk of falling, particularly given the impact multiple medications can have on a person’s physical and cognitive functioning.

Deprescribing is a process whereby the pharmacist and physician review a person’s medications to see if any medications may be causing harm or may no longer be helping the patient. Sometimes a medication that was safe when the person was younger now may pose a risk as they age because the body changes. By going through this review and making adjustments, some patients experience reduced side effects.

“There has been surprisingly little attention as yet to addressing the role of medications in falls and injuries by the practice community. We need practical, patient-centered, and health-system-relevant approaches to curtail unnecessary use of CNS-active medications, and prevent their future use, if we are to ever see sustained reductions in fall-related injury rates and avert the adverse, life-changing consequences that result when an older person is seriously injured from a fall,” —Dr. Elizabeth Phelan, geriatrician and medical director, Fall Prevention Clinic, Harborview Medical Center, and an Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine.

Dr. Elizabeth Phelan, geriatrician and medical director, Fall Prevention Clinic, Harborview Medical Center, and an Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine

Reducing fall rates is important. In just ten years, from 2007 to 2016, the death rate caused by falls for older adults has increased 30% in the U.S. If rates continue to rise, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says we can expect seven fall deaths every hour by 2030. One in five falls causes a serious injury such as broken bones or head injury and sends about three million older adults to the emergency room every year at a cost of about $50 billion dollars, most of which is shouldered by Medicare and Medicaid.

The grant is one of three funded by the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (Injury Center) that will focus on medication management of opioids and benzodiazepines to reduce falls among adults aged 65 years and older. The research will be conducted at Kaiser Permanente Washington with Dr. Karen Sherman serving as the site lead.

This award is one of three extramural research cooperative agreements funded (RFA-CE18-004) to focus on medication management of opioids and benzodiazepines to reduce falls among adults 65 and older.

Are you interested in working with the top-rated faculty and studying geriatric pharmacy with preeminent student peers?

Click here for more information about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate or click these links to learn about the UW PharmD program.

Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate alumni profiles: Laura Hart

After all their hard work, we wanted to learn more about our Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate alumni and to learn: Where are you now?

Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate alumna Laura Hart, PharmD, BCPS, is the Geriatric Pharmacy Fellow with UWSOP and is finishing up M.S. degree through Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research and Policy Program (PORPP). We met with her to learn more about her career path since graduating the PharmD program and earning the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate in June 2014.

UW Geriatric Pharmacy News: Why did you choose geriatric pharmacy?

Laura: My desire to work with older adults stemmed from my close relationship with my grandparents growing up. I volunteered as a pharmacy assistant in a long-term care pharmacy during my time as an undergraduate, which provided me insight into the vital role a pharmacist can play in optimizing medication use and improving health outcomes for this vulnerable patient population with complex needs.

UWGPN: How has the Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate changed/improved your career/research?

Laura: The Certificate provided me a strong clinical foundation in geriatrics and strengthened my desire and ability to specialize in geriatrics as I moved forward into my postgraduate training. Additionally, during my time as a Certificate student, I earned elective credits by engaging in geriatric pharmacy research. Getting this initial exposure to geriatric pharmacy research during my PharmD training inspired me to continue pursuing research in geriatrics through my career in addition to providing patient care to older adults. My current research interests in the realm of geriatrics are pharmacoepidemiology, falls, dementia, transitions of care, and models of clinical pharmacy services for older adults.

UWGPN: What stands out for you as you think back on the Certificate?

Laura: During my time as a Certificate student, some of the geriatrics faculty members became mentors to me, and they have remained my mentors to this day. I am very grateful to have had their unwavering support and guidance; they have played a tremendous role in shaping my professional development and allowing me to get to where I am today. In addition, one of my favorite parts of the certificate program was my APPE rotation at the Hearthstone.

UWGPN: What are one or two fun facts about you?

Laura: Music has always been a passion of mine. Growing up I learned to play piano, violin, and viola, and I am currently learning to play the ukulele. One of my favorite parts of living in Seattle is the abundance of amazing live music. I am a third generation Husky Pharmacist. My mother graduated from the UW School of Pharmacy in 1983, and my grandfather in 1951.

UWGPN: Given UW’s Seattle home, we are curious how you like your coffee?

Laura: I like my coffee iced.

Are you interested in working with the top-rated faculty and studying pharmacy with preeminent student peers?

Click here for more information about the Plein Geriatric Pharmacy Certificate or click these links to learn about the UW PharmD program or the Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research and Policy Program.