News & Media

Amidst a national reckoning that the time for change is long overdue, pharmacy schools are taking concrete steps to contend with the role that systemic racism plays in health disparities.

Pharmacy schools are putting action behind commitments to diversity and inclusion to serve and support communities.

In early June, AACP issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to foster an inclusive community, with diversity of thought, background, perspective and experience. Later that month, AACP joined with several national pharmacy organizations in taking a stand and vowing action against racial injustice, and updated that statement in mid-October with collective actions that all co-signing organizations have taken to-date.

One overall winner and four honorable mentions recognized for interprofessional education in health sciences

Contact: Maureen Thielemans, 703-739-2330 ext ...

14 national pharmacy organizations released a joint statement recognizing the critical issues we are facing with the presence of two national pandemics, COVID-19 and racism and discrimination. Unfortunately, both issues persist – COVID-19 has resulted in high death rates that disproportionately affect people of color; and the persistence of systemic racism and discrimination continues to contribute to racial and health inequities.

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) expresses serious concerns with the Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping released on September 22, 2020, and the Office of Management and Budget memorandum that, together, limit diversity, racism, and sexism training for federal employees, contractors and grantees.

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

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

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

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

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

The recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and too many others have ignited strong emotions and continue to shed a glaring light on the day-to-day experiences of Black Americans. Sadly, racism and discrimination are a thread that has been woven into the fabric of this country for far too long.