Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Commons^™

Dispensing Discovery: A Summer Camp Approach To Pharmacy Recruitment., Mary Wines-Samuelson, Gabriela Cipriano, Ankit Rochani, Ramil Sapinoro, Juliette Miller, Kaylee Schelah, Jill C. Hardy, Christine R. Birnie Phd

Fisher Showcase 2026

No abstract provided.

Innovations In Pharmacy Resident Research To Streamline Preceptor Workload And Improve Publication Rates, Kathryn A. Connor, Nicole M. Acquisto, Jennifer Iuppa Melaragno, Samantha C. Heacock, Stephen Rappaport

Fisher Showcase 2026

Organization: Nine-hospital health system (includes 886-bed academic medical center, 261-bed academic community hospital, 12 outpatient pharmacies, specialty pharmacy program); pharmacy residency program spans 2 hospitals.

Residency Programs: Currently, 5 PGY1 Pharmacy (3 academic medical center, 2 community teaching hospital), 2 PGY1 community-based pharmacy and 7 PGY2 programs in ambulatory care, critical care, emergency medicine, infectious diseases, oncology, pediatrics, and specialty pharmacy administration and leadership.

Pharmacy Research Committee (PRC): Comprised of ~10 clinical pharmacists and local pharmacy school faculty members including 2 co-chairs, research administrative pharmacist, biostatistician, and clinical informatics pharmacist experienced in research methods who meet monthly and otherwise communicate …

Development And Pilot Implementation Of A Generative Ai-Powered Virtual Learning Assistant (Vla) In First-Year Pharm.D. Courses, Vivek S. Dave, Ankit Rochani, Priyanka Bhatt

Fisher Showcase 2026

To develop and implement a generative AI-powered Virtual Learning Assistant (VLA) within foundational Pharm.D. pharmaceutics courses (Pharmaceutics I & II).

[Pdf] From Usf.Edu Nanoparticles And Nanogel Drug Compositions For Treatment Of Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Vijaykumar Bhadabhai Sutariya, Priyanka Bhatt, Vipul B. Amin, Srinivas M. Tipparaju

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Disclosed are nanoparticles and nanogel drug compositions and the use thereof for treating age-related macular degeneration.

A Three-Year Utilization Analysis Of Branded Second-Generation Antipsychotics At A Regional Health Plan, Kamaladdin Saei, Eddie Miljkovic, Hailey Button

Doctoral External Publications

In the last 30 years,13 new antipsychotic entities have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Today, the majority of those are available generically.

Caplyta (lumateperone), Fanapt (Iloperidone), Rexulti (brexpiprazole), Vraylar (cariprazine), and the most recently approved, Lybalvi (olanzapine/samidorphan), continue to be available only as brand name products.

The cost of antipsychotics in 2023 was $18.04 billion USD.

It is anticipated that this market will continue to increase at about eight percent annually, reaching $37.40 billion by 2032

Brushing Up On Antibiotic Stewardship: Pharmacy Students Survey And Educate Dentists On Antibiotic Prescribing Guidelines And Practices, Niyaz Pordel, Kamaladdin Saei, Feifei Jia, Kaitlin Meyer, Lisa M. Avery

Doctoral External Publications

To evaluate dentists’ knowledge of ABX stewardship tools and to determine the likelihood of incorporating various antibiotic stewardship principles into practice after receiving a pharmacy school generated newsletter.

Crushability Analysis Of Immediate-Release Oral Tablets And Capsules Among Novel Fda Approvals In 2023, Kamaladdin Saei, Anne Schweighardt, Fang Zhao

Doctoral External Publications

Many newly approved immediate-release (IR) solid oral drugs are accompanied by broad "do-not-crush" warnings, often without specific explanations. Building on our recent publication of crushability analysis of novel drugs approved between 2020 and 2022, this research extends the assessment to the approvals of 2023. Our goal is to provide healthcare providers with timely recommendations for the safe manipulation of immediate-release tablets and capsules for patients who cannot swallow them whole.

Supplementary Data For "Crushability Analysis Of Immediate-Release Oral Tablets And Capsules Approved By Fda In 2020-2024, Christina Tzikas, Kamaladdin Saei, Anne Schweighardt, Fang Zhao

Doctoral External Publications

No abstract provided.

Dalbavancin Use At A Health System Network In Compliance With A Standard Plan Of Treatment For Infective Endocarditis And Osteomyelitis, Nicholas Lombardi, Anthoula Kritikos, Jacky Ye, Victor Cohen

Doctoral External Publications

Dalbavancin is a lipoglycopeptide approved for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and soft tissue infections caused by gram-positive microorganisms.

Used off-label in the management of infective endocarditis in IV drug users, as well as in osteomyelitis infections.

Extremely long half-life of greater than a week.

Potential cost-effective option for susceptible gram-positive infections and increased patient compliance.

Leading Biologics In Pharmacy Practice: The Role Of Pharmacists, Amerah Elshayeb, Emily Austin, Lipika Chablani

Doctoral External Publications

Evaluate the current approaches to handling biologics, identify challenges associated with their storage and preparation, and emphasize the critical role of pharmacy education in ensuring safe and effective management of biologics.

Impact Of Order Set Implementation On Institutional Management Of Clostridioides Difficile In Adult Patients, Nicole Henry, Olivia Campbell, Heather Daly, Katelyn Quartuccio, Melanie Lintala

Doctoral External Publications

In February 2022, the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) updated their practice guidelines, in accordance with the Infectious Diseases Society of America, to include fidaxomicin as the preferred agent in patients with initial (non-fulminant) or first recurrence of C. difficile infection (CDI).

Health system protocols were updated to include polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for patients with suspected CDI followed by confirmation via toxin enzyme immunoassay (EIA).

In the appropriate clinical context, PCR+/EIA+ test confirms active CDI and warrants antibiotic treatment.

PCR+/EIA- test indicates likely colonization and may preclude the need for treatment.

A CDI order set was implemented …

Local Chapters Of Ashp And Apha Partner With The Monroe County Sheriff’S Department To Host A Drug Take-Back Event In The Rochester Community, Mackenzie Bermingham, Michael Currier, Bailey Walker, Laura Witt, Shawn E. Fellows, Angela Nagel

Doctoral External Publications

Objection/Study Goals:

To provide a safe, environmentally responsible way to dispose of unused or expired medications and to raise awareness about the risks of medication misuse in the community.

Neuroprognostication In Patients With A Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Quasi-Review Of Anti-Inflammatory Agent Administration Versus Blood Pressure Management, Julia Gabalski, Marcie Mcmahon

Soaring: A Journal of Undergraduate Research

A subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a type of stoke where a blood vessel bursts and causes the subarachnoid space to become filled with blood. Traditional nursing management of SAH includes close monitoring of blood pressure goals in order to prevent complications such as vasospasm. Vasospasm causes delayed cerebral ischemia and neurological deficits secondary to the initial injury. Recent research has expanded understanding of the underlying mechanisms behind the neuroinflammatory cascade that occurs after a SAH. In this study, a methodical search was conducted through the CINAHL and PubMed databases to form a quasi-review of current research. The comparison of traditional …

Crushability Analysis Of Immediate-Release Oral Tablets And Capsules Approved By Fda In 2020-2022, Kamaladdin Saei, Anne Schweighardt, Fang Zhao

Doctoral External Publications

Healthcare providers often need to explore dosage form options for patients who are unable to swallow whole tablets or capsules. Most newly approved immediate-release (IR) oral solid drugs carry a "do not crush" warning or similar language in their labeling due to the lack of supporting clinical data. A 2021 publication by Uttaro et al. presented a crushability analysis strategy for risk assessment and demonstrated its utility for the questionable drugs on the ISMP do-not-crush list. This study aimed to extend the crushability analysis to newly FDA-approved drugs.

Pharmacy Team Leads Efforts For Covid-19 Vaccine Clinic For Underserved, Kyle Mcmillan, Christine R. Birnie Phd

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Completing Advanced Practice Placement Experience (APPE) rotations in the midst of a pandemic such as COVID-19 left many pharmacy students across the state and country with frequent changes and cancellations to their schedules. As stressful and anxiety- producing as that can be, it also creates some unique opportunities. During one of my last rotations, I had the opportunity to participate in a Service-Learning Elective at St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center in Rochester, N.Y., where we were able to design and execute the Center’s first COVID-19 vaccine clinic.

Introduction To Leadership Development Using The "Five Practices" Framework In A Co-Curricular Pharmacy Student-Development Program, Sumyya Wase, Melinda E. Lull

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Introduction and leadership framework: With the increased expectation that pharmacy education should prepare students to become pharmacy leaders, schools of pharmacy are struggling to find ways to incorporate leadership topics. One way to incorporate content is to build co-curricular programs that introduce and practice leadership frameworks. The co-curricular program described in this study introduces leadership content using Kouzes and Posner's Student Leadership Challenge. Educational context and methods: Students were offered three workshops developed around the Five Practices framework. Each workshop provided background knowledge before engaging in self-reflection, discussion, and application activities. Students participated in a pre−/post-series assessment of leadership practices, …

Wastewater Surveillance For Sars-Cov-2 On College Campuses: Initial Efforts, Lessons Learned, And Research Needs, Sasha Harris-Lovett, Kara L. Nelson, Paloma Beamer, Heather N. Bischel, Aaron Bivins, Andrea Bruder, Caitlyn Butler, Todd D. Camenisch, Susan K. De Long, Smruthi Karthikeyan, David A. Larsen, Katherine Meiediercks, Paula J. Mouser, Sheree Pagsuyoin, Sarah M. Prasek, Tyler S. Radniecki, Jeffrey L. Ram, D. Keith Roper, Hannah Safford, Samendra P. Sherchan, William Shuster, Thibault Stalder, Robert T. Wheeler, Katrina Smith Korfmacher

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Wastewater surveillance for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emerging approach to help identify the risk of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. This tool can contribute to public health surveillance at both community (wastewater treatment system) and institutional (e.g., colleges, prisons, and nursing homes) scales. This paper explores the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from initial wastewater surveillance efforts at colleges and university systems to inform future research, development and implementation. We present the experiences of 25 college and university systems in the United States that monitored campus wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 during the fall 2020 academic …

Effects Of Compaction Pressure, Speed And Punch Head Profile On The Ultrasonically-Extracted Physical Properties Of Pharmaceutical Compacts, Xiaochi Xu, Yigitcan Coskunturk, Vivek S. Dave, Justin V. Kuriyilel, Murray F. Wright, Rutesh H. Dave, Centin Cetinkaya

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Despite a well-established manufacturing-process understanding, tablet quality issues are frequently encountered during various stages of drug-product development. Compact breaking force (tensile strength), capping and friability are among the commonly observed characteristics that determine the integrity, quality and manufacturability of tablets. In current study, a design space of the compaction pressure, compaction speed and head flat types is introduced for solid dosage compacts prepared from pure silicified microcrystalline cellulose, a popular tableting excipient. In the reported experiments, five types of head flat types at six compaction pressure levels and two compaction speeds were employed and their effects on compact mechanical properties …

Physical And Chemical Stability Of Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate In Intravenous Admixtures Used To Prevent Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea And Vomiting, Ina Buga, Joy Uzoma, Kristin Reindel, Kateryna Rashid, Tuong Diep, Pamela Mccartan, Fang Zhao

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Purpose: Dilute intravenous (IV) admixtures of dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP) are becoming increasingly used in antiemetic regimens to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). Based on its chemical structure and previous studies, DSP is known to be susceptible to hydrolysis and oxidation under certain conditions. There are limited data to directly support the selection of IV diluents, storage conditions, and beyond-use dates for the dilute IV solutions of DSP used in the antiemetic regimens. This study was designed to investigate these parameters. Methods: A stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was first developed for the analysis of DSP. Commercially available …

Prevalence, Determinants, And Characteristics Of Extemporaneous Compounding In Jordanian Pharmacies, Hatim S. Alkhatib, Sara Jalouqa, Nour Maraqa, Anna Ratka, Eman Elayeh, Suha Al Muhaissen

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Background:

Pharmaceutical compounding is an essential component in pharmacy practice allowing pharmacists to provide dosage forms or strengths that are commercially unavailable. Medications compounded for patient-specific needs contribute to personalized medicine. Extemporaneous compounding provided by pharmacies overcomes the market shortage of these therapeutic products. The aim of this study is to investigate and characterize the prevalence, characteristics, and determinants of extemporaneous compounding in Jordanian pharmacies.

Methods:

This study was based on a cross-sectional questionnaire and included 431 randomly selected pharmacies in the twelve governorates of the country. Data were collected via face to face interviews of pharmacists who voluntarily and …

A Review Of The Food And Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System For Tramadol-Related Hypoglycemia, Katherine Juba, Robbert Van Manen, Shawn E. Fellows

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Background: Hypoglycemia is a rare adverse effect of tramadol that is described in the medical literature and package insert. Objective: The purpose of this study was to review reports of tramadol and hypoglycemia in the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database to determine a potential association. Methods: Disproportionality analysis with Bayesian correction was used to compare tramadol and hypoglycemia with other medications in FAERS. The results were considered significant if the fifth percentile of the Empirical Bayesian geometric mean distribution (EB05) >2. Logistic regression odds ratios was used to determine if age, diabetes medications, and renal …

2103. Emergency Department (Ed) Stewardship: Stratifying Ed Sepsis Order Sets By Penicillin (Pcn) Allergy Severity, Mary L. Staicu, Maryrose Laguio-Vila, Allison Ramsey, Kelly Conn, Kristin Woodring

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Background:

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines recommends administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics within 1 hour of sepsis diagnosis; electronic order sets drive antibiotic selection with pre-populated regimens based on the suspected infectious indication. Given the low rate of cephalosporin cross-reactivity in patients with a PCN allergy, we modified our ED sepsis order set (Images 1 and 2) to include cephalosporin options in patients with reported mild-to-moderate PCN reaction histories. This was a single-center, retrospective analysis evaluating the impact of this change on antibiotic prescribing and associated outcomes.

Methods:

An electronic medical record (EMR) report identified patients ≥18 years of age with …

172. Risk Factors For 30-Day Mortality In Patients With Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia At A Community Hospital: A Prospective Case–Control Study, Charles Hoffmann, Gordon Watkins, Patrick Desimone, Peter Hallisey, David Hutchinson, Stephen Colodny, Jeffrey Burkey, Amanda Michael, Jo-Anne Klein, Christina Welc

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Background:

Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is associated with 30-day all-cause mortality rates approaching 20–30%. The purpose of this case–control study was to evaluate risk factors for 30-day mortality in patients with SAB at a community hospital.

Methods:

As part of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) initiative mandating Infectious Diseases consultation for episodes of SAB, our ASP prospectively monitored all cases of SAB at a 341-bed community hospital in Jefferson Hills, PA from April 2017–February 2019. Cases included patients with 30-day mortality from the initial positive blood culture. Only the first episode of SAB was included; patients were excluded if a …

Glucosamine Hcl-Based Solid Dispersions To Enhance The Biopharmaceutical Properties Of Acyclovir, Darshan R. Telange, Snehal B. Bhagat, Arun T. Patil, Milind J. Umekar, Anil M. Pethe, Nishikant Raut, Vivek S. Dave

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

The objective of the work presented here was to assess the feasibility of using glucosamine HCl as a solid-dispersion (SD) carrier to enhance the biopharmaceutical properties of a BCS class III/IV drug, acyclovir (ACV). The solid-dispersions of acyclovir and glucosamine HCl were prepared by an ethanol-based solvent evaporation method. The prepared formulations characterized by photomicroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transforms infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR), powder x-ray diffractometry (PXRD) and drug content analysis. The functional characterization of ACV-SD was performed by aqueous solubility evaluation, dissolution studies, fasted versus fed state dissolution comparison, ex vivo permeability, and stability …

Penicillin Allergy Assessment And Skin Testing In The Outpatient Setting, Wesley D. Kufel, Julie Ann Justo, P. Brandon Bookstaver, Lisa M. Avery

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Penicillin allergies are among of the most commonly reported allergies, yet only 10% of these patients are truly allergic. This leads to potential inadvertent negative consequences for patients and makes treatment decisions challenging for clinicians. Thus, allergy assessment and penicillin skin testing (PST) are important management strategies to reconcile and clarify labeled penicillin allergies. While PST is more common in the inpatient setting where the results will immediately impact antibiotic management, this process is becoming of increasing importance in the outpatient setting. PST in the outpatient setting allows clinicians to proactively de-label and educate patients accordingly so beta-lactam antibiotics may …

Penicillin Allergy Skin Testing In The Inpatient Setting, Julie Ann Justo, Wesley D. Kufel, Lisa M. Avery, P. Brandon Bookstaver

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

The consequences of a documented penicillin allergy in the medical record are especially troublesome in acutely ill, hospitalized patients. A penicillin allergy label may lead to alternative or second line therapies resulting in adverse drug events, negative clinical outcomes and increased costs. Reconciling penicillin allergies is a necessity to facilitate early, optimal therapy and is a shared responsibility among the healthcare team. Penicillin skin testing (PST) has been utilized successfully in hospitalized patients to de-label erroneous penicillin allergies and optimize antibiotic therapy. This targeted review aims to discuss the practical development and implementation of PST in the inpatient setting. This …

A Systematic Review Of The Evidence Behind Use Of Reduced Doses Of Acetaminophen In Chronic Liver Disease, Anne Schweighardt, Katherine Juba

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Acetaminophen is among the most commonly used nonopioid analgesics, but significant variation exists in its prescribing practices for cirrhosis patients. Our primary objective was to describe the quality of evidence supporting or refuting the use of acetaminophen in patients with hepatic dysfunction. A comprehensive literature review of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts using the search terms “acetaminophen,” “paracetamol,” “chronic liver disease,” “cirrhosis,” and “hepatic disease” for studies describing changes in acetaminophen metabolism in patients with hepatic dysfunction was conducted. Twelve studies and four abstracts were included. Ten studies and three abstracts were pharmacokinetic studies. Two …

Pharmacy Students’ Attitudes And Perceptions Toward Pharmacogenomics Education, Shanice Coriolan, Nimota Arikawe, Arden Moscati, Lisheng Zhou, Stephanie Dym, Seda Donmez, Adinoyi Garba, Sahsa Falbaum, Zvi Loewy, Melinda E. Lull, Maha Saad, Jane Shtaynberg, Aniwaa Owusu Obeng

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Purpose

To evaluate final-year pharmacy students’ perceptions toward pharmacogenomics education, their attitudes on its clinical relevance, and their readiness to use such knowledge in practice.

Methods

A 19-question survey was developed and modified from prior studies and was pretested on a small group of pharmacogenomics faculty and pharmacy students. The final survey was administered to 978 final-year pharmacy students in 8 school/colleges of pharmacy in New York and New Jersey between January and May 2017. The survey targeted 3 main themes: perceptions toward pharmacogenomics education, attitudes toward the clinical relevance of this education, and the students’ readiness to use knowledge …

An Exploratory Study Of Suboxone (Buprenorphine/ Naloxone) Film Splitting: Cutting Methods, Content Uniformity, And Stability, Kristin L. Reindel, Michael J. Deangelis, Alexander S. Ferrara, Kelly Conn, Elizabeth Phillips, Anthony Corigliano, Fang Zhao

Doctoral External Publications

Suboxone films are U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved to treat opioid dependence. While the package insert states that films should not be cut, physicians often prescribe film fractions for treatment and tapering. There is no data to support this practice, and this study was initiated to evaluate cutting methods, content uniformity, and stability of split films. Suboxone 8-mg buprenorphine/2-mg naloxone films were split using four methods: 1) ruler/razor cut, 2) scissor cut, 3) fold/rip, and 4) fold/scissor cut. United States Pharmacopeia Chapter <905> was used to evaluate the weight variation and content uniformity of split films. The stability of split …

The Use Of Aerosolized Ribavirin In Respiratory Syncytial Virus Lower Respiratory Tract Infections In Adult Immunocompromised Patients: A Systematic Review, Lisa M. Avery, Charles Hoffmann, Karen M. Whalen

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Introduction: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)–associated lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is a concern in immunocompromised patients. Aerosolized ribavirin (RBV AER) is used for treatment of RSV LRTI; however, adverse events and rising drug costs remain a challenge for patient management. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize the efficacy and adverse event profile of RBV AER for the treatment of hospitalized RSV LRTI in immunocompromised adult patients. Methods: A Medline/PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Cochrane Library database search was conducted from 1966 to January 2019 for the use of RBV AER. Search strategy: [(ribavirin OR ICN1229) AND …