JOHNSON CITY – A student organization at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy has earned its fourth national win, honored for educating the community about prescription drug misuse.
The college’s American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists Generation
Rx committee was awarded the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists
for 2019-2020. This is the eighth year in a row that the chapter has been recognized
either nationally or regionally and the fourth time the chapter has been named winner
in the category. Overall, ETSU Generation Rx has earned first or second runner-up
or winner seven times and is the most nationally recognized Generation Rx committee
in the country.
“I was beyond humbled to see ETSU win the Generation Rx National Award,” said Dawnna
Metcalfe (’21), from Bluefield, Virginia, who served as the 2019-20 Generation Rx
chair. “The 2019-2020 academic year was a busy one, and it’s so nice to see all the
hard work pay off! Dr. Sarah Melton has created quite the successful leadership team
for Generation Rx, and it’s truly been an honor serving our community alongside her.”
Dr. Sarah Melton, professor of Pharmacy Practice, has served as advisor for the Generation
Rx committee since 2011.
“Our Generation Rx patient care committee members continue to be change agents throughout
the Appalachian region by increasing public awareness of prescription medication misuse
and working closely with community partners to actively prevent overdose deaths by
education about and distribution of naloxone,” said Melton.
APhA-ASP Generation Rx is transitioning to a new name, Operation Substance Use Disorders,
through a collaboration with Walmart, Inc., to expand the breadth and depth of this
important initiative.
“Through this new initiative, our student pharmacists will work in their communities
to prevent misuse of prescription medication, break the stigma of substance use disorders
(SUD) and support patients in recovery, while advocating for the profession of pharmacy,”
added Melton.
During the awards ceremony streamed Monday, March 8, over social media and YouTube,
Susan Dembny, 2020-2021 APhA-ASP Speaker of the House from the University of Houston,
honored ETSU Generation Rx.
“This chapter took the college’s mission to serve rural communities to heart and provided
education to the patients and staff at rural medical clinics on responding to an opioid
overdose,” said Dembny. “When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they refused to allow virtual
learning to affect the impact Generation Rx could have.”
Other service acts included providing naloxone education to first-year student pharmacists
in the college; hosting a two series meeting for Generation Rx student leaders in
Tennessee and sharing resources to build up other chapters; giving 37 presentations;
educating more than 2,300 people on naloxone and harm reduction strategies; and reaching
more than 20,000 people on social media.
“We are all immensely proud of our student pharmacists,” said Dr. Katelyn Alexander,
associate professor in Pharmacy Practice and co-advisor for the college’s APhA-ASP
chapter. “Their passion, dedication and leadership are inspiring to watch and support,
and I am amazed by the impact these students continue to make in our community and
region.”
Learn more about Gatton College of Pharmacy at etsu.edu/pharmacy.