ETSU's Generation Rx committee earns 4th national win
JOHNSON CITY (March 9, 2021) – 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 APhA-ASP National Generation Rx Chapter Achievement Award 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.
In addition, Gatton's APhA-ASP chapter earned 2019-2020 Division AAA First Runner-Up for the Chapter Achievement Award. This marks the sixth year in a row that our chapter has been recognized nationally as either first or second runner up or winner in the Division AAA category against peer schools our same size.
The chapter also took home the OTC Medicine Safety 2019-2020 Region 3 Award.
“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 night 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.”