NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: A photo of Dana Hausmann is available on the
Web at http://www.uh.edu/media/nr/
2005/ 04april/042605pcounseling.html.
SECOND CONSECUTIVE UH WIN PUTS NATIONAL
SPOTLIGHT ON PHARMACY STUDENT
Dana Hausmann Top Communicator in Patient Counseling Competition
HOUSTON, April 26, 2005 – For the second consecutive year,
the University of Houston College of Pharmacy took first place in
the National Patient Counseling Competition held at the American
Pharmacists Association (APhA) annual meeting.
Dana Hausmann, a fourth-year UH pharmacy student, won the contest,
competing against a record number of participants in this year’s
challenge. For the first time in the history of the 21-year competition,
a student competed from every APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists
(ASP) chapter in the country for a total of 90 contenders.
Hausmann’s unprecedented win gave UH the distinction of being
the first pharmacy college or school to capture back-to-back titles.
At last year’s APhA annual meeting, Michelle Edwards, a 2004
UH alum, won the contest, becoming the first UH College of Pharmacy
student to take first-place honors. The two victories underscore
the college’s emphasis on the importance of being able to
effectively communicate with patients.
“Communication is very important for health care professional,
especially pharmacists who have the difficult task of proving information
about drugs and the disease process to patients,” said Sunny
E. Ohia, dean of the UH College of Pharmacy. “Clearly, the
success of our students in this competition two years in a row is
a positive reflection of the quality education they receive from
our faculty.”
The purpose of the National Patient Counseling Competition is to
support student pharmacists in their efforts to become competent
health care providers and educators. The challenge is designed to
reflect changes that are occurring in practice, encouraging further
professional development of the student pharmacist. Students competing
in the competition are given a prescription and a patient profile
from which they are expected to counsel a patient. Typically, patients
present the competitors with a communication barrier that can range
from the patient having obtained confusing information about the
prescription on the Internet to needing to leave the pharmacy in
a hurry without fully understanding the prescription instructions.
Students are evaluated on their ability to maintain control of the
counseling session, providing all the information the patient needs
and making them feel comfortable talking about their situation.
“We are so proud of her,” said Clinical Assistant Professor
Lynn Simpson, vice-chair of the clinical sciences and administration
department and ASP faculty adviser. “This is a huge accomplishment
for Dana. She was not only up against more competitors this year,
but she also had to overcome the pressure of following Michelle
Edward’s win last year.”
Before becoming part of the UH College of Pharmacy faculty, Simpson,
a 1996 UH pharmacy alum, placed in the top three as a student competitor
in this same contest.
Hausmann’s triumph earned her $1,000, a plaque and the opportunity
to return on an all-expense-paid trip to judge next year’s
National Patient Counseling Competition. Edwards, who won the same
package last year, served as a judge for the first round but not
the final. Alex Varkey, a fellow UH pharmacy student and APhA ASP
national president, shared in the college’s victory by announcing
Hausmann as the winner.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research
and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers
and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,
civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university
in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and
service with more than 35,000 students.
About the UH College of Pharmacy
For more than 50 years, the University of Houston College of Pharmacy
has shaped aspiring pharmacists, scientists and teachers. The college
offers a Pharm. D. degree, a master’s in pharmacy administration,
a Ph.D. in pharmaceutics or pharmacology and combined Pharm.D./Ph.D.
degrees. Accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education,
it is one of nearly 90 pharmacy colleges in the United States, with
more than 45 basic science and clinical faculty, nearly 610 adjunct
faculty and preceptors and 900 current pre-pharmacy and professional
students. The college has facilities both on the UH campus and in
the Texas Medical Center. At TMC, students have the opportunity
to train with physicians, medical students and members of UH clinical
faculty. In addition to faculty and staff offices, TMC also houses
research laboratories, classrooms and the Contemporary Pharmacy
Practice Laboratory.
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