Student News
Pink Lemonade Stand Fundraiser & Breast Cancer Awareness Booth
Members of ASP and Kappa Epsilon co-hosted a Tea and Teal seminar to raise awareness of gynecological cancers
ASP members hosted a Women's Health seminar with presentations on well women's exams, pregnancy and pregnancy complications, and over-the-counter (OTC) medications during pregnancy and lactation.
APhA-ASP and Kappa Epsilon also teamed on the fraternity's annual Silk Rose Jubilee event spotlighting breast cancer survivors and their stories.
Wonderful Women's Health Projects
UHCOP APhA-ASP Among 3 Chapters to be Honored at National Meeting for Women's Health Campaign Work
The UHCOP Chapter of the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists is one of only three chapters nationwide to be invited to present a poster highlighting its Women's Health Campaign projects and activities at the 2019 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition March 22-25 in Seattle.
The campaign encouraged chapters to promote the importance of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in preventing cancer, promote the pharmacist’s role in reproductive health, and organize an event focused on a women’s health topic.
The chapter’s activities included a pink lemonade stand fundraiser and breast cancer awareness display for a local women’s cancer nonprofit, seminars for pharmacy students on such topics as pregnancy complications and OTC medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding), talks by breast cancer survivors and the role of medications in treatment and recovery, and hosting an HPV education booth on campus.
Through these activities, the chapter reached 475 patients through education and wellness screenings and 82,191 members of the community through public relations and various media platforms, including on the chapter’s social media channels and the campus newspaper and radio station.
The impact of their work was powerfully reinforced while ASP members were conducting wellness screenings at a women's health conference in October 2018.
"One of the patients came to get her blood pressure reading and the machine read 220/105," said Kaycie Rathburn, chapter president. "I tried to stay calm, even though my in my head I was freaking out. I asked her if I could take it again on her other arm and had another student check the cuff with me to ensure everything was properly fitting. The machines again read 220/105, so I immediate called over my preceptor.
"After talking to the patient, we learned her sister recently died from a stroke, and the patient stopped taking her blood pressure medication because she did not like the side effects. She was also mourning her sister and hadn’t seen her doctor in a year. We offered to call 911, but her family was there and took her to the ER. It was an eye-opening experience and showed how important it is that we do these screenings for patients. The ending could of been very different and I am so proud to be part of an organization that provides care to our community!"