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Pharmacists Serve Community Colleges During National
Pharmacy Week 2006
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| Submitted by the following Pharmacist officers: CDR Nina Nwaba, USPHS; CDR Nita Sood, USPHS; LCDR James Barlow, USPHS; LCDR Postelle Birch, USPHS; LCDR Michelle Dillahunt, USPHS; and LCDR Soojung Sarah Park, USPHS; and LCDR Sonny Saini. |
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| In celebration of National Pharmacy Week 2006,
approximately 40 pharmacists of the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public
Health Service (Corps) from the Washington, D.C. area, volunteered their
services at three Montgomery Community Colleges located in Rockville,
Germantown, and Takoma Park, Maryland. From October 23 through October 27,
Corps pharmacists counseled students and answered questions on important
public health issues such as disease prevention and awareness, obesity and
exercise, immunizations, and bioterrorism preparedness. As the volunteers
discovered, the community college locations provided an excellent venue
for promoting healthy lifestyles. The students were curious and receptive
to topics such as responsible sexual behavior, substance abuse, and
suicide prevention that could
positively impact their young lives. |
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In preparation for the event, the Corps pharmacists obtained various health
information materials from numerous government resources. The Operating
Divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services, such as the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and Food and Drug
Administration, provided high quality brochures, pamphlets, and booklets. Many
of these items were available in several different languages such as Spanish,
Chinese, and Korean. The educational materials were available to requestors
free of charge and, in most cases, arrived by mail in 2 to 4 weeks without
shipping fees. In addition, some of the public health information was
downloaded and printed from files available on government Web
sites. |
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| The Corps pharmacists found another good resource to derive public health intervention ideas: the Department of Health
and Human Services Report, Healthy People 2010. This report provides a
framework for disease prevention for the Nation, and includes ten leading
health indicators such as physical activity, overweight and obesity, tobacco
use, and immunizations. These health indicators are further subdivided into 28
focus areas, many with quantifiable goals such as asthma, diabetes, and
immunization-preventable pneumonia and influenza.
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| Hosting National Pharmacy Week 2006
provided an additional benefit by providing the officers with a valuable
recruiting opportunity. All of the Corps pharmacists wore their uniforms with
pride and enthusiastically fielded students’ questions about a career in the
Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. After many ‘question and
answer’ sessions with the students, it appeared that most had no previous
knowledge of the Corps, apart from some knowledge about the Surgeon General.
Officers utilized this valuable opportunity to talk with potential candidates.
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| The mission of the Corps is protecting,
promoting, and advancing the health and safety of the Nation. More than ever
before, the major public health issues faced by this Nation are attributable to
modifiable lifestyle choices. A key lesson that the Corps officers learned from
hosting National Pharmacy Week 2006 is that a critical first step in addressing
these problems is public awareness. Corps officers are entrusted with
addressing and educating the Nation about public health issues. The pharmacist
officers challenge other Corps officers to: take advantage of the excellent
materials available from government resources; volunteer your expertise; choose
a cause that you support; and make a difference in public health within your
community.
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| For ideas on how to improve the quality of
life for those near you and to read more about National Pharmacy Week 2006,
visit the Pharmacist Professional Advisory Committee Web site at:
http://www.hhs.gov/pharmacy/phpharm/index.html |
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