MEDIA CONTACT: Tory Olson, 515-271-1834, tory.olson@drake.edu
Drake University has developed a new summer internship
program for pharmacy students, designed to promote entrepreneurial leadership
in community pharmacy ownership.
The program is funded in part by the McKesson Corp. and
Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Co., giving future pharmacists the opportunity to
learn about independent ownership, while striving to improve the quality of
patient care.
The grant will provide four students with a paid 10-week
internship, in summer 2009. The sites selected for participation in the
internship program include:
- Hartig Drug Stores – Dubuque www.hartigdrug.com
- Medicap, GRX – West Des Moines www.medicap.com
- Medicap – Urbandale
- NuCara Pharmacies – Central Iowa www.nucara.com
The grant will provide four students with additional
activities along with their paid 10-week, 40-hour-per-week summer internships.
In addition to the community pharmacy’s established
internship activities, students also will complete the “Shaping Your
Pharmacy Future” program through Drake’s DELTA Rx Institute. The focus of
the program is to further develop creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship
in Drake’s doctor of pharmacy graduates. Students in this program will complete
additional coursework in ownership.
Raylene Rospond, dean of pharmacy and health sciences,
commented on the significance of the program. “[Community pharmacy] holds special importance to the
ability of Iowans to maintain access in rural areas,” she said.
Renae Chesnut, the college’s associate dean for academic and
student affairs and member of the DELTA Rx team, is the principal investigator
for the program. Other faculty members involved are
- Chuck Phillips, associate professor of pharmacy administration
and assistant dean of assessment
- Nora Stelter, assistant professor of pharmacy practice
- Denise Soltis, assistant professor of pharmacy practice
and director of pharmacy experiential programs
“The support of McKesson and Pharmacists Mutual will
assist the DELTA Rx Institute in furthering its mission of instilling a spirit
of change and innovation in the pharmacy profession,” Chesnut said.
“Without these companies assistance in offering this internship program,
we would not have been able to provide the opportunity for Drake pharmacy
students to experience community pharmacy ownership as a viable career
option.”
This program is available to students who have completed
their second year in the professional pharmacy program, but consideration may
be given to others under the following circumstances:
- Students who have extensive experience in a pharmacy
practice setting
- Students who have an extended education such as a
bachelor’s degree
- Third-year students who are willing to delay the start
of their rotations
Students will be selected through the college and recipients
will be announced in March.
For more information, visit the following Web sites:
- McKesson Corporation www.mckesson.com
- Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company www.phmic.com
- DELTA Rx Institute www.deltarx.drake.edu