Pharmacy student self-perception of weight and relationship to counseling patients on lifestyle modification.

Objective: To assess the accuracy of pharmacy students' self-assessment of body mass index (BMI) and determine the relationship of this to comfort level in counseling patients regarding lifestyle modification.

Methods: A prospective, observational, cohort study was conducted that included first-, second-, and third-year pharmacy students who had previously undergone training in BMI self-assessment. Data on students' weight and height were collected and a survey that contained questions on self-perception of body weight and comfort with lifestyle counseling was conducted.

Local and global volunteer opportunities for pharmacists to contribute to public health.

There are many local and global volunteer opportunities for pharmacists to contribute to public health initiatives that help promote health, prevent disease and improve access to care. This article provides perspective and guidance for pharmacists and student pharmacists who desire to take part in volunteer initiatives related to local and global public health needs. The case examples provided are limited to activities that occurred strictly in a volunteer capacity.

The impact of an immunization training certificate program on the perceived knowledge, skills and attitudes of pharmacy students toward pharmacy-based immunizations.

Objective: To assess the impact of a national immunization training certificate program on the perceived knowledge, skills and attitudes of pharmacy students toward pharmacy-based immunizations.

Methods: The study design utilized a pre- and post-survey administered to pharmacy students before and after the American Pharmacists Association's (APhA) Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery program. The primary outcome explored was a change in the perceived knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the pharmacy students.

My First Patient Program to introduce first-year pharmacy students to health promotion and disease prevention.

Objectives: To implement and assess the effectiveness of a program to teach pharmacy students the importance of taking personal responsibility for their health.

Design: The My First Patient Program was created and lectures were incorporated into an existing first-year course to introduce the concepts of health beliefs, behavior modification, stress management, substance abuse, and nutrition. Each student received a comprehensive health screening and health risk assessment which they used to develop a personal health portfolio and identify strategies to attain and/or maintain their personal health goals.

A strategy to develop advanced pharmacy practice experiences.

Objective: To establish statewide medication, disease management, and other clinical programs to serve as advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) training sites for the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy, and to guarantee year-round support for the programs by providing pharmacy students with the necessary competencies to carry a significant proportion of each program's workload.

Methods: Partnerships with pharmacies willing to use students to expand their scope of clinical practice or support existing programs were established. Partners were asked to choose the clinical program(s) they wished implemented or supported and were guaranteed that APPE students would contribute to carrying each program's clinical service workload for 48 week/year under the supervision of the partners' pharmacists.