UNMC College of Pharmacy dean discusses program changes

Pharmacy college students and alumni, medical personnel, volunteer faculty and pharmacists discussed changes at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy -- and how the changes will affect Grand Island and the state.

Courtney Fletcher, new dean of the UNMC College of Pharmacy, met with community members at the VA Medical Center Wednesday as part of a 12-city tour to give updates on the college, the pharmacy education program and the advancement of pharmacy. The visits are part of the outreach program of the UNMC Alumni Affairs and College of Pharmacy Alumni Association.

"It was an opportunity to talk about the college of pharmacy, and to look at ways to enhance the partnerships we have with the volunteers," Fletcher said.

More than 250 volunteers across the state supervise and train UNMC pharmacy students during community rotations. The VA Medical Center can host up to four students 12 times a year, and two UNMC faculty members are based at the center, he said.

Roger and Paula Riesberg, both Grand Island pharmacists, are UNMC college of pharmacy alumni. With a son planning to enter pharmacy school, they were interested in changes for upcoming classes and what direction the college is going.

"The partnership with the college and the state is very strong," said Roger Riesberg, ShopKo pharmacy manager. "The college accepts 86 percent Nebraska residents, with strong roots and strong families. And the idea is that they return to their homes after training."

Fletcher said the state does better than the national average for filling pharmacy vacancies, but there are rural pockets that have trouble recruiting and retaining pharmacists.

"We need to assess health care needs and work force needs, and determine how well our educational program is preparing pharmacists to meet those needs for Nebraska," he said.

Four new buildings on the UNMC campus were among the changes discussed, as well as plans for increases in the number of electives in the college of pharmacy; increases in the number of partnerships in the state and the number of opportunities for student residency; increases in the rate of acceptance; and increases in the number of prerequisites to get into the college.

Fletcher said he describes the relationship between the college and the VA Medical Center as a two-way street.

"It is a wonderful example of a partnership benefiting both sides," Fletcher said. "We get the state on our side to send students out to gain experience at the medical center, and the VA gets highly trained students to work with patients.”