SHARKS RX Spring 2017 Magazine

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY College of Pharmacy 16 17 W ith a grant to present pharmacy research and approval to publish findings in a journal under his belt, third-year Pharm.D. student Augustine Obi doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. Obi is all about innovation in his field, and his NSU track record is evidence of his future in pharmacy. Obi received an NSU PanSGA grant to present his research on managed care pharmacy at the Academy of Managed Care Phar- macy (AMCP) & Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California, last summer. Along with fellow Pharm.D. students and AMCP officers Leroy Koh (’17) and Jane Ai-Chen Ho (’17) and faculty adviser Leanne Lai, Ph.D., professor of sociobehavioral and administra- tive pharmacy, Obi participated in the research project, “Off-Label Prescribing for Children with Migraines in U.S. Ambulatory Care Settings,” which was published in the Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy March 2017 issue. By Anika Reed Obi’s list of achievements and roles include serving as president of NSU’s AMCP chapter, working at CVS Pharmacy, interning with Apotex Corporation, and being the media chair for NSU’s chapter of the Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists. As if his career-driven achievements aren’t impressive enough, Obi’s academic endeavors are certainly notable. Obi serves as a COP peer mentor, is a member of Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity, Inc., received a Walgreens diversity scholarship, is a COP’s Dean’s Ambassador, and is on the dean’s list. His current academic and extracurricular involvement stems in part from his family. As a first-generation Ameri- can, and the youngest of five siblings born to Nigerian parents, Obi said he and his siblings always understood that education was a priority in their household. “We were all born here, but my parents struggled to come to the United States. When they finally did, they did not take it for granted for one second,” he said. “It was always God, family, and education as the three pillars of my family.” Obi, who graduated with his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Florida, knew that he wanted to pursue pharmacy after attaining his undergraduate degree. “I’ve always been drawn to the fact that something so small and compact can be the difference between life and death, and you have the potential to affect people’s lives around you,” he said. STUDENT PHARMACIST PIONEERS RESEARCH Joining the AMCP, and soon becoming president, helped him focus his attention on the pharmaceutical industry as his niche. As president of the AMCP’s NSU chapter, Obi has worked to encourage the publication of research for the chapter’s members and has brought in speakers who are innovating in their areas of pharmacy. “He’s provided us opportunities we wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else,” said fellow third-year student Brittney Champagne. During Obi’s tenure as AMCP president, he has worked to spark change in having pharmacists play a larger role in health care and with government regulations. “A goal of the AMCP is to ensure that pharmacists have roles embedded in the health care system,” said Renee Jones, Pharm.D., faculty adviser for NSU’s AMCP chapter. “His initiative and forward-line thinking makes him the perfect candidate for this kind of position.” Continuing to undertake innovative research and starting to get papers published is just part of the mission of the Obi-led AMCP chapter. By taking on the challenge of connecting various parts of the health care system—from doctors and nurses to accountable care organizations, and pharmaceutical companies and community organizations to state and federal government—Obi wants to hone in on a shared vision of helping people in need. Obi’s goals in pharmacy aren’t limited to local or state levels, however, but extend to pioneering change on a global scale. “I want to affect people’s lives on a macro scale,” he said. “I have a sense of gratification when I can help someone out, but having the opportunity to help millions of people’s lives by creating a product or being part of a team that can affect millions or billions of lives in a positive way is my goal.” International Student Wins Prestigious TYLENOL ® Future Care Scholarship Advanced standing student Leroy Koh (’17) was one of 40 students from around the country to receive a $10,000 TYLENOL® Future Care Scholarship in 2016. Koh is an international student from Singapore and will graduate with high honors this year. Each student displayed academic excellence, exemplary leadership, community involvement, and dedication to a career of caring for others. Koh thinks pharmacists havea huge role to play in health care, especially in ambulatory care, and thinks this “can be a niche for us in the future.” Last year, class of 2017 student Nour Samra was the recipient. Fourth-Year Student Receives Florida Pharmacy Association (FPA) Terry Gubbins Student Leadership Award Farima Raof (’17) was honored during the 2017 Legislative Days and Health Fair Event in Tallahassee with the 2017 FPA Terry Gubbins Student Leadership Scholarship. Raof has shown dedication and commitment to the profession by providing leadership in school and community activities. Raof has held numerious leadership positions and member- ships in student organizations, including immediate past president of the APhA-ASP NSU Chapter; current member of the President’s 64—an elite body of student leaders; and current chair of the Florida Pharmacy Association’s Student Affairs Council.