College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions faculty publish on multiple research studies

Faculty and recent graduates from South Dakota State University's College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions published six manuscripts over the summer months. 

The publications cover a range of topics, including drug delivery for chronic gut disorders, billing for pharmacy services, community pharmacy and medication therapy management, and approaches to pharmacy education. 

‘Stable dietary ora-curcumin formulation protects from experimental colitis and colorectal cancer’ 

The first article was published in Cells in June 2024. 

Authors include 2022 pharmaceutical sciences graduate Chaitanya K. Valiveti, Balawant Kumar and Anuj D. Singh of University of Nebraska Medical Center, pharmaceutical sciences student Sham K. Biradar, Rizwan Ahmed and Amar B. Singh, also of University of Nebraska Medical Center, and professor Hemachand Tummala. 

This study assesses the effectiveness of a delivery method for curcumin, a chemical with anti-inflammatory and chemotherapeutic properties and a promising therapy for inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer. Delivery of curcumin is challenging, however, due to issues with metabolizing water solubility and stability. This study investigates the use of ora-curcumin technology for delivery, ultimately finding it to be effective, showing promise for use with both colitis and colorectal cancer.

‘Examination of differences between actual and potential revenue generation in a pharmacist-run ambulatory clinic’ 

The second article was published in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association in August 2024. 

Authors include assistant professor Emily Van Klompenburg, 2022 pharmacy graduate Amelia Koster, the college’s research communications coordinator, Jacob Ford, and associate professor Shanna O’Connor. 

The article explores the theoretical revenue generation of an ambulatory care pharmacist if pharmacists were billable under Medicare Part B or most insurance plans. Even though pharmacists regularly provide high complexity services, pharmacy services cannot be billed like other providers, skewing the important role pharmacists play in patient care. The study illustrates the significant financial benefit of pharmacists being billed according to the services they are already providing. 

‘Development, pilot and evaluation of a qualitative documentation tool for pharmacists to share high-impact patient intervention stories’ 

The next article was published in INNOVATIONS in Pharmacy in August 2024. 

Authors include assistant professor Alex William Middendorf, Aaron Hunt of Utah State University, 2022 pharmacy graduate Alexa Vanden Hull, associate professor Deidra Van Gilder, assistant professor Erin Miller and Sharrel Pinto of Belmont University. 

The article describes the pilot of the Patient Stories Reporting Tool, a tool for community pharmacists to document and share noteworthy interactions or interventions with patients. The article details three of the documented stories in order to illustrate three key ways pharmacists benefit patients and the health care system through services like medication therapy management. The three key services include general patient education, medication optimization and cost reduction. 

‘Comparing South Dakota pharmacist perspectives of pharmacy services in rural versus urban settings’ 

The fourth article was published in Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy in September 2024. 

Authors include Miller, Hunt, Middendorf, Van Gilder, 2022 pharmacy graduate Abigayle Blanchette, 2021 pharmacy graduate Abigail Sirek and Pinto. 

This article assesses the unique barriers and facilitators to providing patient care that South Dakota pharmacists face and compares how they differ between pharmacists practicing in rural areas and those practicing in urban areas. The pharmacists interviewed noted that communication with providers, access to electronic health records, insufficient staff and patients misunderstanding the scope of pharmacy were the biggest barriers. 

‘Student personality type and preferred rounding methods in an internal medicine advanced pharmacy practice experience’ 

The fifth article is set to be published in Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning in October 2024, but it is already available online. 

Authors include professor Joe Strain, O’Connor and Ford. 

This study assessed the effectiveness of established educational methods for pharmacy students completing internal medicine rotations. During their rotations, students learn two different approaches to patient rounds from two different providers; the study assessed whether students’ personality type make them more inclined to learn a certain approach in order to help determine whether it benefitted students to learn both approaches. 

‘Assessment of non-time-intensive changes to a management course to address course evaluation scores’ 

The final article is set to be published in Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning in December 2024, but it is already available online. 

Authors include Miller, O’Connor, Ford, Van Klompenburg and professor Wendy Jensen-Bender. 

This article details the changes to the design of a business-focused pharmacy course, as well as the impact of those changes on student learning and course evaluation scores. Changes were designed to require minimal time-investment on behalf of the instructor but have maximum positive impact on student learning and student satisfaction.