Faculty, staff and students from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences took center stage at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting in Las Vegas.
President Toyin Tofade was awarded the Donald E. Francke Medal for her work in international pharmacy. Cited as a well-respected and accomplished leader in global pharmacy, she was recognized for sustained contributions to international pharmacy leadership and continuous professional development (CPD). President Tofade has published several papers and presented her work on CPD, academic capacity, organizational leadership, and building strong relationship systems both nationally and internationally.
“It is with great honor that I accept the Donald E. Francke Medal,” said President Tofade. “I am humbled that an organization such as ASHP, arguably the largest pharmacy organization in the U.S. and perhaps the world, would consider me alongside the great professionals who have gone before me making a significant impact in the international field.”
President Tofade also delivered a lecture, “Leading with Heart in Service of Global Initiatives.” She shared how she became involved with the International Pharmacists Federation (IPF), her commitment to leadership and mentoring, and her desire to serve the profession with heart and courage to create lasting impacts.
Taking Center Stage
The College hosted an evening networking event for ACPHS extended family and a student breakfast at the mid-year clinical meeting. Thirty-five students, two residents, two fellows, and six faculty attended presenting lectures and posters, including:
- Fourteen student posters with faculty/alumni mentors/co-authors
- Three resident posters
- One fellow poster
- Three platform presentations
Two ACPHS two-year postgraduate training programs were highlighted at the event – a biopharmaceutical manufacturing fellowship and a pharmacovigilance fellowship. Students were recruited to participate in both programs, which offer a unique opportunity to work not only with internationally renowned ACPHS scholars, but also national organizations and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Global Biomanufacturing Fellowship is made possible by a first-of-its-kind partnership with a regulatory agency, an academic institution and a biopharmaceutical manufacturer. The three partners will build on their individual strengths and common objectives to create compelling projects as the fellow rotates through the three organizations over the two-year span.
“This rare opportunity builds on the strong partnerships of ACPHS’s Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training,” said CBET executive director, Dr. Michelle Lewis. “The fellowship bridges traditionally siloed institutions and will provide the fellow an invaluable perspective on biopharmaceutical development.”
The Innovate in Pharmacovigilance Fellowship is designed to train pharmacists in pharmacovigilance, with research and field‐based medication-safety learning opportunities. Building on a pharmacist’s core knowledge, the fellowship emphasizes three main areas of intensive training and competency development in pharmacovigilance, medication safety, and data science.