The Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy was awarded the 2019-20 Generation Rx Regional Award from the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Academy of Student Pharmacists. The award recognizes a student chapter of Generation Rx that increases public awareness of prescription-medication misuse, a key factor in the opioid epidemic. It encourages health care providers and community leaders to partner with college students to bring awareness to the issue.
Wilkes won the award for region two, which encompasses Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. During the award year, the Wilkes chapter of Generation Rx was chaired by Harrison Ferro, Berwick, Pa., and co-chaired by Hunnter Maxwell, Forty Fort, Pa. The program is advised by Thomas Franko, associate professor of pharmacy practice.
The award was announced during a virtual mid-year meeting on Nov. 5, 2020. The school received a commemorative plaque and $250 cash prize.
The Wilkes chapter of Generation Rx hosts numerous community outreach events on naloxone use, proper medication disposal and stigma reduction. Many are hosted through partnerships with various university and community organizations, including the Luzerne County Medical Society, the Wilkes University Police Department and the Wilkes-Barre Department of Health. Initiatives include an opioid awareness walk, a weekly radio show on the Wilkes radio station, WCLH and other community initiatives. Learn more about the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy at Wilkes University at www.wilkes.edu/pharmacy.
About APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists
The mission of the APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) is to be the collective voice of student pharmacists, to provide opportunities for professional growth, to improve patient care and to envision and advance the future of pharmacy.
