Mothers in academic pharmacy.

INTRODUCTION: The proportion of women pharmacists has been rapidly increasing for many years, from 43.3% of licensed pharmacists in 2000 to 52.7% in 2014. Yet women may be less likely to consider certain positions in pharmacy due to concerns of balancing work and motherhood responsibilities. The terms "motherhood penalty" and "baby penalty" have been used to describe the consequences of child-bearing responsibilities on the careers of women, including academic pharmacy. Many workplaces have established interventions to address the motherhood and baby penalties, including policies such as extended child-bearing leave and better childcare options. COMMENTARY AND IMPLICATIONS: However, there is still much understanding and improvement needed from the pharmacy academy administration to elicit a true change in culture. How can we create this culture shift? This article emphasizes a call to action to address this need for change.

Impact of a Student Pharmacist Driven Medication Reconciliation and Antidepressant Treatment History Project at a Depression Clinic: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVES: To improve treatment of patients with depression, a new pilot service project involving student pharmacists who would conduct medication reconciliation and review of antidepressant treatment history was created and evaluated. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A prospective study conducted at the University of Michigan Depression Center. PRINCIPAL OBSERVATIONS: From an initial sample of 78 referrals, 41 subjects were reached by phone, with 34 completing medication reconciliation and antidepressant treatment history. Of the 34 patients, 25 (73.5%) had at least one discrepancy identified in their medication list, resulting in 164 medication changes in the electronic medical record (EMR). A total of 105 past antidepressant trials were documented in the 34 individuals, with 34 (32.4%) trials found to be inadequate. Thirteen (38.2%) patients reported failure to respond to two different antidepressants from different classes. All 34 patients participated well in the phone calls and were willing to consult a pharmacist at their upcoming clinic visit. CONCLUSIONS: A student pharmacist pilot was feasible, identified many discrepancies in the medication record, and identified important medication treatment history in patients with depression in advance of the clinic visit. The project provides support for a specialized role for student pharmacists and demonstrates that interprofessional care can contribute to improved treatment of depression.