Governor honors KU pharmacy students as part of Kansas Pharmacists Week

LAWRENCE -- Gov. Kathleen Sebelius honored students in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Kansas along with pharmacists throughout the state on Wednesday as she officially proclaimed Feb. 23 through March 1 as Kansas Pharmacists Week.

Sebelius signed the proclamation to honor the service of the more than 2,500 licensed pharmacists throughout the state. She also recognized the contributions of the more than 40 KU pharmacy students who held their annual health fair in the Statehouse on Tuesday. The students provided free health screenings in the Statehouse for osteoporosis, diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol.

"Pharmacists are critical to health care in a wide range of settings: community pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, academia, the pharmaceutical industry, managed care and government," Sebelius said in the proclamation.

Jack Fincham, dean of the KU pharmacy school, said the health fair, which is sponsored by the Kansas Pharmacists Association, was a wonderful opportunity for KU pharmacy students to display their skills and help a wide range of people by providing health information.

"It's a terrific event that highlights how our students in training to be pharmacists can play a major role in providing health information to the public as well as positively influence the health of Kansans," he said.

Jeremy Matchett, associate dean; Eli Michaelis, chair of pharmacology and toxicology; and Gene Hotchkiss, assistant to the dean, were among the other pharmacy school faculty and staff in attendance at the proclamation.

The KU pharmacy student leaders in attendance were:

GREELEY COUNTY
From Tribune
Jenifer Brunswig, fourth-year senior, daughter of Spencer and Pat Brunswig.

MCPHERSON COUNTY
From Lindsborg
Derek Pihl, fourth-year senior, son of Ron and Sue Pihl.

MITCHELL COUNTY
From Beloit
John Kollhoff, fourth-year senior, son of Michael Kollhoff

NORTON COUNTY
From Norton
John Worden, third-year junior, son of Charles and Sandy Worden.

SOUTH DAKOTA
From Pierre
Vixen Klein, fourth-year senior, daughter of Patti Ruleaux.

KU's doctor of pharmacy, or Pharm.D., program is an entry-level professional degree program requiring six years of academic study.