by Clem Boyd, Public Relations Staff
The Cedarville University School of Pharmacy earned top honors among Ohio schools of pharmacy, and was named among the best in the nation, in the 2017 American College of Clinical Pharmacy Clinical Research Challenge.
Cedarville competed with 81 other teams from around the nation, making the top eight for the first time. The contest consisted of three phases: research article review and questions, an initial proposal for pharmacy-based research and an in-depth research proposal including application of research findings.
This was Cedarville’s second appearance in the Clinical Research Challenge. Other 2017 finalists included Keck Graduate Institute School of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Thomas Jefferson University, University of California, San Diego, University of Texas, University of Washington and Western University of Health Sciences.
“Getting to this level says a lot about the time and dedication our students put into the project, as well as the preparation they had during their research and statistics courses,” said Dr. Emily Laswell, assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Cedarville University and team adviser.
Cedarville’s research proposal focused on the best way for pharmacists to work with patients and other health care providers to decrease hospital readmission rates for patients with heart failure. “Their research focused on interdisciplinary care as well as motivational interviewing, which encourages and promotes internal motivations for change in patients,” Laswell said.
Other Ohio-based schools of pharmacy that participated include Ohio Northern University, Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Pharmacy, University of Findlay, University of Cincinnati and University of Toledo.
“We’re a new school of pharmacy, and we’re already making great strides in research,” said Dr. Marc Sweeney, dean of the Cedarville University School of Pharmacy. “Schools of pharmacy are evaluated by the research they do, and we’re gaining external recognition in this area.”
“The students' success in this competition shows prospective students they can expect a strong education in areas of research and statistics at Cedarville,” Laswell added.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 3,760 undergraduate, graduate and online students in more than 100 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and leading student satisfaction ratings. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.