University of California San Francisco Fourth Year Pharmacy Students Train at McGuff Pharmacy

01/13/2006 By William Blair, Pharm.D., MBA

McGuff Compounding Pharmacy Services, Inc. and McGuff Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (McGuff) announce an affiliation with the University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy that establishes an Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience for fourth year students in the Doctor of Pharmacy program.

McGuff’s faculty consists of five pharmacists each having attained a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and many have advanced residency training. All have extensive experiences in a variety of pharmacy practices. In addition to compounding, the faculty brings experiences from hospital, retail, home health care, and managed care practices. Our Vice President of Manufacturing Operations, an additional faculty member, holds advanced degrees in Microbiology and Business, as well as industrial certifications in Quality Engineering. This faculty member has advanced training with extensive experience in Pharmaceutical and Medical Device industrial manufacturing, sterilization, Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance.

The responsibilities of the student at this Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience include participating in sterile and non-sterile compounding, interacting with patients regarding prescription orders, dispensing patient and office use prescriptions. Additionally, the student is exposed to current Good Manufacturing Practices (CFR-21) and participates in manufacturing, quality systems, microbial testing and facility monitoring.

There is a growing recognition among educators and practitioners alike that the knowledge base in all professions has become so large and is growing so rapidly that total mastery and recall is impossible. The challenge therefore is to graduate practitioners who understand basic concepts of the discipline and who, when confronted with a problem, possess the skills to access and apply large volumes of scientific and technological information to assess and manage the problem properly. The faculty at McGuff has created educational processes and an environment that teaches and rewards the abilities of pharmacy students to manage information, continue to learn, and think critically.

The Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences at McGuff is intended to help students:

Develop clinical experience and clinical judgment

Learn to prioritize

Learn to manage several problems at one time

Develop the ability to communicate with patients, nurses, pharmacists and physicians

Learn the unique characteristics and needs of diverse patient populations

Develop data-gathering skills

Visualize themselves as practicing pharmacists

Recognize career choices available to them

Learn to take medication histories and counsel patients

Develop a level of comfort in dealing with sick or dying patients

Learn to use resources effectively and efficiently

Learn empathy and caring for patients

Learn how to educate other members of the health care team

Develop independence and initiative

Learn to be accountable, responsible, ethical and politically savvy

Develop confidence and competence

Develop the ability to recognize more than one approach to treatment

Develop time management and marketing skills

Develop interest and ability in providing continuity of care

Build sound pharmaceutical database

Participate as an effective member of a team

A description of the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience follows:

Introduction

McGuff consists of two corporations collocated at the same facility: a compounding pharmacy, McGuff Compounding Pharmacy Services, Inc. and a manufacturer of injectables, McGuff Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

McGuff Compounding Pharmacy Services, Inc. (McGuff CPS) compounds hard-to-find drugs that are not available commercially. McGuff CPS specializes in compounding injectables, but compounds all categories of dosage forms including Ointments, Creams, Capsules, PLO Gels, Troches, Solutions, Suspensions, Nasal Sprays, Vaginal Creams, and Suppositories. McGuff CPS is an FDA registered pharmacy compliant with United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) and Federal regulations for compounding pharmacies. In addition, McGuff CPS is an ISO 9001:2000 certified company and is the only ISO 9001:2000 certified compounding pharmacy in the U.S. There is an independent Quality Systems Department that insures customers will receive compounded products of unsurpassed quality.

McGuff Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (MPI) is a manufacturer of injectable products. MPI meets all FDA requirements and is an ISO 9001:2000 certified company as well. MPI has passed all Federal, State and ISO inspections to be recognized as a reliable, high quality manufacturer of sterile injectable pharmaceuticals. MPI manufacturers Ascor L 500 ® (Ascorbic Acid Injection, USP) and will soon be manufacturing additional products.

Students will participate in sterile and non-sterile compounding, interact with patients regarding prescription orders, and dispense patient and office use prescriptions. Additionally, students will participate in manufacturing, quality systems, microbial testing, analytical chemistry and perform other related activities.

Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience

The responsibilities of the student at this Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience include participating in sterile and non-sterile compounding, interacting with patients regarding prescription orders, dispensing patient and office use prescriptions. Additionally, the student is exposed to current Good Manufacturing Practices (CFR-21) and will participate in manufacturing, quality systems, microbial testing and facility monitoring.

Prerequisites

Clinical Pharmacy Therapeutics courses.

Schedules

Each student is expected to be at McGuff CPS Monday through Friday from 8AM to 5 PM for six weeks.

Preceptors

Name	Telephone	Fax
William Blair, Pharm.D.	714-438-0536	714-438-0520
Doug Tran, Pharm.D	"	"
Larry Woodhouse, Pharm.D.	"	"
Laura Blair, Pharm.D.	"	"
Vicki Lewis, Pharm.D.	"	"
Damon Jones, MBA, C.Q.E.	"	"

Evaluation

Grading is on

Evaluation

Grading is based on a “Pass”/”No Pass” basis. The student will receive two evaluations during the clerkship: a midterm and a final evaluation. Evaluations will be based on the student’s overall performance, written report, oral presentation, attendance and participation.

Goals and Objectives

1. By the end of the third week, the student will be able to:

a. Demonstrate a clear understanding of techniques, responsibilities and legal aspects of compounding sterile and non-sterile products.

b. Demonstrate a clear understanding of current Good Manufacturing Practices, quality systems and general manufacturing procedures.

c. Establish professional rapport and good working relationships with other health professionals.

d. Perform patient counseling with respect to dispensing of compounded products.

2. During the last three weeks of the rotation, the student will continue to improve and perform adequately in the areas listed above.

3. At the end of the fifth week of the clerkship the student will have prepared an article suitable for publication in the McGuff Compounding Pharmacy Newsletter.

McGuff is looking forward to hosting their first pharmacy students. The McGuff faculty hopes that the students will challenge them by asking “why?” and by bring forth new ideas and concepts. This is a unique opportunity for the students, faculty, and all the entire McGuff family of employees.

Additional Information:

University of California, San Francisco Pharmacy School