Rx Refill - March 2026

Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy

The Rx Refill

"Dispensing Panther Pride, One Month at a Time"

March Dates to Remember:

• 03/02/26 - P2 & P3 Class Officer Elections Begin

• 03/04/26 - Calculations Bootcamp Feedback Session 2

• 03/05/26 - Rest & Rest Wellness - Trivia Edition

• 03/05/26 - Pharmacy Night Out with CVS

• 03/20/26- Panther Pride Casual Day

• 03/20/26 - GSGA Graduate Student Formal

Stepping into a Busy Spring & Celebrating Our P4s

Welcome back after spring break! I hope you had a chance to rest, recharge, and connect with friends and family. As we pass the halfway point of the semester, I want to acknowledge the hard work and perseverance you’ve shown so far. There’s still important work ahead, so keep pushing forward, and remember that you’re not alone—please reach out if you need support or guidance along the way.

This is an especially exciting time for our P4 class of 2026, who are about to wrap up a full year of APPE rotations. Congratulations to each of you! Over the past months, you’ve traveled from England to Alaska, immersing yourselves in hospitals, clinics, community pharmacies, and many other unique sites. You’ve cared for patients at every stage of life— from newborns to seniors— and have tackled nine diverse and sometimes exhausting rotations that have prepared you for the real world. Your dedication and passion for patient care shine through in everything you do.

As you prepare to step into your careers and pursue your professional goals as licensed pharmacists, remember that the experiences you’ve gained have shaped you into strong, knowledgeable, and compassionate healthcare providers. We’re all eagerly looking forward to welcoming you back on campus in April for your final challenge before graduation: the Board Prep course. Until then, keep pushing forward and supporting one another. See you soon!

Warm regards,

Lisa F. Brennan, PharmD, BCPS Assistant Dean of Experiential Education

Highlights to Celebrate!

Last month, our students, faculty and staff participated in our annual Pharmacy Around the World event. Check out the photos to the right that showcase our education on pharmacy in Vietnam and India.

Recognition and Gratitude

We are excited to highlight another member of our faculty, Dr. Julie Cooper. Dr. Cooper is an associate professor and chair of our clinical sciences department. She serves in leadership roles in our program and the contributions she makes are invaluable. She became a faculty member at the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy in 2016 after practicing as a cardiology clinical pharmacist at Cone Health in Greensboro, NC. Dr. Cooper is an important part of our pharmily, and shows up to assist in any way she can with warmth and care. Thank you, Dr. Cooper, for the impact you continue to make in our pharmily. We appreciate you!

Connection and Care: CPFI Prayer Box

CPFI (Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International) is excited to share that they now have a prayer request box in the breakroom. Their goal is to support and uplift you throughout the semester, and they would love the opportunity to pray for you—whether it’s for exams, rotations, personal challenges, gratitude, or anything on your heart.

You can submit a request anonymously or include your name if you’d like them to follow up with encouragement. Please know that every request will be treated with care, confidentiality, and prayerful intention.

Thank you, CPFI, for your willingness to support and encourage our pharmacy community.

HPU's The Lighted Lamp Faculty Highlight: AGS Fellow

The Lighted Lamp highlights scholarly achievements of faculty at HPU. It features work in the following categories:

• Published, peer-reviewed journal articles

• Books (single-author or edited)

• Book chapters

• Collaborative and translational activities (patents, licenses, etc.)

• Substantial research grants

• National and international awards and honors recognizing exceptional work

• Review boards (e.g. peer reviewed journals or grants)

Read more about The Lighted Lamp here.

Student Spotlight

This month's student spotlight features P3 student, Xyrish Pino. Xyrish's current interests are emergency medicine, critical care and ambulatory care. She is involved in campus and in her community by serving as the president of SCCP, the career development VP of SSHP, the secretary for SNPhA, and is a pharmacy intern at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital. When asked what she likes most about pharmacy school, Xyrish shared "I genuinely enjoy how dynamic and busy pharmacy school is. The workload definitely keeps me on my toes, but I appreciate how much we learn, and I like being able to apply that knowledge during rotations and at work. It makes everything feel purposeful and rewarding." Her future plans as a pharmacist are to pursue residency and from there to explore her interests and specialize in an area that will allow her to make meaningful impact.

Thank you for sharing your light with us, Xyrish! Keep shining!

Dr. Carr was recently inducted into the newest class of American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Fellows. AGS Fellows represent a distinguished cohort of geriatrics experts recognized for a deep commitment to advancing high-quality, person-centered care for all older adults. Each year, a small contingent of highly qualified AGS members earn fellowship status following a rigorous application process, which includes assessing everything from continuing education and public service to geriatrics scholarship and healthcare leadership. Way to go, Dr. Carr!

Your March Wellness Rx: Create an Optimistic Mindset

Optimism helps us to navigate adversity and challenges rather than deny or avoid the setbacks and challenges we experience in life. The best news about optimism is that it can be strengthened and developed. Below are six strategies to use and questions to ask that help create an optimistic mindset. These strategies contribute to the positive effects optimism has on our mental health, physical health, relationships and performance.

Notice the Positive: See positive aspects of situations and believe that the future will be good.

- What is positive in this situation?

- How will I build on it?

See Opportunity: See a difficult situation as an opportunity to grow or a challenge that you can overcome and learn from. This enhances motivation and increases the likelihood of taking productive action.

- How will I grow from this?

- What will I learn from this?

Accept and Control: Accept what you cannot control and focus instead on the aspects of a situation you can influence or change. This keeps you focused and enables you to use your resources wisely.

- What can I accept?

- What can I control?

Focus on Solutions: Don't deny the problem, but instead place your attention on understanding it and then identifying solutions. This helps you to problem solve.

- What adjustments can I make?

- What resources can I leverage?

Take Purposeful Action: Identify solutions and put those solutions into action. This helps to build momentum and to find it easier to persist in working through the challenge.

- What productive action can I take?

- What is my first step?

Reach Out: Try to become comfortable reaching out for help. We need different types of support and often different people in our lives can best give us the various types of support we need.

- What support do I need?

- Who will help me?

Spring BreakViews

Spring Break in the City: Pharmacy and Friends

Check out a few of our students that enjoyed working together during spring break. They completed the next round of data collection for their internship at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, NC and prepared for NCAP future conferences (Midyear). Featured: P1 Student, Samuel Sutton and P3 students Deardra Lewis, Payal Mehta, and Xyrish Pino.

Spring Break Celebrations: Observing Ramadan

Ramadan is a sacred time of year for the Muslim faith, and it involves times of fasting, worship, service, communal gathering, and spiritual development. Check out these photos submitted by P2 student, Sulaf Ali, of the dinner she prepared in observance of Ramadan.

The P4 Corner

Welcome to a space dedicated to you, P4s! Here you will find information such as wellness tips, celebratory news about other student pharmacists, podcast recommendations and more!

You've Got This! Rotation Reminder

How to Feel More Joy - Even When the World Feels Heavy Share Your News

The reason joy might be eluding you isn’t because you’re doing the wrong things—it’s because you're doing things to get joy rather than doing things with joy. Joy is a choice, not a reward. It’s less about what we do and more about how we do it. Check out a few tips on how to intentionally find more joy.

1. Be Present and Appreciate

Try tuning into your senses. Watch the sunset. Stretch and yawn. Listen to your favorite music. Eat something delicious and really savor it. These small pleasures anchor us to the present and open the door to joy.

2. Engage More Playfully

When we’re stuck in routine, joy can feel far away. We often switch to autopilot mode or resist what’s in front of us. But even ordinary moments can be infused with joy when we add a touch of playfulness or curiosity. Take a boring or repetitive task and see how you can make it fun. Turn it into a challenge or a creative exercise. See what shifts.

3. Choose Meaning Over Perfection

Joy doesn’t live in the flawless—it lives in the meaningful. When we let go of perfection and reconnect with why we’re doing something, joy flows more freely. When you’re stuck in “getting it right,” ask yourself: Am I focusing on performance or purpose? Choose purpose, and joy will often follow.

4. Ride the Timeline—Forward and Backward

Joy isn’t just in looking ahead—it’s also in looking back. Happy memories are reservoirs of joy. Whether it’s a childhood moment with a beloved grandparent or the day you met someone important in your life, nostalgia reconnects us to what matters. Each week, plan something to look forward to—even something small, like a walk, a favorite meal, or a creative project. And when you need a boost, revisit and fully immerse yourself in a favorite memory.

Read more on Psychology Today's How to Feel More Joy - Even When the World Feels Heavy here

News to Celebrate! Post-doctoral Fellowship

Congratulations to P4 student, Jenna Brady, on an exciting upcoming opportunity. Jenna shares "I recently accepted a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Medical Affairs at GSK in affiliation with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I will spend my first year doing clinical research within the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics and then will transition to GSK in either Oncology or Hepatology for my second year."

Congratulations Jenna! Wishing you all the best!

March Playlist Recs: Relaxing Classically

This month's playlist is a compilation of classical music, created to help guide you to a more relaxed and balanced state of mind. Scan the QR code to take a listen!

Do you have exciting news to share about your rotations? Have you received a scholarship, recognition or an award? Share your good news with newsletter. The submission form can be

Check out P4 student, Doaa Alazawi, at her recent rotation where she was able to explore pharmacy from an operating room. Doaa shares "I had the opportunity to observe in the OR during a gallbladder removal procedure, which was an incredible learning experience. I really enjoyed seeing the surgical process and understanding the pharmacist’s role in perioperative care.

Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Doaa!

THE CAPSULE

TRACKING PROGRESS. CELEBRATING MILESTONES. PREPARING FOR 2026 REACCREDITATION.

Dear FWSOP Community,

As we enter the final stretch of our ACPE Self-Study journey, we are just weeks away from welcoming our accreditation site visit team on April 14–16. What began as a comprehensive reflection process has become a powerful testament to who we are as the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy.

Over the past several months, we have engaged our community in meaningful dialogue and review. We have met with P1, P2, P3, and P4 students, gathered feedback from alumni and preceptors, and hosted review sessions with faculty and staff. This input has helped strengthen our narrative and ensure that our self-study reflects the full FWSOP experience.

A special thank you goes to Dr. Mary Jayne Kennedy, who has worked diligently to refine and merge our narratives into one cohesive voice — the FWSOP voice. We are also deeply grateful to Dr. Courtney Bradley, whose leadership has guided this process and who has worked tirelessly to ensure that every required document and upload is in place as we prepare for the visit.

This has truly been a team effort. Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and preceptors have all contributed their time, insight, and care to this process. Your diligence and commitment to excellence are \evident throughout our self-study. We are almost there!!!!

As we prepare to welcome ACPE in April, let’s continue to show the strength of our program in our classrooms, experiential sites, student services, and daily interactions. Thank you for your continued dedication and support as we move forward — one capsule at a time.

The Self-Study Steering Committee

THE CAPSULE

TRACKING PROGRESS. CELEBRATING MILESTONES. PREPARING FOR 2026 REACCREDITATION.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: YOUR VOICE IN THE SELF-STUDY

This month, we’re highlighting the voices of our students! After the recent Town Halls, we invited P1, P2, and P3 students to share what they learned about the upcoming April self-study visit. Here they share what stood out to them, what surprised them, and what questions they still have. Their reflections remind us that the self-study isn’t just a document, it’s about our shared experience at FWSOP. Take a moment to read what your classmates had to say!

“One thing that surprised me during the P1/P2 Town Hall was how in-depth our curriculum requirements are to maintain accreditation. I was especially interested in the number of professional development expectations, which helped me better understand the purpose behind courses like Dean’s Intro. I also appreciate the transparency throughout this process. Dr. Bradley has done a great job serving as a resource and helping clarify what can feel like a complex and sometimes confusing process.”

Samuel R. Sutton, CPhT

Doctor of Pharmacy Candidate, Class of 2029 process.”

“At the P3 Town Hall, we reviewed Standards 2 and 4 and learned how each element connects to the larger accreditation process. Completing the feedback survey gave us a chance to reflect on our experiences and contribute to program improvement. I was especially impressed by how organized and transparent the Self-Study process has been.”

Jessica Napoli, Doctor of Pharmacy Candidate, Class of 2027

“During the recent town hall, I gained a clearer understanding of the purpose behind the upcoming April self-study and how it directly impacts our curriculum. One of my biggest takeaways was learning how ACPE accreditation standards shape the courses we take and the overall structure of our program. The discussion really helped connect the dots between classroom requirements and the broader expectations placed on the school."

T’Nasia Priester, Doctor of Pharmacy Candidate, Class of 2028

THE CAPSULE

TRACKING PROGRESS. CELEBRATING MILESTONES. PREPARING FOR 2026 REACCREDITATION.

THE BOTTLE HAS MOVED!!!!

SPECIAL THANKS TO DAKIAH ROWE, DIRECTOR OF STUDENT EXPERIENCE AND WELL-BEING, AND DR. BETSY ABBOT, ASSISTANT DEAN FOR STUDENT AND PROFESSIONAL AFFAIRS, FOR PLACING OUR NEWEST CAPSULES ON THE BOARD.

Once housed in the Student Break Room, our RX for Excellence display can now be found outside the 3rd Floor Dean Suite. We’ve also added two new capsules to mark our continued progress.

Be sure to stop by and see how our journey continues — capsule by capsule.

� Watch for updated posters and slides across FWSOP� Check your email for Self-Study updates

PHARMACY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Overview

The pharmacy internship at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is a 3-year progressive program that builds skills and experience each year. Interns gain a broad understanding of pharmacy services and graduate ready to lead and provide patient-centered care across the profession.

Time commitment:

8-week summer curriculum

2-week during winter break

One weekend in a 3-week block throughout the academic year

Research opportunities:

Longitudinal group projects

Small group projects

Poster presentations

Publications

Professional development:

Book club

Skills workshops

Networking

Leadership opportunities:

Chief Intern

Research Chair

Professional Development Chair

Marketing Chair

For more information about our program, visit this link: https://www.wakehealth.edu/about-us/trainingprograms/pharmacy-internship-program

For questions, please contact Minal Patel, PharmD, BCPS, DPLA at minal.p.patel@advocatehealth.org

Intern Year 1

Develops the student’s knowledge and skills through experiences in acute care pharmacy operations. Interns will be active members of the distributive service line and gain experience with pharmacy automation and delivery. This starts summer prior to pharmacy year 1.

Intern Year 2

Builds on previous skills through experiences with the Pharmacy Assurance of Care Transitions (PACT) team. Interns will have direct patient contact to obtain patient medication lists and conduct medication reconciliation. This starts summer prior to pharmacy year 2.

Intern Year 3

Develops the student’s leadership and knowledge through experiences with enhanced clinical responsibilities. Clinical duties include assisting pharmacist with updating pharmacy notes and discharge counseling. This starts summer prior to pharmacy year 3.

Applications will be considered for pharmacy students accepted into an ACPE accredited school or college of pharmacy. Interested applications please apply using this link: https://careers.atriumhealth.org/jobs/16639458-pharmacy-intern-i

Applicants should be prepared to upload a CV including two references with contact information.