January 23, 2014

UW Pharmacy Student Completes Advanced Pharmacy Practice Rotation in Namibia

Elise Fields, a fourth year UW pharmacy student, recently returned from an advanced pharmacy practice experience rotation in Windhoek, Namibia, where the University of Washington has a strong institutional relationship with University of Namibia (UNAM), the Ministry of Health and Social Services’ Therapeutics Information and Pharmacovigilance Centre (TIPC), and Management Sciences for Health-Namibia.  For this experience, Elise received a Thomas Francis, Jr. Global Health Fellowship Award.  During her rotation, she provided technical assistance to the Namibia’s TIPC in responding to drug information queries and conducting pharmacovigilance activities, including analysis of spontaneous adverse event reports. Elise also provided support to the newly-established UNAM Pharmacy Degree Program by assisting with identifying and developing potential pharmacy student placement programs both at TIPC and community pharmacies.  Her co-mentors were Andy Stergachis, Timothy Rennie, and Assegid Mengistu.  Dr. Mengistu, the Director of the TIPC, commented. “She applied her knowledge in answering queries and handling adverse drug reaction reports.  Elise assisted us in many aspects including data analysis, signal strengthening, reviewing articles for Medicines Watch, reviewing the website, and made valuable suggestions and recommendations. All in all, Elise has contributed a lot in such a very short time.”  Dr. Rennie, the UNAM Pharmacy Degree coordinator, offered similar praise of Elise’s relatively short time in Namibia.