"More than 50 million Americans suffer the symptoms of heartburn more than twice a week. Approximately 10% of Americans suffer heartburn symptoms daily and more than a third of all Americans have heartburn on at least an occasional basis. These patients have problems sleeping, enjoying their favorite meals and activities, and heartburn can make asthma worse in asthmatics, leading to a decreased quality of life. Student pharmacists and pharmacists have the ability to help the nearly 46% of patients who have improvement in their heartburn related symptoms with over the counter medications." --- excerpt taken from APhA-ASP website.

Through the APhA-ASP Heartburn Awareness Challenge, student pharmacists at ULM have been working to inform the citizens of Northeast Louisiana about signs, symptoms, and treatment options for one of America's most common problems. The project offers students the opportunity to work on presentation and clinical skills and to sharpen their patient counseling abilities.

Our chapter has offered screenings at several university wide events, including the annual ULM Chili Cook-Off and Homecoming tailgate. In addition to these screenings, the Heartburn Awareness Challenge committee has set the following goals for the upcoming year.

• To improve the quality of life of heartburn sufferers by providing them with information on heartburn.
• To raise awareness in our community and state on the causes of heartburn.
• To educate our community and state on heartburn prevention.
• To educate our community and state on the various medications that can treat heartburn
• To help patients distinguish between heartburn and a more serious gastrointestinal disorder

By joining this committee, student pharmacists will be involved in one-on-one patient assessment and counseling for heartburn. For first student pharmacists, this committee provides an opportunity to learn and apply clinical knowledge to one of the more easily understood disease states.

For questions on the Heartburn Awareness Challenge, contact our committee chair, Brittany Reeves.

"Operation Diabetes is a promotional campaign designed to increase awareness of diabetes and the dangers associated with the disease, provide glucose screening and monitoring, and promote pharmaceutical care in the community. Our goal is not to diagnose diabetes, but rather to provide information to the public in order for them to become more knowledgeable about the disease and to be able to recognize signs and symptoms of diabetes. As one of the most accessible health care professionals, pharmacists can directly impact the management of diabetes in patients. By directly involving pharmacists in diabetes management and screening, we hope to help identify those who may not have been identified in the past, help patients manage their diabetes, and ultimately prevent long-term complications of the disease." - - excerpt taken from APhA-ASP website.

This year, our chapter has set a goal to become more involved in Operation Diabetes. We hope to work with the Ouachita Council on Aging to set up screening dates at their facility, and to expand our past efforts by creating new screening opportunities throughout Northeast Louisiana. The Operation Diabetes committee has also set the following goals for the upcoming year:

• To increase public awareness of diabetes, its risk factor, and pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options.
• To sponsor at least one event each semester in the Monroe community to educate people about diabetes.
• To participate in the Ouachita Parish Council on Aging Annual Health Fair.

For questions about Operation Diabetes, contact our committee chair, Tasha Abraham.

"Each year, about 60,000 Americans die of pneumococcal disease and 20,000 Americans die of influenza. In general, for every child who dies of a vaccine preventable disease, 400 adults die from the same diseases. Unfortunately, there is a lack of immunizations in underprivileged communities and in minorities such as African Americans. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources reports that national influenza vaccination rates for African Americans, based on Medicare claims, are one-half the rate for Caucasian beneficiaries. The majority of these individuals visited a doctor, but failed to receive an immunization vaccine.

Operation Immunization consists of a promotional campaign designed to increase community awareness of immunization information and advise patients where they can obtain the proper immunizations. This campaign also promotes the implementation of immunization services in pharmacies. There are currently 44 states that allow pharmacists to immunize patients. Pharmacists in these states are then approached by APhA-ASP chapters to provide immunization services at their pharmacy. Students and pharmacists are then encouraged to administer vaccinations and provide educational material to their patients as part of this campaign. In the states where pharmacists are not authorized to administer immunizations, chapters create partnerships with physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals to administer immunizations in a pharmacy. By having pharmacists administer immunizations or having the immunizations administered in a pharmacy, there is hope to increase the public's awareness of the important role both pharmacists and student pharmacists can have on public health issues." --excerpt taken from APhA-ASP webpage.

Whether it was simply passing out brochures on required vaccinations to college students or helping seniors at the Ouachita Council on Aging understand the importance of receiving a flu shot, student pharmacists within our chapter have greatly increased our activity within Operation Immunization over the last year. By focusing our attention mainly to college students and senior citizens, our chapter was able to affect more patients and to accomplish more of our goals.  One of our committee's proudest accomplishments is the pending adoption of new language with the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy concerning the ability of student pharmacists to administer medications, which includes immunizations, within the state. The regulation is currently awaiting a public hearing and full promulgation by the board, and could possibly be changed by early 2008.

Goals and objectives for the year coming soon.