Welcome to our first Newsletter with the School firmly ensconced in the Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence (PACE). 

It has been a whirlwind few months and the move into the School was a great challenge for all of us.  The outcome has, however, been definitely worthwhile. 

We have moved into a phenomenal new building and have access to fantastic facilities for learning and discovery.
Over the last few weeks we have been busy with the formal opening of PACE on the University’s Centenary Day, the first student engagement ceremony of its type in Australia and a Jubilee Gala to celebrate our 50 years of pharmacy education.

The building is not yet finished though; the GP Super Clinic space on Level 4 is due for completion later this year and work on the fit out for the Super Clinic will start shortly.

The completion of Phase 1 of the PACE project has been the fruit of many peoples’ efforts.  I would like to pay tribute to three key individuals whose tireless and unstinting labours have been critical to the project’s delivery.  The first of these is Mika Hayward, the Director of Operations in the Faculty of Health Sciences; the second is Sherron Irwin, formerly PACE project manager for the University Property and Facilities Directorate and the third is Dr Peter Cabot, Senior Lecturer in the School of Pharmacy. I can do no more than acknowledge my personal thanks and my debt of gratitude to these individuals.  There are, of course, a legion of others who are also deserving of special recognition but I know I will miss someone if I start to list everyone I should, so I ask that you accept a collective “thank you”!

Please enjoy reading about PACE and the happenings in the School in the following Sections of our Newsletter.

Professor Nick Shaw
Head of School

School of Pharmacy Takes Up Residence at PACE

The construction of Phase 1 of the Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence (PACE) precinct was completed in December 2009, with School of Pharmacy scientific staff and some laboratories moving in prior to Christmas.

Remaining staff completed their move from St Lucia by the end of January.

The move from St Lucia campus to the $100m facility at Woolloongabba signals a new chapter in the history of pharmacy education at the University of Queensland

Staff and visitors to PACE have been wowed by the sleek design and modern styling that is evident throughout the building. From brightly coloured carpets, sharp architectural lines and wall to floor glass, PACE is certainly a sight to behold, inside and out.

Bachelor of Pharmacy students began work at PACE from Week 1 of 1st Semester, enjoying the brand new facilities on offer. State-of-the-art laboratory space mixes with cosy interaction nooks to provide a futuristic learning experience.

The opening of the PACE branch of the UQ Library had staff and students agasp at the space which could double as a trendy club by-night. Large lounge areas adjoin glimmering rows of Apple Macs, allowing students a warm, welcoming space to relax in between lectures (more on the Library below).

Joining the School at PACE is the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (Queensland Branch), who are located on the 3rd Floor of the "West Wing".

As part of the 2010 celebrations, the School is seeking to re-engage with alumni who may have lost contact with us over the years. To ensure that the School has your correct details and that you receive invitations to our exciting events throughout 2010, visit the UQ Advancement website and update your details today.

Please make a note of the School's new contact details:

The School of Pharmacy Reception is situated on Level 4, inside the main entrance from Cornwall Street. Address and contact details as of 18 January are:

• The School of Pharmacy
  The University of Queensland
  Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence
  20 Cornwall Street
  Woolloongabba QLD 4103
  Phone | 07 3346 1900
  Fax | 07 3346 1999

• Find us on Google Maps
  

For media enquiries, please contact:
Stephanie Dunn 07 3365 2034 | s.dunn@uq.edu.au

To read about PACE, visit the School of Pharmacy website.

Deputy Premier Officially Opens PACE, Tours Precinct

PACE was officially opened by Hon. Paul Lucas, Deputy Premier, on Friday April 16.

The morning began with a ceremony that included an address from the Deputy Premier and the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate the official opening.

After the ceremony, the Deputy Premier toured the facility with Head of School, Professor Nick Shaw, UQ Vice Chancellor, Professor Paul Greenfield and Faculty of Health Sciences Executive Dean, Professor Nick Fisk.

During the proceedings, Prof. Greenfield thanked the Queensland Government for the partnership on PACE and nearby research and education developments.

“PACE is yet another example of UQ’s active engagement with the community – in this case, embedding our pharmacy students and staff in a rich clinical and research environment.

“This tight integration of teaching, research and clinical practice will improve patient care and lead to better health outcomes, particularly in Queensland.”

Professor Nick Shaw said PACE was Australia’s premier facility for pharmacy education and research, and provided an amazing learning environment for students.

“The hi-tech environment actually helps students focus on traditional, face to face patient contact,” he said.

“This is going to become increasingly important because pharmacists are going to play a wider role in patient care in the future, particularly in the management of the growing numbers of patients with chronic diseases.

“From the moment students enter the totally wi fi-connected precinct, they enter a world where technology plays a key role in the development of their knowledge and skills.”

Photos: Courtesy Jeremy Patten, UQ

White Coats an Aussie First

The School of Pharmacy has welcomed the next generation of pharmacists to the profession in an Australian first.

The 2010 Bachelor of Pharmacy 1st year cohort, made up of some 334 students, took part in an inaugural engagement ceremony that saw them receive a white dispensing coat and a written "statement of commitment".

The ceremony is the first of its kind in an Australian pharmacy school, but follows in the footsteps of Institutions in Canada and the US.

Members of the pharmacy profession were on hand to personally greet the students and welcome them after the official proceedings, which included a group reading of the Statement of Commitment, lead by 4th Year Bachelor of Pharmacy Honours student, Mr Joe Monteith.

Dr Lisa Nissen, an Associate Professor (QUM) at the School of Pharmacy, and President of the PSA (QLD Branch), was instrumental in bringing such an event to the School, after having seen similar ceremonies receive positive feedback from students and academics overseas.

A/Prof. Nissen attended the event last Tuesday, later saying:

"The idea behind the engagement ceremony is to welcome our incoming pharmacy students to not only the school, but importantly to the profession as a whole. The concept has been adapted from similar ceremonies undertaken in pharmacy (and medical) schools around North America.

"In a nutshell, the students are given a dispensing coat by the school. With an important part of the ceremony being the reciting of a student oath, whereby they promise to uphold the principles of the profession and a focus on health care throughout their university studies and beyond. A number of distinguished guests from the profession and our alumni then shake hands with the students and welcome them to the “family”.

"We see the ceremony as our opportunity to provide the students with some sense of the history, pride and professionalism that is pharmacy and the highlight the responsibility and crucial role we play in the community as a whole. We hope it will give them a sense of community, as students and as health professionals in training.

"The 'coat' itself is designed to be used as a symbol of professionalism and a commitment to health care provision. Students will wear the coat in the professional components of the course, including in counseling and dispensing tutorials and for their oral exams. It will be an expected requirement for these session and we hope will reinforce some sense of responsibility and accountability in the students as a whole. Pharmacy is such a wonderful profession, steeped in history and with an exciting and challenging future – this ceremony is to remind the students that they are a critical part of it."

The School's First year Coordinator, Dr Lynne Emmerton, spoke to the gathering, and later said:

"We’ll be seeking student feedback on what this ceremony meant to them, but they did seem to enjoy the concept.

"The lecture theatre full of around 330 white coats looked quite spectacular, and the students sensed that. However, it wasn’t only about the coats. This was hopefully just the start of the students’ ongoing commitment to professionalism as both undergraduates and future pharmacists, and the earlier that they engage with the concept of professionalism, the better”

Official proceedings were followed by refreshments in PACE's Level 4 Interaction Space, where students were able to mingle with members of the profession, staff and alumni.

The School will continue to hold an engagement ceremony for each incoming cohort in the future.

Pictured (above left): The 2010 Bachelor of Pharmacy 1st year cohort recite the Statement of Commitment during Tuesday's ceremony

Pictured (above right): Professor Nick Shaw (Head of School) welcomes 1st Year Bachelor of Pharmacy student, Ms Calista Bui.

SCRIPT FOR SUCCESS: 50 Years of Pharmacy at the University of Queensland

School Of Pharmacy has launched a book that traces its 50 year history, at the Gala Reception held at PACE on Saturday 17 April.

The book, entitled “SCRIPT FOR SUCCESS: 50 Years of Pharmacy at the University of Queensland” has been researched and written by historians and UQ alumni, Ms Judith Nissen and Ms Moya Pennell.

The history outlines the struggle to establish the Pharmacy Department in 1960 as one of the first two such higher education options in Australia; and traces some of the challenges in transforming that fledgling Department to where it stands in 2010 – one of the largest among 16 pharmacy schools nation-wide.

The book has been four years in production, with Ms Nissen and Ms Pennell scouring archives, libraries and museums across South East Queensland as well as interviewing many notable figures in Queensland’s pharmaceutical history.

Included is a forward written by Mr Peter Brand AM (Director of Pharmacy Services for the Wesley Pharmacy and Associated Pharmacies; Director of the Wesley Research Institute; Chair, Pharmacists’ Board of Queensland).

In his forward, Mr Brand writes:

“You’ll see in the following pages how the School has developed in tandem with the profession’s needs; though when I was a student I had little idea of the struggles which marked this progress” he writes.

“Thanks are due to every student, staff member, alumnus and supporter who, in the space of a half-century, helped make the School what it is today. And as one of that band, I congratulate the School of Pharmacy on becoming not just one of the first, but also one of the largest and best, in Australia.”

Head of School, Professor Nick Shaw, said

“The School’s history of how the Pharmacy degree came to be delivered, the experiences and staff and students and the relationship of the School with the University make for fascinating reading.

"It is extremely interesting to see how much has changed in so very many areas but how little some things have altered.

“I found the book a terrific read and a most valuable and absorbing illustration of changes in the Pharmacy profession, the University and society.”

The book is available for $38.00 via the Co-Op Bookshop (http://www.coop-bookshop.com.au/bookshop/show/9780646531298), or contact:

• Stephanie Dunn
  Email | s.dunn@uq.edu.au
  Phone | 07 3364 1926

Pictured (above right): Judy Nissen, Prof. Nick Shaw and Moya Pennell

PACE Health Sciences Library - Open For Business

The new PACE Health Sciences Library located on level 6 of PACE opened its doors to UQ staff and students during the second week of March this year.

The ‘PACE Library’ is the fifteenth branch of The University of Queensland Library and brings together staff and students from the School of Pharmacy with medical, nursing and allied health staff and students from the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

The PACE Library offers UQ students an exciting new learning environment. Catering to the demand for after- hours access, the branch provides access to a lock- away collection that extends access to the space beyond opening hours.

The physical space boasts:

• A total of 56 iMacs available for student use
• Four meeting rooms for group study, PBL discussion, presentations or formal meetings, each equipped with a Mac mini, LCD screen and re-charge sockets for laptops connected to the University’s network (three of the rooms can accommodate six people, and one can accommodate twelve).
• Fast broadband wireless with an abundance of re-charge sockets throughout
• A quiet study space with extra-large study desks, some equipped with Apple iMacs, while others provide ports and sockets for student s to plug in their own laptops
• A variety of small group study spaces
• Study desks located conveniently within the collection
• Lounge furniture to provide students with additional informal seating

The new branch also has an eZone which can be divided in two, each containing 13 iMacs including a trainer’s workstation. This state of the art training room comes with two electronic whiteboards, one at each end of the room, and is equipped with the latest in video conferencing technology.

Not only does the PACE Health Sciences Library offer a variety of study spaces and integrated technology; it’s convenient location – within the PACE Precinct, and next door to the PA Hospital – offers staff and students in the School and at PAH the benefit of having all of their information needs at their finger tips.

Story: Courtesy of UQ Library
Photos: Courtesy Stewart Gould, UQ Office of Marketing & Communications

Alumnus Named Young Professional of the Year

School of Pharmacy alumnus, Mr Bruce Elliot, has been named 2010 Young Professional of the Year.

The Young Professional of the Year Award, an initiative of Professions Australia, recognises noteworthy achievement by young professionals who are individual members of Professions Australia member associations.

The recipient must demonstrate outstanding service of benefit to the community and consistent with the highest standards of professionalism.

Bruce Elliot graduated from the School in 2000, and is now Managing Partner of four Central Queensland based pharmacy's in the ChemCoast group.

An active member in the Pharmacy community, Bruce is an accredited consultant pharmacist; he has a major clinical interest in aged care, pain management and chronic disease management, particularly cardiovascular health.

He is a branch committee member and Vice President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (Queensland Branch) and is also Chair of its Professional Development and Practice Support Committee.

In 2009 Bruce was elected as a Pharmaceutical Society of Australia National Board Member and Chair of the National membership Working Group; he was named the 2009 Young Australian Pharmacist of the Year.

Continuing Professional Development for his fellow pharmacists has been a strong focus of Bruce's work within his professional organisation.

He has created new programs ensuring CPD courses are targeted, relevant and accessible to his colleagues in the profession. Bruce is also a Board member of the Capricornia Division of General Practice where he has been able to communicate with other health professionals with a view to ensuring a holistic approach is taken to health care.

Bruce’s involvement in a wide range of community and professional activities highlights the dedication he has to his profession. His ongoing work in the development and implementation of programs and services for consumers and fellow pharmacists shows a commitment to the wellbeing of consumers and the professional interests of his fellow pharmacists.

For further information on the awards, please visit the Professions Australia website at www.professions.com.au

Ambulance Placement Leads to Research Grant

2009 Bachelor of Pharmacy graduate Mr Carlos Salanitri has been announced as a recipient of the 2009 Patrons Research Grant award from the Kenneth James McPherson Foundation.

Mr Salanitri, who was awarded the grant along with two Intensive Care Paramedics (Mark Crossman and Ron Sapir), participated in an experiential placement with the Australian Centre for Pre-hospital Research, Queensland Ambulance Service in 2009 as part of his Pharmacy degree.

The three grant recipients met during Mr Salantitri’s placement, and their mutual interest in reducing drug errors resulted in the submission of a research proposal to the Foundation.

The Kenneth James McPherson Foundation Trust was founded in 1987 as a memorial to Kenneth James (Jim) McPherson, a serving paramedic who lost his life in an air ambulance accident. The Trust now operates as a Foundation and commemorates all Queensland Ambulance officers who have given their lives in the call of duty.

The Foundation is a not for profit entity which works to support research opportunities for officers of the Queensland Ambulance Service.  The Patron¹s grant is the highest achievement amongst these awards.

Associate Professor Vivienne Tippett, Director of the Australian Centre for Pre-hospital Research, Queensland Ambulance Service, said: “It was great to be able to facilitate this collaboration while Carlo was with us and I thought a demonstration of the value of pharmacy students on placement at Queensland Ambulance Service”.

For more information regarding Queensland Ambulance Service Research Grants, please visit:
www.ambulance.qld.gov.au/about/kjmf/research_grants.asp

Australia Day Honours for UQ Pharmacy Alumnus

Prominent Queensland pharmacist and UQ Pharmacy alumnus, Karalyn Huxhagen has been honoured in the Australia Day awards with an Achievement Award for service to Queensland health and the community.

Ms Huxhagen was nominated by the Mackay Health Service District for outstanding dedication to improving the health, and health knowledge, of the community.

The citation with the award particularly noted Ms Huxhagen was being recognised for performing this service in her personal time.

Ms Huxhagen said she was greatly honoured by the award, which had been totally unexpected.

"It really was a surprise, but a very wonderful one and I am extremely pleased to receive this significant award," she said.

Acting President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Dr Lisa Nissen, congratulated Ms Huxhagen on being named a recipient of the Australia Day Achievement Award.

Dr Nissen, the first woman to head the PSA, said Ms Huxhagen had many areas of health specialty including community, Aboriginal and Island Health Services, primary health care, and diabetes.

"She also is prominent in many of the Community Pharmacy Agreement programs including Medication Reviews and quality use of medicine in Aboriginal health services," Dr Nissen said.

"She has a great depth of experience and is constantly looking to new ways to improve her ability to add to the well being of the community she serves.

"At present, she practices in a community pharmacy that provides a very wide range of services including working with a qualified Naturopath."

The School congratulates Ms Huxhagen on this outstanding achievement.

Cancer Research Takes Student to the States

PhD candidate Desma Grice recently traveled to the USA to attend two conferences: The American Society of Cell Biology Meeting (San Diego) and the Breast Cancer Symposium (San Antonio).

She reports:

"Attendance at the American society of cell biology gave me the opportunity to see cutting edge cell biology techniques and to present and discuss my results with members in similar areas of research gaining valuable feedback on our work prior to publication.

"This conference provided a number of dedicated, interactive, professional development workshops and mentoring groups specifically for PhD for students. The opportunity to attend these sessions was valuable for my career development.

"My work with A/Prof. Sarah Roberts-Thomson and A/Prof. Greg Monteith centers on a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer. At the ASCB I was able to attend a discussion group on “What is the Golgi apparatus” with a number of renowned researchers. The knowledge I gained from this opportunity has been valuable to our research in the area on calcium transporters in breast cancer.

"The second conference I attended was the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, this conference focused on cutting edge breast cancer research with a large emphasis on clinical application. Attendance of this conference gave me the opportunity to see new developments in breast cancer research, treatment and diagnosis and to see new directions in breast cancer research that are relevant to my labs current area of expertise.

"Attending these conferences has enhanced my training and professional development in the area of breast cancer research and calcium signaling. It has allowed me to broaden my expertise and exchange my research results with researchers from around the world. These opportunities have greatly enhance the quality and relevance of my research.

"I would like to thank the school of Pharmacy and the Queensland Cancer Council for providing financial support towards attending these conferences. "

PhD Candidate Awarded Research Grants

School of Pharmacy PhD candidate Felicity Davis has been awarded a Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility Travel and Access Program grant, as well as a UQ graduate school research travel grant.

This funding is to “enable confirmed research higher degree candidates to undertake research travel that will enhance the quality and accelerate the progress of their research by giving them access to equipment, expertise, or archives not readily available at the University of Queensland”.

One of Felicity’s PhD advisors, A/Prof Sarah Roberts-Thomson, said “these grants will provide Felicity access to equipment and expertise for her to better understand mechanisms important in breast cancer metastasis”.

Felicity will be traveling to the University of Sydney to work with experts in live cell imaging.

Prestigious Scholarship for Pharmacy Researcher

Congratulations to Phd candidate Jane Lee, who was recently awarded a UQ Advantage top up scholarship for her Australian Postgraduate Award.

Jane’s UQ advantage top-up scholarship was one of only 6 awarded to domestic candidates and 7 to international candidates across the whole university.

Jane has returned to the UQ Pharmacy school after receiving the University medal and an honours degree in Pharmacy and after working as a Pharmacist.

Jane is completing her PhD under the supervision of A/Profs Greg Monteith and Sarah Roberts-Thomson.

Jane’s research will seek to better understand the role of a specific calcium transporter in breast cancer, in particular in breast cancer subtypes with the poorest prognosis.

Commencing RHD Candidates

Welcome to the following Research Higher Degree candidates who have commenced their PhD:

• Mr Vaskar Das
  Advisors: Professor Maree Smith and Dr Bruce Wyse
  Project Title: To establish, validate and characterize a rat model of bone cancer pain using behavioural pain measures and immunohistochemical methods
  
  
• Mr Christopher Freeman
  Advisors: A/Professor Lisa Nissen, Mr Neil Cottrell and Dr Greg Kyle
  Project Title: Integrating a Pharmacist into the Australian General Practice Environment
  
  
• Ms Nina Ilic
  Advisors: Professor Maree Smith, Professor Evan Siegel, Professor Damian Hine and Professor Julie Hepworth
  Project Title: Comparative study of processes, systems and regulations in manufacturing and application of stem cells and other cell therapies
  
  
• Ms Jane Lee
  Advisors: A/Professor Greg Monteith & A/Professor Sarah Roberts-Thomson
  Project Title: Secretory pathway calcium and manganese transport in breast cancer cells
  
  
• Ms Pamela Pietrobon
  Advisors: A/Professor Lisa Nissen and Dr Louise Young
  Project Title: How can innovative e-learning methods be effectively employed to cater for the educational needs of increasing numbers of medical graduates?
  
  
• Mr Banafsheh Sadat Afshar Imani
  Advisors: Dr Marie-Odile Parat and Dr Pete Cabot
  Project Title: Morphine and breast cancer metastasis
  
  

Graduating PhD Candidates

Congratulations to the following PhD candidates who have completed their PhD:

• Dr Michael Barras
  Date awarded: 12 February, 2010
  Project Title: Dose individualisation of Enoxaparin
  Advisors: Dr Bruce Green and A/Professor Carl Kirkpatrick
  
  
• Dr Susan Hua
  Date awarded: 13 January, 2010
  Project Title: The peripheral mechanisms of analgesia and the involvement of adhesion molecules - Development of a novel targeted drug delivery system to sites of inflammation and application to peripheral analgesia
  Advisors: Dr Peter Cabot, Dr Amitha Hewavitharana, Professor Nick Shaw
  
  
• Dr Kathleen Otto
  Date awarded: 4 December, 2009
  Project Title: Painful diabetic neuropathy: preclinical studies to improve therapeutic insight
  Advisors: Professor Maree Smith, Dr Bruce Wyse, Dr Peter Cabot

Alumni Spotlight

Donald C. Monkhouse, B.Pharm (Hons) (UQ), Ph.D. (U of Iowa);
President & CSO, The Aprecia Pharmaceuticals Company
Langhorne, PA 19087 USA.

My father was the town Pharmacist in Proserpine for over fifteen years. I grew up observing him repeatedly and extemporaneously compounding suspensions of bismuth and tincture of opii camph (or belladonna) for upset stomachs. It was the custom of the sugarcane cutters to imbibe too much during the “Six o’clock swill” at the pub next door to his Pharmacy. This is where I recall coming up with the idea of “scaling up” such suspensions in a bulk carboy, so that each prescription could be filled expeditiously. This removed the long lines of hung-over customers, and allowed the regular patrons to enter the shop unimpeded.

So it was decided I would follow in my father’s footsteps and become a pharmacist. My undergraduate years were spent traveling between the St. Lucia and George Street campuses. After graduation, I interned at various local pharmacies in Brisbane, and realized I was more interested in developing new products rather than dispensing them. I approached Dr. Dare to enroll me in the Honours program; he obliged and it was Phil Wyatt and I who registered for the second class in the program.

The professors who influenced me the most were Bill Harris and Gordon Groves. Our practical lab experience was broad indeed, ranging from manufacturing tablets, suspensions, suppositories, ointments, rolling pills, and molding triturates (more on this topic later). My project involved the study of a chelating agent and its influence in enhancing the effectiveness of a common bactericide. By the time I finished this exercise, I had had enough of autoclaves (see photo), foul-smelling bacterial cultures and dangerous microbes. However, it was my experience at the Royal Brisbane Hospital when I learned how to manufacture large quantities of product, such as Salol ointment, that I found intriguing. The ointment was one of the first sunscreens provided to patients with skin cancer. This product was produced in a large heated mixer, but was a poor quality formulation as it crystallized out when cooled, and quickly became quite gritty. I wanted to learn how to improve such products, and determined I needed further education.

Our predecessors (Bevyn Jarrott, Ken Ilett and John Parkin) had all elected to go to the UK to study, but Phil and I decided to break the mold and seek our fortune in the USA. With the recommendation of Dr. Groves, I was fortunate to be admitted into the graduate program at the University of Iowa (Phil attended the University of Florida). Shortly thereafter, my new wife and I embarked on a slow boat to America for our honeymoon, assigned to a bunk below the water line, no less. (And I had blithely told my mother-in-law that we would be away only for a couple of years).

What a contrast was Iowa! We left in 100 degrees F weather and landed at -10 degrees F (January,1967), no leaves on the trees and no green grass to be seen (all presumably under the snow). I also had to get used to 7 am classes by way of trudging through the snow across the frozen Iowa River (I didn’t realize until later how dangerous that actually was), regular exams every two weeks (compared to Australian practice of cramming them all together at the end of the year) and competing with engineer, chemistry and math majors in their discipline areas on their home turf. On the other hand, the Pharmaceutics curriculum was rather less challenging because of my comprehensive background gained at UQ. My thesis was entitled, “The Use of Adsorbents in the Enhancement of Drug Dissolution,” which was a hot topic in the early 70’s, and very recently this proverbial “wheel” has been “rediscovered” (Generally, only the last 20 years of research are available online. It is rare to find graduate students in the library stacks, taking the time to investigate the era before online journals were available). Studying Pharmacy in Iowa subsequently became an attractive proposition to several other students from Queensland, [including Jim McGinity, David Pope, Colin Rowlings, and Peter Stewart (visiting faculty)], all of whom have subsequently achieved outstanding careers.

Upon graduation, my industrial journey began at Pfizer in Connecticut. On my first day I ran into Val Stella, who was in the process of interviewing for a job. Val and I had met in 1965 at the annual gathering of Australian Pharmacy students on Kangaroo Island, where we bunked in a dilapidated garage with a hole in the roof. Val was representing the Victorian College of Pharmacy at that time and subsequently attended the University of Kansas when I was in Iowa. Rather than industry, he elected to go the academic route and has since become a giant in the Pharmaceutical Science world.

The most serendipitous aspect of living in Connecticut was that unlike the Midwest, where my broad Australian accent was a serious problem with communication (I couldn’t be understood when ordering a pizza over the phone, and the students I was supervising had prepared a special dictionary to interpret what I had said), people thought I was from Boston and all of a sudden I no longer had to repeat myself…what a difference!

It turned out that there were several Australian Pharmacy graduates who were working in the US and we naturally took the opportunity to organize annual reunions while attending the APhA Academy meetings. We sang songs, had boat races and enjoyed a few “cocktails” together. This camaraderie has proven quite valuable from both personal and business perspectives, as we all became good friends and relied on each other for various needs. For instance, when I became Department Director at Squibb (my second job), I was able to invite these professors to consult on problems that the incumbent staff could not solve. At the same time, they received funding in the form of a research grant to help give a head start to their burgeoning careers, where promotion relied heavily on their ability to publish. By the same token, I had an inside track on recruiting their best students for my Department. My future depended on rapidly developing products for the market, and this was only possible if the best contemporary scientific principles were applied. One of the most brilliant students from Val’s lab was Bill Charman, who is now the Dean of Pharmacy at Monash University. Association with Aussie scientists also continued through arranging to spend their sabbaticals with me. These scientists included Peter Stewart and Richard Oppenheim.

Although I chose an industrial career, I always had a penchant for mentoring students who would spend a six- or 12-month internship under my direction. This has been quite satisfying as many have on my recommendation continued on to obtain a higher degree, and it is particularly rewarding seeing them achieve responsible, high-level positions in industry. Nevertheless, my ultimate gratification results from walking into a pharmacy and seeing a product on the shelf that I had some small part in the formulation development.

Since my time at Squibb, I went on to VP-level positions at Sterling in NY and SmithKine in PA. Having survived mergers in both companies where cultural differences predominated, in 1993 I decided it was time to go out on my own. After writing a lengthy business plan, I was able to obtain funding for a Contract Research Organization (CRO), which was staffed to develop products for small companies that did not have their own resources. Following the buy-out of this CRO, I joined a start-up company, which was developing a new manufacturing technology licensed from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The license was for both medical devices and pharmaceuticals. After 5 years, the company backer decided to forego the pharmaceutical license primarily because of the long timelines in getting approval from the FDA.

I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit and decided to take another chance. I was subsequently able to obtain the pharma license back from MIT and co-founded the Aprecia Pharmaceuticals Company with my business partner and two of the smartest employees from the previous company. For six years now we have been scaling up the Three Dimensional Printing (3DP) process (see photo) and are poised for our first Regulatory submission. There have been very few innovations in pharmaceutical processing, as Cec Williams was wont to say “since the year dot,” so it will be very interesting to see how the FDA reviewers receive 3DP. The products that are fabricated using 3DP exhibit the phenomenon of instantly collapsing in the mouth when taken with a sip of water, regardless of the dose load. This is particularly advantageous for those patients (e.g., with dysphagia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, etc.) who have difficulty with swallowing pills. In fact, what we are making is literally a better engineered wafer, albeit a modernized “triturate,” …….which demonstrates that what one learns early on (even from a quaint rural pharmacy in Proserpine or in a pharmaceutics laboratory at George Street) eventually comes around at payoff time.

I am often asked if I will return to Queensland to retire, but with my children and grandchildren firmly ensconced in the States, it appears that my homeland will simply be the site of more frequent visits as time allows.

If any UQ pharmaceutics graduate student would like to experience an industrial internship in the USA, (and thus maintain the Australia-America connection) please feel free to contact me at don@aprecia.com.

Photos: Courtesy of Don Minkhouse

50 Years of Pharmacy Reunion

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of UQ's School of Pharmacy, a reunion will be held at PACE on Saturday July 3, 2010.

All alumni and their partners are invited back to the School for a Gala evening that will commemorate not only the Golden Jubilee, but also UQ's Centenary.

Written invitations will be sent to alumni from all Pharmacy programs, including research higher degrees, Bachelor of Pharmacy and Clinical Pharmacy, so keep an eye on your mailbox over the coming weeks!

For further information on the events planned for 2010, or the UQ Pharmacy Alumni Network, please email alumni@pharmacy.uq.edu.au or visit www.uq.edu.au/pharmacy/alumni

Guild's Support Keeps Alumni in the Network

The School of Pharmacy would like to acknowledge the generous support of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia (QLD Branch), who have supported the initiation of the UQ Pharmacy Alumni Network since its inception in 2006.

Their support continues in 2010, making it possible for the School to continue regular contact with its graduates, update records, produce printed materials and banners to raise awareness of the network.

As the Pharmacy alumni network grows, the School places increased emphasis on contact with its alumni, and thanks the Pharmacy Guild of Australia for assisting with this.