News Release
Pharmacy School to Offer Health Screenings to Community
(October 15, 2009) -
From 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 22 the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences will host a Family Health Day at Weberstown Mall in Stockton as part of National Pharmacy Month. With support from Rite Aid, San Joaquin Pharmacist Association and the Sacramento Valley Pharmacist Association, the Pharmacy school will provide cholesterol, blood pressure and other health screenings as well as information about heart burn and other common ailments.
The event is free and open to the public.
"October is American Pharmacists month so we try to promote our profession and educate the public on what their pharmacist can do for them," said Vanessa Vaupel, vice president of professional affairs with the Academy of Student Pharmacists at the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. "A pharmacist is more than a person who stands behind the counter. They can answer common health questions, give advice on new medications and treatments and truly help a patient understand what the medications they are taking are doing for them."
Besides the Family Health Day event, the Pharmacy school will immunize the Stockton Mayor and staff at town hall with a general flu vaccine on Oct. 27. Other area health organizations also are planning flu clinics for the community.
The Pharmacy School also will host several other public events during National Pharmacy Month. On Oct. 24, Pharmacy students will visit a local elementary school to co-host a health fair aimed at getting children to eat healthier and exercise. On Oct. 31, the Pharmacy will co-host a "brown bag" event with the American Association for Retired People. During that event, seniors can have one-on-one consultations with pharmacists about the medications they are taking and whether they should ask their physicians for prescription changes. Bone density, blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol screenings will be offered along with information about smoking cessation, presentations on Medicare Part D, and education about women's health issues and heartburn. For more information, please contact the student affairs office at the Pharmacy and Health Science School at 209.946.
Earlier this month, students participated in the American Heart Association Walk at the Stockton Ballpark and co-hosted the Diabetes Walk on the Stockton Campus.
