American Pharmacists Association®

Operation Healthy Heart

Healthy Heart serves the public by providing free blood pressure and total cholesterol screening and health information about hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.  This is a hands on project that allows volunteers to develop patient communication skills as well as technical screening skills while providing a service to underserved communities.

Our goals are to:

•  Improve public awareness of the health risks associated with uncontrolled hypertension and hypercholesterolemia

•  Identify individuals at greatest risk of cardiovascular disease and referring them to appropriate care

•    Connect the public to primary care resources

•  Reinforce the importance of regular doctor visits for the management of hypertension and/or hypercholesterolemia

•  Educate the public on the benefits of self (frequent home blood pressure monitoring for patients with hypertension, following the DASH diet for those with hypertension, following a low-cholesterol diet for those with hypercholesterolemia)

• Inform the public of the positive impact of following a healthy diet and exercise regimen on heart and cardiovascular system health and its potential benefits in preventing or slowing progression to coronary heart disease

In order to attain these goals, we need the help of dedicated student volunteers like you! 

Coordinators:

Kenneth Tham

Felice Wu

Lois Chung

Claire Bainbridge

Operation Diabetes

About 18.8 million people in the United States have diabetes, while about 7.0 million people remain undiagnosed! Diabetes is an ever growing problem in the United States. As student pharmacists we are able to use our knowledge to serve our community and raise awareness about diabetes. Operation Diabetes is a hands-on screening and education project nationally recognized by APhA-ASP and the American Diabetes Association. We have a strong history of educating and screening underprivileged and high risk populations, and we want you to help us continue this great service! This year, our main events include Diabetes Awareness Month and working directly with the community. We participate in numerous health fairs through blood-glucose screenings and diabetes awareness/prevention education in various communities including Filipino, Korean, South Asian, Chinese and Latino populations.

Coordinators:

Kara Kang

Rahat Mawlavizada

La Toya Thompson

Lisa Le

Operation Immunization

Have you heard the saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? Pharmacists and student pharmacists are now allowed to vaccinate patients, playing an important role in the prevention of disease. All of you will be certified to administer immunizations in CP 111, so come join the Operation Immunization coordinators and use your skills to reach out both on campus and in the community! We will be organizing influenza vaccination campaigns at UCSF, Walgreens, health fairs, as well as other locations. In addition to administering vaccinations, we also educate people in the community about the importance of receiving vaccinations. By providing facts about immunizations, we can help alleviate fears and clear up myths associated with vaccinations.

Although vaccinations are considered to be one of the safest, most cost-effective means of preventing disease, there is still a deficit between ideal and actual vaccination rates. For example, the CDC estimates that 73% of the US population should be vaccinated against the influenza virus annually, but only 60% of individuals ≥ 65 years old and only 10-40% of other groups achieve this goal. Come help Operation Immunization in our goals to improve vaccination rates and protect the community from vaccine-preventable diseases!

Coordinators:

Michelle Chatley

Amy Kyu

Lirianny Pimentel

Generation Rx

The Generation Rx Initiative, funded by the Cardinal Health Foundation, is an educational program that increases public awareness of prescription medication abuse and encourages health care providers, community leaders, parents, teens, and college students to actively work to prevent abuse. APhA-ASP is honored to partner with Cardinal Health on this educational program to expand the breadth and depth of this important initiative to the communities surrounding our nation’s schools and colleges of pharmacy.

Coordinators:

Hunter Davis

Hindu Rao