Ohio Pharmacists Foundation

OPA Executive Fellowship

Vyishali Dharbhamalla, R.Ph., PharmD, the first OPA Executive Fellow in Leadership and Association Management, has accepted a position with the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) as the Manager of Professional Affairs starting in May 2020. Her primary responsibility will be advancing professional practice and clinical issues consistent with the mission of AMCP.

During the fellowship, Vyishali developed the essential skills needed to manage an association in all of the following areas:

• Association Management and Governance
• Advocacy for the Profession
• Leadership
• Membership Development
• Professional Affairs
• Continuing Education Development
• Communications
• Publication Production
• Media Relations
• Event Coordination

Vyishali worked on implementation of provider status in Ohio via conducting research, preparing launch sites, and communicating with members regarding progress made. She authored several continuing education home-study lessons, contributed to the monthly Ohio Pharmacist journal, and updated OPA’s immunization home-study training program. Additionally, Vyishali worked on increasing student pharmacist engagement by working with OPA Student Trustees and meeting with students at campuses across Ohio.

Vyishali was instrumental in creating and updating the Coronavirus Resources page on the OPA website. As pharmacists were on the front lines providing care to patients, Vyishali helped share their stories by creating the COVID-19 Pharmacy Story survey and writing articles on members’ activities.

Vyishali increased the visibility of the OPA Executive Fellowship nationally through participation in residency showcases at meetings of the National Community Pharmacists Association and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and networking with fellows from other state pharmacy associations. She was interviewed by PRO Fellow, a national recruiting group for fellowship programs, for an article in their publication where Vyishali highlighted the OPA Executive Fellowship in Leadership and Association Management.

The fellowship was named in honor of Amy and Don Bennett who have dedicated their professional lives to leadership and the professional development of hundreds of Ohio pharmacists and student pharmacists. Amy is Assistant Executive Director of OPA, where she publishes the journal, plans CPE, and mentors student pharmacists. Don has been involved in leadership roles at local, state and national levels, and has been recognized with their highest awards. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Ohio Pharmacists Foundation.

Thanks to all who contributed to the OPA Executive Fellowship. More information on the Fellowship can be found here. Tax-deductible contributions, made payable to the Ohio Pharmacists Foundation, can be made as a one-time donation or as a pledge over time.

Donate to the OPA Executive Fellowship

The OPA Executive Fellowship is designed to develop leaders in association management to advance the profession of pharmacy. Application deadline is March 2021. 

Apply for the OPA Executive Fellowship

OPF Research Grant Program

Overview

The Ohio Pharmacists Foundation (OPF) was created in 1992 to meet the educational needs of pharmacists and to provide an avenue to study and provide new and unique health care services to the public by the pharmacist. As such, the OPF provides educational training programs and supports the conduct of practice oriented research that demonstrates the value of the pharmacist in enhancing the delivery of pharmacy care and the attainment of optimal patient outcomes. The OPF Research Grant Program is the venue through which the OPF partners with investigators at colleges of pharmacy, health care institutions and health-oriented industries to discover innovative roles, and overcome barriers, for the pharmacist to deliver health care.

Process

Submission

• A cover letter must accompany each submission that briefly addresses the purpose and objectives of the proposed project, the primary method(s) by which the objectives will be achieved, the practice setting for the project (as applicable), cooperating partners with the projects (as applicable), and amount of support requested, and the timeline for completion of the project.
• The cover letter should include the name(s) of investigators who are OPA members
• The cover letter should be addressed to: Kathy Karas, R.Ph., President, Ohio Pharmacists Foundation Board, 2674 Federated Blvd, Columbus, OH 43235
• One electronic copy and five hard copies of the proposal must be submitted prior to review with the proposal addressing each of the following categories:
  • Problem Statement (Issue to be addressed and relevance to pharmacy practice in Ohio)
  • Study Objectives
  • Study Methodology (Including population to be studied, site of study, timetable)
  • Personnel (Including supportive evidence of qualifications of the investigators)
  • Method of Data Analysis (Including the nature of the final report)
  • Budget (Projecting all study costs and identifying those being supported by OPF)

Evaluation Process

The proposal will be evaluated by the members of the OPF Board of Trustees using established criteria in each of the key areas identified above. Additionally, the proposal will be judged on the adequacy and justification of budget as well as additional support sought for the project (including "in kind" contributions). Organization, neatness and grammatical correctness of the text also will be scored.

Assurances

All research involving human subjects and/or health related records must be reviewed and approved by the human subjects' research review committee (or equivalent IRB) of the institution with which the investigator is affiliated. The OPA/OPF does not provide this research assurance. If a study is exempt from research review, that fact must be affirmatively stated in the proposal and cover letter.

A letter of support from the appropriate academic advisor, program director, supervisor or administrator must be secured and submitted with the application. Further, any proposal describing a study done in cooperation with an entity other than one directly affiliated with the investigator(s), must be accompanied by a letter of support from the appropriate authority at that agency.

No action will be taken on the proposal until these assurances are received

Expectations

An investigator who is successful in securing funding from the OPF shall conduct the study and expend the funds in the same manner as described in the project proposal. Any significant deviations from the submitted protocol and/or timeline should be communicated in a prompt manner to the OPF President (at the address above).

When the project is completed, a report of the project findings shall be submitted to the OPF President. The project report must be submitted in an electronic format and include all relevant study parameters, findings and conclusions. The report may be published in part or in whole in the OPA journal, Ohio Pharmacist, and shall be presented at the OPA Annual Conference immediately following completion of the project.

All funds awarded by OPF through this program will be sent to an institutional account where the investigator is employed/affiliated. No funds will be awarded directly to any individual.

Submission Dates

Proposals will be evaluated twice annually at scheduled meetings of the OPF Board of Trustees. As such, submission deadline dates are:

• April 1^st
• September 1^st

ACPE Information

The Ohio Pharmacists Foundation, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. "The ACPE Provider Accreditation Program is designed to assure pharmacists, boards of pharmacy, and other members of pharmacy's community of interests, of the quality of continuing pharmaceutical education programs. Quality is assured by evaluating and monitoring capabilities of providers of continuing education programs as well as monitoring and reviewing their continuing education offerings."

As an accredited provider, OPF must adhere to the Criteria for Quality established by ACPE and provide periodic self-assessment reports for review in order to maintain approved-provider status.

Board of Trustees

Kathy Karas, President
Steve Burson, Vice President
Larry Schieber, Treasurer
Donald Bennett
Marialice Bennett
Matt Buderer
Kevin Day
Suzanne Eastman Wuest
Deirdre Myers 
Randall Myers
Sue Paul