The APhA-ASP Region 2 Patient Care & Community Service Project Award for Operation Immunization was awarded to PittPharmacy at the APhA-ASP Midyear Regional Meeting in Somerset, New Jersey on October 22, 2016. Pitt’s chapter was chosen as the most outstanding in Operation Immunization out of 22 schools of pharmacy in this region. Region 2 consists of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey.
Operation Immunization leader Marissa Badzik, (Class of 2018), organized 12 immunization-related projects reaching 53,596 patients!
Events included presentations to high school students about the HPV vaccine, helping over 200 students receive their flu shots at the Healthy U Fair, and attending a Salvation Army Produce Day. Special populations reached were diabetics at the ADA Bridge to Wellness event, expecting mothers at Magee Women’s Hospital, and psychiatric patients at Forbes Pharmacy. The operation also branched out to students with their Twitter and Instagram accounts using these accounts to educate students on facts and myths surrounding vaccinations with their innovative hashtag #FactsAboutVaxx. The operation was also able to invite a guest speaker from Children’s Hospital of UPMC to the School of Pharmacy to educate and discuss pediatric vaccinations.
Badzik plans to continue all of the successful events from last year, as well as expand to new locations. This year the operation has already seen 215 patients during its events on undergraduate campus and Forbes Pharmacy.
