Brian Henderson, fourth year student pharmacist, was selected to complete an advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Division of Drug Information in January 2015. Brian describes his experience saying, “The FDA Pharmacy Student Experiential Program was an excellent experience that provided unique exposure to the breadth and depth of the FDA’s regulatory and clinical functions. My primary responsibilities included responding to drug information requests and adverse event reports from both consumers and health care professionals from across the country and internationally. Other duties included attending weekly internal meetings, discussing challenging drug information requests, and working on assigned projects from my preceptor. One of the most interesting opportunities was attending an Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee meeting regarding the first biosimilar to be considered for approval in the United States. The committee discussed Sandoz’s EP2006, a proposed biosimilar to Amgen’s Neupogen. I also attended a lecture series throughout the month that granted broad exposure to the numerous operations at the FDA and the various roles pharmacists were playing in the Commissioned Corps. There were also off-site opportunities to visit the Federal Bureau of Prisons, ASHP and APhA Headquarters, U.S. Pharmacopeia, and the National Institutes of Health. I enjoyed my time at the FDA, and I am thankful for the many pharmacists within the Division of Drug Information who helped make my month so memorable – even though it concluded much faster than I would have imagined!” Devlin Smith, third year student pharmacist, has been selected for a rotation at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Division of Medication Error Prevention and Analysis, specifically the Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology. Smith was chosen for this experience from a national pool of applicants and will travel to Washington D.C. for the month of October 2015. Devlin says she is “ecstatic to have been given this opportunity and plan to immerse myself in the regulatory world of the FDA during my time there. I hope to gain a deeper understanding of how regulations are developed as well as what expectations are placed upon pharmaceutical companies for the research and development of therapeutic entities.” Brian and Devlin also encourage anyone with an interest in learning more about what happens behind the scenes at the FDA to apply for the rotation as well. More information about FDA APPEs is available online at http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/WorkingatFDA/FellowshipInternshipGraduateFacultyPrograms/PharmacyStudentExperientialProgramCDER/default.htm.
Pictured Above: Devlin Smith (Left) Brian Henderson (Right)