Lauren Freeman (left), Liz Cannon and Erin Latendresse
OXFORD, Miss. – Elizabeth Cannon, Lauren Freeman and Erin Latendresse are the most recent graduates of the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy’s Community Pharmacy Residency program.
The graduates completed their year of postgraduate residency training in June and received certificates of program completion.
Created six years ago, the Community Pharmacy Residency program provides Doctor of Pharmacy graduates with the knowledge and skills to become competent practitioners in community and academic settings. The program provides opportunities to implement patient-care services and to develop research and teaching skills.
“I was drawn to the residency due to my areas of clinical interest, which include diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia,” said Cannon, who earned her Pharm.D. at UM in 2013. “I was able to gain ample experience in the management of these disease states in multiple health care settings throughout the year.”
Helping a diabetic patient was one of Cannon’s most memorable experiences as a resident.
“He was one of my first ‘new-to-service’ patients as a resident,” she said. “After our first meeting, Dr. Laurie Warrington Fleming (residency preceptor) and I enrolled him in a diabetes education course taught by dietitians, physicians and pharmacists. In December, he had greatly improved and almost reached his targeted diabetes goals.
“Interventions like these remind me of my ultimate career goals and why I wanted to initially go into health care.”
After graduation, Cannon plans to begin a postgraduate year-two residency in ambulatory care with Kaiser Permanente in Denver, Colorado.
Freeman, another 2013 Pharm.D. graduate, completed her residency at Funderburk’s Pharmacy in Hernando.
“My residency experience helped me increase my confidence as a new pharmacy practitioner and grow tremendously professionally,” Freeman said. “I learned the importance of communication and teamwork when implementing new pharmacy services.”
During her time at Funderburk’s, she worked on the pharmacy’s medication synchronization process, expanded its immunization program, marketed services to schools and businesses, and collaborated with the Mississippi State Department of Health to expand the Vaccines for Children program.
“As a resident, I was highly involved in many facets of academia that included both didactic and experiential teaching and participation in various committees,” she said. “I organized and led community service events involving student pharmacists, which included health screenings and immunization clinics.”
As a pharmacist for Funderburk’s and Walmart, Freeman plans to pursue certification in ambulatory care from the Board of Pharmacy Specialties and serve as a pharmacy preceptor. Her long-term goal, however, is to be involved in education.
Erin Latendresse, a 2013 Pharm.D. graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy, said she enjoyed the patient interactions she encountered during her residency.
“It has been a rewarding experience to know I had an impact on patients’ lives,” she said.
Latendresse was involved in a variety of projects during her tenure as a resident.
“In the community and ambulatory settings, I served as a member of interdisciplinary health care teams and participated in the collaborative management of multiple chronic disease states by recommending initial pharmacotherapy, identifying therapeutic goals, modifying current medication regimens and providing medication therapy management services,” she said. “Affiliated with a prestigious school of pharmacy, I had ample opportunity to develop as an academician as well.”
Latendresse is completing a postgraduate year-two residency in ambulatory care with an academic emphasis at the UT College of Pharmacy. She eventually hopes to work at an ambulatory care practice site that is affiliated with a pharmacy school.
Three new residents recently began their tenure in the Community Pharmacy Residency program. They are Josh TerKeurst (PharmD 14), Jeanna Sewell, a 2014 Auburn University Pharm.D. graduate, and Frank Yu, a 2014 University of Tennessee Pharm.D. graduate.