Pharmacy is Right for Me Student Innovation Challenge Winners Announced

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

OptumRx, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) today announced the winners of the inaugural Pharmacy is Right for Me high school Innovation Challenge.

The contest provided an opportunity for students in grades 9-12 to practice their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills while developing inspired solutions for issues currently facing the pharmacy field.

Fourteen teams comprising more than 60 students entered the pilot Innovation Challenge, which tasked students in select cities across the country to come up with ideas that could lead to better health outcomes for Americans. The grand prize winners three seniors from Seaman High School in Topeka, Kan. were recognized for their approach to addressing the issue of non-adherence to medications through a rebate plan monitored by equipping medications with a micro-sensor and camera. The idea builds upon existing medical technologies that are currently in experimental stages. The students will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., that includes a special reception at APhA headquarters with professional pharmacists and STEM leaders.

Throughout the United States, pharmacists are playing an increasingly important role in working alongside other health care providers to help people better manage their health conditions. At the same time, the pharmacy field is experiencing a host of critical challenges, including medication non-adherence, inadequate access to pharmaceutical services in rural America, and many more.

We created the Pharmacy is Right for Me Innovation Challenge to give high-school students a true glimpse into the broad opportunities that pharmacy and other STEM fields can offer. We also want to tap the imaginative potential of these young students, said John Jones, R.Ph., J.D., Senior Vice President, Professional Practice and Pharmacy Policy, OptumRx and Pharmacy is Right for Me Advisory Board Chair. Our goal is to reach students particularly young people from underserved and underrepresented communities early in their education to engage the next generation of STEM and pharmacy leaders.

Seaman High School is pleased to participate in the inaugural 'Pharmacy is Right for Me' Innovation Challenge, said Ron Vinduska, Principal of Seaman High School in Topeka. High school is an important time for students to explore skilled, creative fields such as pharmacy, gain valuable career knowledge, and connect with professionals as they prepare for future careers.

The second- and third-place teams are from Dunbar High School in Ft. Myers, Fla., and another team of seniors from Seaman High School, respectively. These teams submissions demonstrated a strong balance of ingenuity and practical application. Each student in the top three finalist teams will receive an iPad Mini.

Entries were reviewed and scored by an expert judging panel on the basis of creativity, technical practicality and overall presentation. Judges included Caroline Atwood, Pharm.D, Clinical Account Executive, OptumRx; Steve Bartlett, M.S., science educator and National Science Foundation (NSF) Einstein Fellow; and entrepreneur Colin Touhey, CEO, Pvilion.

The judges were very impressed by the inventive solutions developed by the student teams in response to real-world issues facing todays pharmacists, said Bartlett. We were especially impressed by the top three teams, which identified thoughtful approaches to addressing STEM-related challenges.

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Pharmacy is Right for Me Student Innovation Challenge Winners Announced