The University of Toledo

PCOR Laboratory Students

Tessa Conner
Tessa.Conner@rockets.utoledo.edu     

Education

• Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences Majoring in Pharmacy Administration and Minoring in International Business and Chemistry, The University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (2009-2013)
• M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Health Outcomes and Socioeconomic Sciences), The University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (2013-2015)

Biographical Sketch

Tessa began her pre-pharmacy education in 2009 at The University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. In 2011 she was accepted into the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS) program majoring in Pharmacy Administration. During her undergraduate career Tessa had the opportunity to work as an intern at the University of Toledo Medical Center under the direction of Dr. Cindy Puffer. During this experience Tessa worked on a number of projects including a patient prescription discharge program and gained valuable knowledge of managed care, prescription benefit management, formulary management, and cost savings tools among others. Following graduation from the BSPS program in May 2013, Tessa was accepted into the M.S. program in Health Outcomes and Socioeconomic Sciences at The University of Toledo. She works as both a teaching assistant and research assistant in the Pharmaceutical Care and Outcomes Research (PCOR) Lab.

Research Interests

• Health-Related Outcomes Research
• Medication Adherence
• Socio-Behavioral research

 

Kelly Gaffney

 

Gabriela Geisen

Education

• Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences Majoring in Pharmacy Administration and Minoring in Chemistry, The University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (2010-2014)

Biographical Sketch

Gabriela began her pre-pharmacy education in 2010 at The University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. In 2012 she was accepted into the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS) program majoring in Pharmacy Administration. During her undergraduate career Gabriela had the opportunity to work as an intern at The University of Toledo Medical Center under the direction of Dr. Cindy Puffer. During the experience Gabriela worked on a number of projects including a patient prescription discharge program, medication adherence, and pharmacy benefit management among others. Following graduation from the BSPS program she hopes to pursue her Master’s degree in Health Outcomes and Socioeconomic Sciences (HOSS) at The University of Toledo. She currently works as a research student in the Pharmaceutical Care and Outcomes Research (PCOR) Lab.

 

Kevin Omerza

Mr. Omerza is a P2 student majoring in Pharmacy and Pharmacy Administration with minors in Business Administration and Chemistry. He joined the PCOR lab in 2012 to work under the direction of Dr. Sharrel Pinto on research involving medication adherence and patient perceptions of pharmacy. This research involves many different functions including observation, focus groups, and information gathering. He is also actively working on an Honors thesis through the PCOR lab, which involves a systematic literature review of patients’ perceptions of value of pharmaceutical services. Through working in the PCOR lab, Kevin was chosen as a recipient of the Joe and Judith Conda Scholarship in Fall 2012.

In addition to research, Mr. Omerza has also gained experience as an intern at the Cleveland Clinic from 2011 to the present. During the internship, he gained experience in various areas of hospital pharmacy while attending and giving presentations. In addition to presentations, there were also research projects regarding medication labeling, medication inventory, and replenishment processes in intensive care areas.

Mr. Omerza is a member of a number of pharmacy organizations, including; APhA-ASP, SNPhA, SSHP and IOHS. He is also a member of the Pharmacy Student Council and is a student member of the college curriculum committee.

Poster Presentations

Omerza, KE, Marchionda, ME; Oral Syringe Label Improvement Project. ASHP Midyear, December 6, 2011.

Other Presentations

Medication Adherence, Summer 2012
Cleveland Clinic Foundation

Smoking Cessation: The Role of a Pharmacist, Fall 2011
BSPS Seminar, University of Toledo

Label Redesign and Pyxis Reconciliation, Summer 2011
Cleveland Clinic Foundation

Resistance to CEA in the United States, Spring 2011
Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, University of Toledo

Cystic Fibrosis, Spring 2011
Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, University of Toledo

Type 1 Glycogen Storage Disease, Spring 2011
Medicinal Chemistry II, University of Toledo

Congestive Heart Failure, Fall 2010
Honors Functional Anatomy and Pathophysiology II, University of Toledo

Drug Therapy in the Treatment of Grave’s Disease, Fall 2009
Honors Functional Anatomy and Pathophysiology, University of Toledo

Research Interests

• Medication Adherence
• Implementation/optimization of technology in pharmacy
• Health-Related Outcomes Research
• Pharmacoeconomics

 

Erin Shaffer

Erin is a current P2 PharmD student in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences with a minor in chemistry. She joined the PCOR lab in Fall 2013 to work with Dr. Sharrel Pinto on her Honors Thesis project, focusing on medication adherence among people diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.

In addition to research, Erin has been employed by Rite Aid Corporation as an intern since March 2012 where she works under the direction of a pharmacist to fill prescriptions and assist patients. She is also involved in many pharmacy organizations, including APhA-ASP, SSHP, and LKS. She represents SSHP as their student representative for Pharmacy Student Council. Erin also serves as a peer mentor for the current PP1 Pharmacy class, and is actively involved in tutoring students in grades K-12 in the Toledo area.