University of the Sciences and Rutgers Pharmacy Schools Go Head-to-Head in New Pharmacy Times® Game Show

At the inaugural Pharmacy Times® “Pharmacy Face-Off”TM game show, students from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy at the University of the Sciences emerged triumphant, with a 70-point lead over the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University.

“It is really hard to express my pride in these students,” said Edward Foote, PharmD, FCCP, dean and professor at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. “It took a lot of guts [for them] to...put themselves...individually and as a team, in the spotlight in a really challenging environment. I don’t think I could do it, and I certainly wouldn’t have done as well! They, and the students from Rutgers, were consummate professionals. They were thrilled about winning but also expressed humility and were impressed with the Rutgers team.”

The competition consisted of a head-to-head round, a lightning round, and a team round. During the first, a student from each school stepped up to the podium before getting a question from host Maurice Shaw, PharmD, also known as the Sassy Pharmacist. The students then raced to hit a buzzer, and the winner was allowed to respond. A correct answer earned 10 points, whereas an incorrect one deducted 5 points from the team’s total.

Questions in this round touched upon the indications of pembrolizumab, the symptoms of atrial fibrillation, and the average age of menopause for women in the United States. At the conclusion of the round, the teams were
tied at 45 points each.

“It was great to network and get to know students from other schools,” Kelly Reitmeyer, a Rutgers PharmD candidate, told Pharmacy Times®. “I have always been a fan of game shows, so I had a lot of fun being a contestant on one.”

During the lightning round, each student approached the podium before being asked 3 clinical questions on topics such as sterile compounding, warfarin indications, and the most common responsibilities of specialty pharmacists. At the end of round 2, Philadelphia was up with 145 points and Rutgers trailed with 115.

In the final round, students were asked questions about the history of pharmacy and the popular culture surrounding the field, and were allowed to collaborate with their teammates to come up with the answers.

“I appreciate the incorporation of pharmacy-related history,” said David Dill, a PharmD candidate from Philadelphia. “That was a component of the competition...I did not expect. However, it is always most fun learning about the rich history of our profession.”

Questions in this round addressed American Pharmacists Month, the actors who have portrayed pharmacists in movies and television, and the founding father who helped establish the first public hospital pharmacy. (Benjamin Franklin, of course.) At this stage in the game, both teams were able to earn—and wager—points on the questions.

“The variety of topics showed...[that while] you might not always know the answer...if you...reach out to colleagues, then a logical path to the answer—if not the actual answer itself—can always be found,” said Cynthia Ly, a PharmD candidate from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy.

After the final round, Philadelphia had 360 points and Rutgers had 290. The winners received a $100 gift card and their school will be featured in Pharmacy Times®.

To watch “Pharmacy Face-Off”^TM in its entirety, visit pharmacytimes.com.