Pharmacy School Students and Faculty Publish Research

Pharmacy School Students and Faculty Publish Research

Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy (PCSP) students, undergraduate PC students, and faculty had papers published in the most recent issue of the International Journal of Pharmacy Compounding (IJPC) publication. The research completed by both groups was funded by the PCSP Pharmacy Research Summer Interns (PRSI) program and a grant from the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists.

These peer-reviewed articles concern the issue of chronic pain and possible treatment options. The ultimate goal of both studies is to enhance patient care and develop more effective treatment for what is referred to as chronic neuropathic pain (pain that results from injury or perceived injury to your nervous system).

More than 116 million Americans suffer from chronic pain resulting in annual costs of $560 to $635 billion. Chronic pain typically persists for at least three months and is characterized by symptoms like arthritis, migraine and facial pain or back pain. Frequent causes of this pain include diabetes, alcohol abuse, cancer, injury, and diseases of central nervous system such as multiple sclerosis.

The first study, “Skin Permeation and Antinociception,” was completed by Drs. John Arnold, Greg Gorman, Sarah Sweitzer, Scott Asbill, as well as PCSP student Evan Bryson and alumna Rachel Hartman (PC ’14). Based on their study, the team concluded that treatment using transdermal drug delivery has several advantages, including decreased adverse side effects and increased patient compliance.

PCSP’s Dr. Alfonso Romero-Sandoval, Sweitzer and Asbill, and PCSP students Allie Heustess and Shuler Spigener completed the other study, “Analgesic Efficacy and Transdermal Penetration of Topical Gabapentin Creams.” Many patients with chronic neuropathic pain continue to suffer despite traditional treatments, so the team tested compounded creams, gels, and ointments as an alternative option. They concluded that analgesics can be an effective way to treat chronic pain that offers unique advantages over other treatments.