PDI Alert
MLA Pharmacy & Drug Information Newsletter
http://www.lib.uconn.edu/~sgiovenale/mlapdi.htm
Volume 14, Issue 2
Spring 2004
Message from the Chair
Sarah McCord
PDI Section Chair
Spring has sprung (at least, in my little corner of the Inland Northwest), and change is in the air! As we set our sights
on the upcoming MLA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge some of the
changes our Section will be seeing in the next several months.
First, and most obviously, the PDI Alert seems to have made its transition to electronic format! Editor Jackie Wire
informed me after the last newsletter came out that no PDI members had requested paper copies. While I’m certain
that we will discuss, and possibly formally ratify, this change at our upcoming business meeting, I’d like to thank Jackie
for managing the transition so ably. Jackie is resigning as newsletter editor after the Spring 2004 issue of the PDI
Alert is published, and I’d like to thank her, too, for her two years of dedicated service. On behalf of all the Section
members, thank you!
Change is coming to our Membership Chair, too. After many years of dedicated service, Jean Siebert will be stepping
down as Membership Chair after the Annual Meeting in May. Among Jean’s many accomplishments in this position
were revising the membership brochure, building Section membership, and working with MLA to get accurate
membership lists for the newsletter editor and the Chair. Fortunately for the PDI, however, Jean isn’t leaving us
entirely. She has identified an issue of concern to many pharmacy librarians. ACPE, the accrediting body for
American schools of pharmacy, does not require the “professional librarian” to have an ALA -accredited master’s
degree. I encourage you to read her article in this issue, keep your eye on the pharm-lib discussion list, and come to
the business meeting to voice your opinion and suggest strategies for addressing this concern.
Speaking of the annual PDI Business Meeting, it will be held from 7:30am--9am on Monday, May 24. Coffee will be
served, and possibly also tea, so make sure to attend! If you can’t make it to the meeting this year, please send me
an email <mccord@wsu.edu> noting your ideas, concerns, and questions.
Continued on p.3
CONTENTS
1
2
3
Message From the Chair
PDI Section Officers
Election Results
PDI Alert – Spring 2004
4-5
5
6-7
8
Accreditation and Licensure
News and Notes
MLA Annual Report
AACP Stipend Information
Page - 1 -
Pharmacy & Drug Information Section Officers
2003-2004
Chair
Chair-Elect / Program Chair
Sarah McCord
Washington State University
Health Sciences Library
170 Wegner Hall
Pullman, WA 99164-6512
Tel : 509-335-7646
Fax: 509-335-5158
Email: mccord@wsu.edu
Ginny Stone
University of Maryland, Baltimore
Health Sciences & Human Services Library
601 W. Lombard
Baltimore, MD 21201
Tel : 410-706-8862
Fax: 410-706-2379
Email: vstone@hshsl.umaryland.edu
Bylaws Committee Chair
Governmental Relations Committee Liaison
Jill Nissen
St. Louis College of Pharmacy
O.J. Cloughly Alumni Library
4588 Parkview Place
St. Louis, MO 63110
Tel : 314-367-8700 xx1006
Fax: 314-367-2784
Email: jnissen@stlcop.edu
Vee M. Kwon
Physicians World/Thomson Healthcare
Medical Library & Knowledge Resource Center
150 Meadowlands Parkway
Secaucus, NJ 07094
Tel : 201-271-6105
Fax: 201-865-9247
Email: mkwonn@pwcg.com
Membership Committee Chair
Newsletter Editor
Jean Siebert, AHIP
West Virginia University
Health Sciences Library
Byrd Health Sciences Center
P.O. Box 9801
Morgantown, WV 26506-9801
Tel : 304-293-1920
Fax: 304-293-5995
Email: jsiebert@wvu.edu
Jacqueline Wire
Magee Women's Hospital
Power Memorial Library
300 Halket Street
Room 1205
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Tel : 412-641-4289
Email: jwire@mail.magee.edu
Nominating Committee Chair
Secretary / Treasurer
Natalie Kupferberg
Ohio State University
Biological Sciences/Pharmacy Library
496 W. 12th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210
Tel : 614-292-1744
Fax: 614-688-3123
Email: kupferberg.1@osu.edu
Susan McGuinness
University of California, San Diego
UCSD Biomedical Library, 0699
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093-0699
Tel : 858-822-4645
Email: smcguinness@library.ucsd.edu
Section Council Representative
Web Developer
Penny Coppernoll-Blach, AHIP
University of California, San Diego
UCSD Biomedical Library, 0699
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093-0699
Tel : 858-534-4431
Email: pblach@library.ucsd.edu
Sharon Giovenale
University of Connecticut
Pharmacy Library
Unit 2092
Storrs, CT 06269-2092
Tel : 860-486-2218
Fax: 860-486-4998
Email: sharon.giovenale@uconn.edu
Liason to the American Association of Colleges
of Pharmacy Library and Educational Resources Section (AACP-LER)
Gerri Wanserski, University of Wisconsin
Tel: 608-263-4205
PDI Alert – Spring 2004
777 Highland Ave. Madison, WI 53705
Email: grwanser@facstaff.wisc.edu
Page - 2 -
Message From the Chair
Continued from p. 1
The agenda will include (but is not limited to):
§
§
§
§
Discussion of ACPE accreditation standards for pharmacy libraries
Discussion of the transition to electronic format of the PDI Alert
Nominations and election of Newsletter Editor
Nominations and election of Membership Chair
As you can see, if you are interested in serving an active role in the work of the PDI, there are two positions waiting for
you! Both Jean and Jackie have told me that they would be willing to work with new people interested in serving as
Membership Chair and Newsletter Editor. I’d like to take a moment to send my thanks on behalf of the PDI to the most
recent Section member to step up to the plate and serve: Yvonne Hull, our incoming Chair-Elect/Program Planner.
Yvonne is director of the Pharmacy Library of Xavier University in New Orleans, and has served as both Chair and
Program Chair of the Libraries/Educational Resources Section of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. We
are extremely fortunate to have such an experienced chair, and I’m delighted to welcome Yvonne as our newest officer.
I would also like to recognize the service of our many talented Section members in the past year. Ginny Stone has
planned a dynamite program—I’m sure we’ll all have a blast as we “Seize the Power” in DC! Sue McGuinness has kept
our records and finances together, Penny Coppernoll-Blach represents us to Section Council, and Vee Kwon continues to
serve as our Government Relations Committee Liaison. Jill Nissen is still keeping an eye on our Bylaws (thank
goodness!), and Gerri Wanserski has served us as Liaison to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Library
and Educational Resources Section (AACP-LER). Sharon Giovenale continues on as our Web Developer (some would
say Web Wizard), and her work has been especially crucial in this time of change for the PDI Alert. Natalie Kupferberg,
our Nominating Chair, has kept the PDI Section going by working to recruit our new Chair-Elect/Program Chair. She has
also served as a sounding board for the current Chair (me!) when I needed an opinion from “one who has been there,”
and for that I’m especially grateful. It has been a distinct pleasure to work with everyone I’ve mentioned here, and I’d like
to again encourage all Section members to consider service to the PDI in their upcoming career path. I can’t adequately
express how satisfying it has been. As you peruse this issue of PDI Alert and make plans to attend the Annual MLA
Meeting, think about not only the changes you’d like to see in the PDI, but also the changes you’d like to be.
Respectfully submitted,
Sarah McCord
Election Results
I am pleased to announce that Yvonne Hull, Reference Librarian, Pharmacy Specialist of Xavier University in New
Orleans, was elected Chair-Elect/Program Chair for 2003/04 of the Pharmacy and Drug Information Section of the
Medical Library Association.
Yvonne has served as both Chair and Program Chair of the Libraries/Educational Resources Section of the American
Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and we are fortunate to have such an experienced chair.
Thanks to all of you for returning your ballots and we are looking forward to Yvonne's leadership.
Natalie Kuperberg
Nominating Committee Chair
PDI Alert – Spring 2004
Page - 3 -
Accreditation and Licensure: A Comparison of Pharmacists and Librarians
Jean L. Siebert R.Ph. MLS, MBA, AHIP
How does the licensure and accreditation process for pharmacists compare with health sciences librarianship? In
order to practice in a particular state, a pharmacist must be licensed and registered, unless they are working for the
federal government (i.e. Veterans Administration Medical Centers). A pharmacy student must graduate from a school of
pharmacy which is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), pass the NAPLEX
examination as administered by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), and pass a law exam on federal
and state pharmacy laws as written for a particular state or the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE). Other
state requirements typically include being of good moral character, proof of US citizenship, attainment of a certain age,
and completion of an internship. Pharmacists in all states are required to maintain continuing education credits and must
pay to renew their license either on an annual or a bi-annual basis depending on state laws. The pharmacy a pharmacist
works in must be licensed as well.
We were cautioned in pharmacy school to always keep the original license current. If a pharmacist wants to
move to another state and practice pharmacy in that state, it is easier to transfer if he or she finds a state that grants
reciprocity (accepts the original licensure through examination). California is an example of a state that does not
reciprocate. The process of reciprocity involves completion of an application and submission of fees to NABP, a review of
the applicant’s qualifications by the NABP, passing the pharmacy law examination and meeting all their state laws
including fees to practice in the new state. The original license and the new state license must be kept current at all times
or the pharmacist could face steeper fees and penalties to renew the license(s). I still maintain my pharmacy license in
the state of Montana.
Librarians are strongly advised to graduate from an ALA-accredited library school - many universities will not hire
graduates from non ALA-accredited schools. However, there are no licenses required for a health sciences librarian to
work in a library and the library itself is not required to have a license to operate. The standards that an academic library
must achieve are established by the university and its accrediting organization. While the Medical Library Association
Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP) renewal process is more complicated than the renewal of a
pharmacy license, they have similar requirements for continuing education. Keeping the AHIP credential current is not
mandatory unlike maintaining a pharmacy license.
As both a librarian and a pharmacist, I was appalled to learn that, the ACPE’s Guideline 27.1 http://www.acpeaccredit.org/deans/standards.asp#6 states that, “The library resources and educational technologies should satisfy
generally accepted standards and practices for library and educational resources that serve the professional program in
pharmacy. The library should be under the direction of a professional librarian and a good working relationship should
exist with the College or School. Educational technology services should be under the direction of a media professional
and an effective working relationship should exist with the College or School as well as with the library. A faculty liaison or
committee should be established to assure the adequacy of the collection, educational technologies, and services and
insure their appropriate integration into the teaching program. An organized program should exist to teach students the
effective and efficient use of the library and educational resources. Remote access technologies and mechanisms which
promote utilization of library information from off-campus sites should be available. Search capabilities, inter-library loans,
and other methods for access to materials not in the collection should be available and taught to students. Student and
faculty opinions should be sought regarding the adequacy of library and educational res ources, and estimates of
utilization of available resources by students and faculty should be obtained so as to foster improvement.”
Why is the accreditation issue critical? I agree that some librarians graduated before accreditation of their library
school occurred, or have a bachelor’s in library science instead of a master’s and are outstanding librarians. Some library
technicians are absolutely amazing in their job performance. Unfortunately, it appears that some colleges of pharmacy
hire “librarians” without the master’s degree, or label a library assistant, library clerk or library technician as a “librarian” in
their job title. When you consider the potential ramifications of pharmacists who are poorly trained on searching
databases and that this lack of knowledge can potentially cause serious harm to the patient the need for stronger
language in accreditation standard becomes more apparent. Pharmacists must be accurate and know what medications
are given to the public. They often serve as the resource person on drug information for both the consumer in the
pharmacy and the rest of the healthcare team. New drugs are being developed continually. The pharmacy student you
train today may be the faculty member or dean you work with (or for) in the future. You want and need them to have a
superior and high-quality pharmacy librarian contact so that they will value and utilize library services in the future. Your
future employment may depend upon the value they assign to library services.
Continued on p.5
PDI Alert – Spring 2004
Page - 4 -
Accreditation and Licensure: A Comparison of Pharmacists and Librarians
Continued from p.4
As librarians we need to assure that quality training has been provided to the pharmacist on how to research diseases
and drugs. I would prefer that my pharmacist have this training before she or he dispenses a new drug. As a pharmacist,
I want the quality training that other pharmacy students have to better serve my patients and to avoid lawsuits.
When the ACPE standards are compared with other accreditation documents, such as the latest draft proposal of
“Standards for the Academic Veterinary Medical Library” as written by the MLA Veterinary Medical Librarians Section,
it needs revision. The ACPE standards, in my opinion, are not as current or as extensive as desired to reflect the complex
duties that a librarian currently conducts and/or oversees. In standard number three of the draft veterinary medical library
standards it states that: “A qualified librarian is a person who has earned a master's degree from a program accredited by
the American Library Association or its successor accrediting organization or from a master's level program in library and
information studies accredited or recognized by the appropriate national body of another country. Professional
responsibilities include but are not limited to: educating users to search for and evaluate information resources; selecting,
acquiring, and organizing veterinary medical collections; negotiating license agreements for electronic resources;
evaluating library services; strategic planning; selecting, training and supervising personnel; and assessing and
implementing new information technologies to support and enhance library services. Academic veterinary medical
librarians and paraprofessional staff should actively participate in continuing education, research and professional
activities required to maintain the unique knowledge and skills required to successfully operate a veterinary medical
library. Membership in the Medical Library Association's Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP) is
preferred.” I think that the MLA Pharmacy and Drug Information Section and the American Association of Colleges of
Pharmacy Library and Educational Resources Section should work together towards defining and writing new a standard
and guideline and advocate their adoption by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education, in order to provide the
best services possible for our faculty, staff, and students regardless of location.
News and Notes
Information Resources on Vitamins and Minerals
Tanya Feddern posted the question of where to look for a comprehensive list of vitamins and minerals that are best taken
together and are best ingested at different times. She posted a summary compiled from information received from
MEDLIB-L, AliaHEALTH, & MLA's Pharmacy and Drug Information members (Heather Cannon, Barbara M. Pope,
Lavonne Wienke, Brynn Beals, Virginia Dickson, Bonnie Maky Rosen, Clara Myers, Jean Siebert, and Margaret Allen).
This summary was posted on December 1, 2003 Item #097452 on the MEDLIB -L Listserv:
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0312A&L=medlib-l&P=R562&I=-3
Library Hours
Nancy Fuller surveyed pharm-lib members for information on library hours. She compiled the results from sixteen
respondents and if you are interested in obtaining these results please e-mail her at ulfuller@cypress.mcsr.olemiss.edu.
Membership Notes
Jean L. Siebert, Membership Committee Chair
I am writing to announce that I am resigning as Membership Chair of the MLA Pharmacy and Drug Information section. I
have too many irons in the fire and it’s time to set back and let someone else take over. I’ve really enjoyed getting to
know you. It is the individual members who make it worthwhile, to be active in this section. Several important changes
occurred on the PDI web page http://www.lib.uconn.edu/%7Esgiovenale/mlapdi.htm
this year. A web version of the membership form was added for those who don’t have Adobe Acrobat and the mailing
address for MLA Membership was updated.
One of the advantages of serving as Membership Chair is that you become active in the MLA Membership Committee's
Subcommittees. It is encouraging to see the positive changes of the Membership Committee become a reality. I am
currently on the Membership Processes Subcommittee. The purpose of this subcommittee is to "review the processes of
Continued on p.6
PDI Alert – Spring 2004
Page - 5 -
Membership Notes
Continued from p.5
the membership from the view of the person joining the group. Is the application process, notification, etc. working well?"
In other words, the subcommittee will need to look at the application form that new and renewing members submit, see if
this can be simplified or streamlined, and, in general, make the entire process as painless as possible.
Pharmacy and Drug Information Section
MLA Annual Report 2003-2004
Goal 1: Recruitment, Membership and Leadership in the Profession
Recruitment for candidates for PDI officer positions has been largely successful. PDI Section members hope to foster the
development of leadership skills by encouraging members new to PDI and/or the profession of librarianship to take on
leadership roles in the Section. Our incoming Chair Elect/Program Chair, Yvonne Hull, is an experienced librarian who is
new to the Section, and we are excited to welcome her into her new role. For those in mid-career or looking to expand
their involvement, the Chair has publicized MLA mentoring resources at the business meeting and in newsletter.
PDI is going through a period of transition. Two Section committee chairs, the Newsletter Editor and the Membership
Chair, have decided to step down after the 2004 MLA Annual Meeting, and replacements for these able, active members
have not yet been found. Section officers and long-time members are working to address this difficulty.
Goal 2: Life Long Learning
The Fall 2003 issue of PDI Alert, the Section newsletter, included a short summary by Natalie Kupferberg on Drug
Information in Spanish for the Consumer and a link to a bibliography of collection development resources prepared by
Tanya Feddern. Members continue to post useful resource summaries to the pharm-lib list.
PDI is also sponsoring sessions on collection development and online instructional design in addition to the EMBASE.com
lecture, which will focus on regulatory issues from the perspective of the FDA. The Chair Elect/Program Chair has
recruited abstract reviewers, solicited contributions to invited and contributed paper sessions, identified and approached
our EMBASE presenter, and coordinated plans for other speakers with at least three other Sections and one SIG.
Goal 3: Advocacy
The Section selected a liaison between the MLA PDI and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Library and
Electronic Resources Section (AACP-LER) at the Section’s 2003 annual business meeting. The Membership Committee
Chair has contacted librarians at new Pharmacy schools with information about the PDI Section.
The upcoming Spring 2004 issue of PDI Alert will contain an article by Jean Siebert on an emerging issue of concern to all
pharmacy librarians, but especially to those in academic settings. Jean, who is both a pharmacist and a librarian, has
learned that the accreditation standards for American schools of pharmacy state only that a "professional librarian" be
hired, but does not specify that that person have a masters degree from an ALA - accredited school. Section members
and officers are investigating strategies to address this concern, and the issue will be up for discussion at the annual
Section business meeting.
Goal 4: Creating and Communicating our Knowledge
At the annual meeting, and several times over the pharm-lib listserv, members were encouraged to submit papers for next
year's MLA meeting. Members have also been provided with opportunities to contribute to the division’s newsletter and
web site. A call for contributions went out in early September 2003 for the Fall issue of the newsletter. The PDI Alert
included a short summary by Natalie Kupferberg on Drug Information in Spanish for the Consumer and a link to a
bibliography of collection development resources prepared by Tanya Feddern.
Continued on p.7
PDI Alert – Spring 2004
Page - 6 -
Pharmacy and Drug Information Section
MLA Annual Report 2003-2004
Continued from p.6
Our newsletter, the PDI Alert, began its transition to electronic format for most members. At the 2003 business meeting,
the Section unanimously passed a motion to have a transition year where we would begin to publish the newsletter online,
with paper copies still available to members who request them. As of this writing, no PDI members have contacted the
newsletter editor to request paper copies.
The Section was approached by a vendor in the spring of 2003 and asked to consider inserting paid advertising into the
PDI Alert. Given the impending change to electronic format, the potential increase in workload for the newsletter editor,
the current (positive) state of the PDI treasury, and possible ethical issues, the consensus at the outcome of the
discussion was not to accept advertising. Because MLA will no longer be charging Sections for web hosting, the group at
the business meeting agreed that we may consider a move at some point in the future. The PDI Section Web Developer
will pursue this.
Goal 5: Building a Network of Partners
Gerri Wanserski volunteered at the 2003 business meeting to be the MLA/PDI Section liaison to the AACP-LER. The
Section is grateful for her service in this regard.
Other Organizational Issues:
Because Section Council has a new structure with term limits, our elected representative, Peg Hewitt, was not able to
serve as PDI Section Council representative this term. MLA/PDI held a vote, and 16 people returned ballots. Penny
Coppernoll-Blach was elected. The section voted unanimously at the 2003 MLA/PDI business meeting to ratify Penny's
acceptance of the position.
MOTION
This report is informational and requires no action by the Board of Directors.
Sarah McCord
Chair
April 12, 2004
Section Officers
Chair: Sarah McCord
Chair-Elect/Program Chair: Virgina Stone
Incoming Chair-Elect/Program Chair: Yvonne Hull
Secretary/Treasurer: Susan McGuinness
Section Council Representative: Penny Coppernoll-Blach
Committee Chairs and Liaisons
Bylaws: Jill Nissen
Government Relations Committee Liaison - Veong M. Kwon
Membership: Jean Siebert (term ending May 2004)
Newsletter Editor: Jacqueline Wire (term ending after publication of Spring 2004 newsletter)
Nominating: Natalie Kupferberg
Web Developer: Sharon Giovenale
Liaison to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Library and Educational Resources Section (AACP -LER):
Gerri Wanserski
PDI Alert – Spring 2004
Page - 7 -
$900 Stipends Available for Librarians to Attend Pharmacy Meeting In Salt Lake City in July—
Application Deadline fast approaching!!
The Grace and Harold Sewell Memorial Foundation provides stipends of $900 for librarians to attend
the 2004 AACP annual meeting in Salt Lake City on July 10-14.
Ø If you are responsible for collection development and i nformation support to a school or college
of pharmacy, and
Ø You are looking for an excellent opportunity to meet and network with pharmacy faculty
members and with other librarians who have similar responsibilities
This is the opportunity for you!
The criteria for eligibility for a stipend, as well as a short application form, are available on the web
page of the AACP Libraries and Educational Resources Section.
The Sewell stipends are offered to further the goals of the Sewell Foundation: 1) to provide a stipend
to librarians who are directly responsible for information support and collection development for a
pharmacy academic curriculum in order to gain a better understanding of the professional
organization, and 2) to stimulate interest in the professional association. Reports from librarians who
received stipends to attend previous AACP meetings are available on the L/ER Section web page at
http://www.aacp.org/site/page.asp?TRACKID=&VID=1&CID=185&DID=3217
AACP Program: The theme of the 2004 AACP annual meeting is “Pathways to Excellence.”
Information about the program, early-bird registration and hotel registration is available on the AACP
web site at http://www.aacp.org/site/page.asp?TRACKID=&VID=1&CID=892&DID=5668
Plenary, special, and academic section sessions as well as exhibits will provide ample opportunities
for you to learn about pharmacy education and to meet pharmacy faculty—maybe even get to know
the faculty from your own school of pharmacy better!
Libraries/Educational Resources Section Program: Planned program sessions include a
presentation on “Exploration & Discovery in BioData Space”, including the NCBI databases; and
“Database Tools for Assessing Effectiveness and Improving Outcomes,” which will be two
presentations: 1) using ERIC to research the literature on institutional, program and course
assessment in higher education, and 2) considering evidence-based medicine and practice
databases for researching the evidence to support therapeutic and other decisions regarding patient
care.
We hope you will consider applying for a stipend and attending the AACP meeting—you’ll learn a lot
about pharmacy that will help you and your school back home, and you’ll discover all of the varieties
of libraries that serve schools and colleges of pharmacy in the U.S. And on top of that—there’s
beautiful Salt Lake City!!
PDI Alert – Spring 2004
Page - 8 -