MO Pharmacist November 2022

2022 MPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE: CHANGES IN LATITUDES, CHANGES IN ATTITUDES

UMKC FACULTY MEMBER OF THE YEAR AWARD SARAH OPRINOVICH The 2022 UMKC Faculty Member of the Year Award was presented to Dr. Sarah Oprinovich. This award is presented annually to one faculty member at theUniversityofMissouri –KansasCity School of Pharmacy and to one faculty member at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy at the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy in St. Louis for their contri butions to pharmacy practice. Dr. Sarah Oprinovich has been a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy since 2017. She serves as the Residency Program Director for two of the UMKC Community-basedPharmacyResidencyPrograms at L&SPharmacy and Balls Foods Pharmacy. Dr. Oprinovich’s research focuses on expanding the practice of community-basedpharmacy to a patient-focusedmodel rather than a product-focused model. Outside of work, she enjoys “having her hands full” with her husband, three children, and two dogs. TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD RACHEL BARNETT The 2022 Technician of the Year Award was presented to Rachel Barnett. To be eligible to be nominated for the award, a pharmacy technicianmust demonstrate outstanding skills that help the pharmacist and pharmacy provide better pharmacy care andmore efficient service to the patient/cus tomer. In addition, the technicianmust showan interest in and concern for the community by participating in some activities outside of work. Rachel Barnett has been working as a pharmacy technician for four years at Alps Pharmacy in Springfield, MO. Rachel is the first face the patients ofAlps Pharmacy see. She hasmade it hermission toknoweach patient byname and tobecome a part of their lives. She is a resource from lending an ear to hear about a patient’s day, sending a card to those who are experiencing grief or doing their hair in her free time. Rachel is always looking forways tomake a difference.Withher background in Criminal Justice and her love for people from all walks of life, she became a CommunityHealthWorker to build on her abilities to help her patients. Rachel goes the extra mile to help low income-patients by helping them complete paperwork for coverage on their medications, food stamps, and essentials. Rachel also works in the Springfield community in various capacities. She is a co-chair for the DREAMCo alition, which is an extension of the Community Partnership. She also spends time coordinating Bingo at the Senior Center every month. When Rachel is not in the pharmacy, you can find her traveling to beaches with her daughter Carinne.

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