Practice-Based Research and Resource Network
Medication use is ubiquitous. Medications include prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, nutraceuticals, herbal remedies, sample medications, and vaccines. Not only is medication effectiveness and safety important, medication access is also essential. Twenty of the Twenty-two pharmacy dessert counties in Texas are located in the TTUHSC service areas, affecting residents from getting adequate access to medications.
Ensuring safe, efficacious, accessible, and cost-effective use of medications requires collaboration among multiple stakeholders, including interdisciplinary healthcare professional teams, patients and family members, and clinical sites. The TTUHSC-SOP PBRRN is interdisciplinary and team-based with a focus on studying medication use (e.g., prescribing, dispensing, administering, monitoring, documenting medication use; medication delivery; medication access; comprehensive medication therapy management, etc.).
The formation of the TTUHSC-SOP PBRRN is essential in establishing a “laboratory” in the real-world setting. We welcome healthcare professionals, patient advocates, and clinical sites to join the network. If you are interested in joining, please fill out the membership form.
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Ronald G. Hall, Pharm.D., MSCS, RAC Title: Associate Professor, Pharmacy Practice Focus of Research: Dr. Hall has expertise in integration science, health outcomes research, and regulatory science. |
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Grace M. Kuo, Pharm.D., MPH, PhD Title: Dean of TTUHSC-SOP and Professor, Pharmacy Practice Focus of Research: Dr. Kuo has expertise in health services research, practice-based research, and educational research. |
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Eric MacLaughlin, Pharm.D. Title: Department Chair and Professor, Pharmacy Practice Focus of Research: Dr. MacLaughlin has expertise in community-based pharmacy practice and practice-based research. |
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Training Future Pharmacists on Pharmacy Services in Rural and Medically Underserved Communities
- Investigators: Kuo PI, Hall Co-I, MacLaughlin Co-I
- Funding Agency: National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation
- Description: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) focuses on meeting the health care needs of 10 million individuals residing in 50% of Texas’ land mass across 121 counties in the Panhandle, West and North Texas regions, including 20 of the 22 “pharmacy deserts” medically underserved areas in Texas. The School of Pharmacy has four campuses located in Amarillo, Lubbock, Abilene, and Dallas. In 2024, we created an innovative hybrid “Pioneer” pathway to enhance and compliment the traditional in-person pathway, to help expand access to pharmacy education, including those from medically underserved areas. Our PharmD student enrollment at smaller towns, such as Amarillo and Abilene, surrounded by rural and medically underserved areas has been challenging. Our goal is to train future pharmacists (PharmD students, pre-pharmacy students, and high school students) on pharmacy services in the community, including rural and medically underserved areas.
- The project activities include implementing (1) summer pharmacy camps, (2) a hybrid PharmD curriculum, (3) the pre-pharmacy early assurance program, (4) articulation collaborations with undergraduate colleges and universities, (5) design and integration of training on various pharmacy services, including those in rural and medically underserved areas, and (6) a survey on pharmacy services, and appendix of definitions, through the TTUHSC-SOP Practice-Based Research and Resource Network.
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Title: Cancer expansion of the Pharmacy Practice-Based Research and Resource Network (PBRRN)
- Investigators: Hall I, Kuo Co-I, MacLaughlin Co-I, La-Beck Co-I, Alvarez Co-I, Mahan Co-I, Selby Co-I
- Funding Agency: Texas State Legislature House Bill 500 to TTUHSC Rural Cancer Collaborative
- Description: The proposed Cancer PBRRN at TTUHSC will create a distributed, pharmacy-centered research and implementation platform to improve cancer prevention, medication safety, and survivorship care across West Texas and North Texas. Built on TTUHSC SOP’s four-campus footprint (Amarillo, Lubbock, Abilene, Dallas) and existing relationships with ~500 preceptors, the 24-month project will embed pragmatic research capacity within community pharmacies, clinics, and health systems that serve rural and underserved populations with or at risk of cancer.
- The project has five core objectives: (1) establish and operationalize the Cancer PBRRN; (2) recruit a network of pharmacists; (3) map and prioritize regional gaps in prevention, screening, medication use, and survivorship support; (4) design and implement two to three pilot interventions addressing those priorities; and (5) generate pilot data and infrastructure to secure external funding and sustain the network. Together, these aims convert routine care sites into a real-world laboratory for implementation science and practice-improvement.