Only 40 college students each year can say they’re a Paul Ambrose Scholar. Jackie Bradley, a Doctor of Pharmacy student, is one of them.

“I was surprised to be chosen,” said Bradley, who was one of six pharmacy students selected overall. “I was really honored.”

The Paul Ambrose Scholars program highlights students from various health profession schools. Each person completes a project focused in public health education or research.

Bradley educated thousands of others about prescription drug misuse.

Exceeding expectations

For her scholars project, Bradley launched a Training of the Trainer (TOT) program.

Training of the Trainer became the second phase of her newly created internship at Community Partnership of the Ozarks (CPO). Bradley was already giving a training program to youth.

“I realized there were a lot of community members who wanted to get involved and help out,” Bradley said. “I could teach them the program, help them to get comfortable with it, and now they can go out and give the presentations themselves to their own communities.”

In her yearlong role, Bradley made a noticeable impact. She had at least 20 training sessions, with:

• 1,565 students reached
• 127 people trained in TOT

TOT spread prevention efforts beyond Bradley’s own capacity.

“Our original goal when we applied for the grant and started the position was to just reach 250 students,” Bradley said. “We didn’t even have the idea (for TOT) yet. We far surpassed our goal.”

Reaching the next generation

Bradley’s internship at CPO linked the pharmacy profession with public health.

As a grant specialist for the State Targeted Response (STR) to the Opioid Crisis, Bradley worked in the prevention branch.

Bradley expanded local GenerationRX training efforts. GenerationRX is an evidence-based program started at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy.

The goal: increase public awareness of prescription drug abuse.

“We teach teenagers safe medication practices and positive alternatives if they are presented with the opportunity to misuse,” Bradley said.

Initially, Bradley targeted K-12 students. After having successful outreach there, she took it one-step farther with the Training of the Trainer program.

“When I do the (GenerationRX) program myself with teenagers and see them actually have that ‘ah-ha’ moment, it’s rewarding.”

As long as state funding is available, the grant specialist position will continue. A student from the collaborative UMKC-MSU Doctor of Pharmacy program fills the role.

Bradley spent the final days of her internship training her replacement, Kaitlyn Riggs. Both are 2020 PharmD class members.

“When CPO wanted to create a position to do the youth outreach and prescription drug misuse education, (pharmacy professors) Dr. Heather Taylor and Dr. Heather Lyons-Burney came to them with the idea that we could use a pharmacy student,” Bradley said.

“We could use all of our clinical knowledge and skills so that we can just add a little extra to the (position).”