“Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation” co-author in residence this week
VCU School of Pharmacy welcomes Gerald G. Briggs to its MCV Campus.
Briggs is a clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy, an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy in Los Angeles, and a guest lecturer for the University of California San Diego School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. He also is a pharmacist clinical specialist for obstetrics at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center.
Briggs will present two seminars, several lectures and a faculty discussion Feb. 28 through March 3, as well as conduct individual meetings with SOP faculty and Virginia Del. Harvey Morgan, who’s an alumnus of the school (B.S. ’55).
William E. Smith, SOP professor of pharmacy, notes that Briggs has 30 years of clinical practice in women’s health. In addition to about 140 publications, he co-authored the leading text on drugs and pregnancy — “Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation” – which has been translated into several languages. The book’s ninth edition, which is scheduled for release this spring, will include more than 1,300 medications. Briggs also co-edited “Diseases, Complications and Drug Therapy in Obstetrics,” which is designed to introduce pharmacists and pharmacy, medical and nursing students to medication use in pregnant and lactating women.
“Jerry Briggs has had an incredible professional career,” Smith says, “and he is extremely engaged at this time in many topics regarding pharmacotherapy for obstetric patients and what pharmacy services should be, and what should be taught to pharmacy students.”
At 3 p.m. Feb. 28, the School of Pharmacy partners with the VCU Institute for Women’s Health in presenting Briggs on “Estimating Embryo-Fetal Risk From a Drug Where There is No Human Data.” The seminar runs till 4 p.m. at the Kontos Medical Sciences Building, 1217 E. Marshall St., Room 104-105. He also is scheduled to deliver lectures on institutional pharmacy and clinical therapeutics to pharmacy students.
On March 1, he will talk to hospital pharmacy residents, meet with hospital obstetrics/gynecology leadership, deliver a lecture on clinical therapeutics to pharmacy students and discuss “Generalist vs. Specialist” with pharmacy faculty.
Briggs’ packed schedule continues March 2 when he meets with individual pharmacy faculty and leadership. He’ll also lead a seminar noon-1 p.m. in Smith, Room 103, entitled “You Took WHAT During Pregnancy: Benefit vs. Harm.” On March 3, he will talk to community pharmacy residents and discuss “Maternal and Child Health” with Harvey Morgan and his staff.
Briggs, whose bachelor’s degree is in chemistry, worked as a food chemist before earning his pharmacy degree at Washington State University College of Pharmacy. After working six months at a pharmacy in Alaska, he took a job as clinical pharmacist for Women’s Hospital at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. He has continued to work at LBMMC in various positions, with the exception of a two-year stint as director of clinical pharmacy services for Alcon Laboratories Inc. in Fort Worth, Texas.
During his career, Briggs has received the Rexall Award, the Eli Lilly Award, the Hoffman La Roche Hospital Pharmacy Award, the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Clinical Practice Award, WSU College of Pharmacy’s Outstanding Alumnus Award, USCF School of Pharmacy’s Apples for Preceptor award for distinction in teaching and more. He is on the editorial advisory board, obstetrics and gynecology panel for the Annals of Pharmacotherapy, and his current research focuses on the calorie: insulin ratio in pregnancy.
The Organization of Teratology Information Specialists recently created the Gerald G. Briggs Research Symposium. He will chair his first symposium later this month during the first International ENTIS and OTIS joint meeting at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel. (ENTIS is European Network Teratology Information Services.)
Smith offers a special thanks to Don Brophy, chairman of the SOP’s Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science, and Sheldon Retchin, VCU’s vice president for health sciences, for helping to make Briggs’ appearance possible.
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