The University of South Carolina has joined the RAPID Alliance Medications 360 Study, aimed at transforming how medications and vaccines are delivered in the U.S. The RAPID Alliance is a multi-stakeholder research consortium founded in the University of Louisville Center for Health Organization Transformation, a National Science Foundation-funded research center.
The UofSC College of Pharmacy will support the effort through research and state-level action strategies for South Carolina. In addition, the university will help support special study sections on topics including the Life Data 360 Study Section.
Tessa Hastings, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of Clinical Pharmacy and Outcomes Sciences, is helping lead this project.
“We are so excited to be part of this important national effort to co-create new, actionable strategies and research priorities to optimize medication and vaccine use for U.S. populations,” she says.
UofSC will help co-create the RAPID Alliance Medications 360 Framework 2022-2031, a set of transformational strategies and a nationally prioritized research agenda for optimizing the use of medications, vaccinations and other therapies.
We are so excited to be part of this important national effort ... to optimize medication and vaccine use for U.S. populations.
Tessa Hastings, Ph.D. Assistant Professor
This project is building on a 2020 research study, conducted by University of Louisville researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic, that identified strategic opportunities to improve health and well-being for tens of millions of people while reducing U.S. spending on hospitalizations, emergency department and doctor visits by as much as $528 billion dollars.
Other universities participating in the RAPID Alliance and its Medications 360 Study include American University of Health Sciences, Belmont University, Binghamton University, California Northstate University, Chapman University, Ferris State University, Howard University, Lipscomb University, Loma Linda University, Long Island University, Marshall University, Medical College of Wisconsin, Mercer University, North Dakota State University, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon State University, South Dakota State University, Sullivan University, Temple University, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, University of Cincinnati, University of Colorado, University of Georgia, University of Hawaii Hilo, University of Houston, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, University of Michigan, University of Mississippi, University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Nevada Reno, University of Pittsburgh, University of Rhode Island, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Washington State University, Wayne State University, and Western University of Health Sciences.
“We are delighted to see this multi-university research consortium developing,” said Lucinda Maine, CEO of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, a founding member of the RAPID Alliance Practice Council, “We believe national and state strategies driven by research are key to optimizing medication use for U.S. populations in the next decade.”
The consortium plans to add up to 30 additional universities in the coming months to support the effort.