April 25, 2022

Join us in congratulating NDSU Libraries Undergraduate Research Award (LURA) 2022 recipient, Brianna O'Gary! This award recognizes excellence in the use of library resources in completing an undergraduate research project. Brianna's project is titled "Medication Safety and Opioid Risk Screenings Conducted by Nurses in Patients’ Homes" (co-authored with Dr. Heidi Eukel, professor of pharmacy practice). This article was published in the April 2022 issue of The North Dakota Nurse.

Brianna is a third-year pharmacy student at NDSU. Originally from Woodbury, Minnesota, she has called Fargo home for the last six years. She stays active on campus with her involvement in the Rho Chi Honor Society and National Community Pharmacists Association. Additionally, she works as a learning assistant for the first-year pharmacy students in their lab; as a research assistant with the ONE Program; and as a pharmacy intern at the Medicine Shoppe. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time with family, friends, and her golden retriever.

When discussing plans after college, Brianna states, "I am hoping to pursue a residency in ambulatory care or community pharmacy. I hope to utilize this extra training to work in a primary care clinic or be able to expand clinical services at an independent community pharmacy in North Dakota."  

For students who are not as familiar with library resources, Brianna recommends starting with the Libraries' website. She states, "They have a lot of easy to follow instructions on how to begin your research. I would also recommend contacting your subject’s librarian for further assistance. I met with the Health Sciences Librarian [Merete Christianson], and she gave me amazing tips and tools that I will continue to use throughout my pharmacy career!"

Project Abstract:
Home health patients are at risk of medication safety issues due to lack of pharmacy follow up. A Home Health Screening Program was created by NDSU’s ONE Program to expand medication safety and opioid risk screenings to these patients. Given the screening results, patients receive a combination of individualized interventions such as medication education, Deterra drug disposal bags, a pill organizer, a medication lock box, or Narcan. To date, more than 1,400 screenings have been completed. This program has helped address gaps in medication safety research and has provided critical safety information to a vulnerable population in North Dakota.

See complete project materials in the NDSU Repository.

We congratulate Brianna on this award and look forward to her future success!

For undergraduate students who may be interested in this award opportunity, please visit the LURA page for additional information.