Society for Pharmacists with Disabilities

Earlier this year, a story came out about an Oregon pharmacist who was accusing Walmart of firing him for his disability. The disability: substance abuse disorder. The suit notes that Doran was diagnosed in 2007 with a disabling medical condition: "Addiction is recognized as a serious health condition by the medical profession (Substance Abuse Disorder), and is a recognized disability under federal and state laws." David Shane Doran filed a federal lawsuit in Medford on Thursday that accuses Walmart of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.   Read the story here .

Pharmacy students who wish to pursue a career in the biopharma industry may be interested in this: Rutgers Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship Program In 1984, the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and two pharmaceutical companies initiated a collaborative pilot program to evaluate the potential contributions of clinically trained pharmacists within a pharmaceutical industry practice setting. The program has grown exponentially to include 12 partner companies (including several of the top ten global companies) within the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. Over 500 Post-Doctoral Fellows have completed the Program to date, many of whom are pursuing influential and rewarding careers in industry throughout the US and abroad. Over 80 PharmDs now participate in the Fellowship Program annually. The Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship Program is a structured program designed to provide hands-on training in areas ranging from coordinating

The Campaign for Disability Employment is a collaborative effort between several disability and business organizations that seek to promote positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities by encouraging employers and others to recognize the value and talent they bring to the workplace as well as the dividend to be realized by fully including people with disabilities at work. People with disabilities can and do make important contributions to America’s businesses every day. By implementing good workplace practices, like maintaining a flexible and inclusive work environment, businesses can capitalize on the talents of qualified people with disabilities, benefitting everyone. The Campaign is a collaborative effort between several organizations that are working to raise awareness and change attitudes about disability and employment, including: American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD); National Business and Disability Council (NBDC); Job Accommodation Network (

Google+ is a social media platform that is powered by Google. Google+ Hangouts is a video-based interaction that is similar to Skype and Apple FaceTime where you can have several faces showing on the screen simultaneously. Google has added a Sign Language Interpreter app for Google+ Hangouts.  Also, we now have keyboard shortcuts that let you navigate the interface easier. You can read more about this here .

Pharmacists who have computer experience may want to consider jobs in pharmacy informatics . Some of the jobs are positions like: Manager Pharmacy Informatics Pharmacy Informatics Technician Pharmacist Informatics Clinical Informatics Pharmacist There are assistive technologies that can make it easier for people with disabilities to work on computers. Take a look at some of those Pharmacy Informatics jobs here . Jobs by Simply Hired

Here's another example of student services provided by the UT Austin College of Pharmacy for those who have disabilities: The University of Texas at Austin provides a variety of special programs and services to assist students with disabilities in their academic pursuits. Based on the needs of the individual, many different kinds of services are offered to students with visual impairments, hearing impairments, mobility impairments, learning disabilities, and other disabilities. Staff in the area also work with faculty and staff to ensure that all University classes and services are accessible to all students. The office is in the fourth floor of the Student Services Building . The phone number is 471-6259. The Speech and Hearing Center, located in CMA 2.200, provides evaluation, remediation, and referral services for speech and hearing problems. These services are rendered on a sliding fee scale. Their phone number is 471-3841. The Texas Commission for the Blind, Flawn Academi

The AAPD (American Association of People with Disabilities) and USBLN (US Business Leadership Network) are working together to produce a corporate benchmarking tool on workplace policies and practices regarding the employment of people with disabilities. The Disability Equality Index (DEI) will provide an objective way for companies to benchmark their progress and identify avenues for continued improvement. It will keep practitioners informed of best and emerging practices and point them toward peers in the employer community that are already demonstrating exemplary efforts. The DEI will become a unique tool that will focus on building relationships and consensus with executives in the private sector to advance employment opportunities for people with disabilities throughout the workforce. You can learn more about the DEI here .

What does the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) have to say about Health Care Workers and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? You can read the EEOC’s Questions and Answers about Health Care Workers and the Americans with Disabilities Act here . You'll find answers to common questions like: When is a health care worker an individual with a disability under the ADA? Are health care applicants or employees who are alcoholics or who engage in illegal drug use considered to have a disability under the ADA? What determines if a health care worker is “qualified” to perform a job within the meaning of the ADA? What is a request for accommodation, and what should an employer and an individual with a disability do after a request for accommodation has been made? Will an employer’s “light duty” program satisfy its obligation to make reasonable accommodations under the ADA? and more Health care is the largest industry in the American economy, and has a high in