Welcome! from the National Diamondback Pharmacy Alumni Council (NDPAC); your resource for alumni news,professional networking, and continuing education with the Florida A & M University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
There are currently seven alumni chapters:one in Georgia and in North Carolina, and five in Florida. The alumni members from these chapters are essential to our success and continued support of the FAMU pharmacy program. Our members recruit pharmacy students and alumni pharmacists, promote a positive public image of FAMU College of Pharmacy, raise funds for scholarships, and provide valuable networking opportunities. We encourage your membership and involvement in a local chapter near you. In addition to the business and professional advantages of membership;opportunities abound to reconnect with former classmates and friends, create new relationships with other healthcare professionals,and to interact with alumni from other historically Black Colleges and Universities.
About Us
The First Coast Chapter of The National Diamondback Pharmacy Alumni Council
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Dr. Sabrina Sessions, President and Mr. Theodore Thomas, Vice-President at Alumni Student Reception, 2008
Pharmacy Alumni Leadership Workshop
Pharmacist of the Month - Dr. Sabrina Sessions
Dr. Sabrina F. Sessions, Registered Pharmacist, has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for exhibiting outstanding dedication, leadership, and excellence in all aspects of pharmacy services.
Dr. Sabrina Sessions' career in the pharmaceutical industry spans 25 years. Her areas of expertise include managing the operations of the pharmacy, supervising support personnel, properly dispensing pharmaceuticals, providing quality assurance, consulting with patients, caregivers, and other medical professionals, and assisting patients in the management of their pharmacy insurance benefits programs, including Medicare. As a retail pharmacist, Dr. Sessions often finds herself acting as a "gatekeeper" into the intricate meshwork that is the healthcare system. Her day may begin with discussing a drug interaction or prescription error with a physician, and usually ends with brisk encounters with the various patients that she helps on a daily basis. She attributes her success to her faith in God and the support that she receives from family and friends. Dr. Sessions' became involved in her profession because of her interest in the sciences and a desire to help the people in the community where she now serves. She says the most gratifying aspect of her career is making a difference in the lives of her patients.
Dr. Sessions is a graduate of Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy where she received a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy. She later received her Doctorate of Philosophy in Christian Counseling from Southeastern Seminary and post-baccalaureate doctoral training at Nova Southeastern College of Pharmacy.
She is the President of the First Coast Chapter of The National Diamondback Pharmacy Alumni Council. Dr. Sessions is affiliated with the Florida Pharmacy Association, the Georgia Society of Health-System Pharmacists, The American Pharmacy Association, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and The Bethel Baptist Institutional Church, where she serves in three choirs, and participated in a renowned gospel recording by the Word & Worship Mass Choir. She has traveled abroad to Italy, Israel, Jordan, Canada, the Caribbean Islands, and Ghana, West Africa. Dr. Sessions is available to speak to the media and may be contacted at (904) 924-0188.
Message from the President
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College of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences students
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Welcome! On behalf of the members of the First Coast Chapter of the National Diamondback Pharmacy Alumni, I welcome our present membership, fellow alumni, parents, prospective students, friends and visitors. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University was founded in Tallahassee, Florida in 1887 to prepare teachers for public schools and industrial workers thought out the state. Since that time FAMU has become a beacon of hope and enlightenment for those who aspire to positions of leadership, commitment and service throughout the world, proven by a distinguished list of alumni in pharmacy, education, athletics, business and various professions.
At Florida A & M University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (COPPS) students are prepared to enter the challenging frontier of the pharmacy profession. FAMU COPPS ranks sixth largest among the nation’s ninety colleges of pharmacy. COPPS has produced over 2,000 graduates, representing 20% of the nation’s black pharmacists, and is the only pharmacy college nationally that offers MPH and Dr. PH degrees in Public Health. FAMU COPPS is ranked number one in the Southeast in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding, and number seven nationwide in NIH funding to pharmacy schools. Freshmen enter to learn and leave as highly trained, highly skilled professionals who demonstrate the ability to identify, resolve, and prevent drug therapy problems: pioneering new territories in the pharmaceutical sciences with budding possibilities as entrepreneurs.
It is important to stay connected to our Alma Mater, former classmates, and to the institution that gave us the foundation for our career (Psalms 11:3). The First Coast Chapter realizes the importance of supporting pharmacy students, but equally in importance is the support of the local pharmacy alumni chapter. The committed support of The First Coast Chapter is much needed to ensure that well trained and knowledgeable pharmacists are available to our community.
“YoU are the U in FAMU”
I invite each alumnus to get involved. The First Coast Chapter relies heavily on your participation and financial support to reach our goals. Your choice to become an active member will make greater opportunities possible for future pharmacists in the Jacksonville Metropolitan Area. I encourage our alumni to show your support financially by paying dues, giving donations, and with active participation at local meetings and events. The amount requested is small in comparison to salaries; but as a group, we are able to accomplish many more activities to bolster our community.
The First Coast Chapter owes much to our loyal alumni who remain supportive and committed to our efforts. Thanks to your generous support The National Diamondback Pharmacy Alumni Council raised sufficient funds to establish a $100,000.00 Endowment Fund at FAMU. This is a historical landmark for us (click on picture). Once the State of Florida has contributed its $50,000.00 matching funds, the $150,000.00 Endowment Fund base will continue to earn monies to support FAMU pharmacy student scholarships. We have already stepped up our “Spirit of Giving”. No longer do we grudgingly speak in terms of giving $200.00, we can now speak comfortably of writing checks for $1,000.00 or more. We have been very blessed to enjoy salaries that we have worked very hard to garner; we are now demonstrating that we have not forgotten “from whence we came”. We can NEVER FORGET. There is still work to be done. Remember it’s never too late to give back to the University that has served us so well.
As President of the First Coast Chapter, “Thank you” to the officers and active local alumni for your efforts and support of our vision to increase membership, energize our chapter, increase alumni participation, and our commitment to raise funds to support scholarship. We remain reunited in our vision, united in our purpose, and united in our cause.
For the Orange and the Green,
Dr. Sabrina F. Sessions
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Wall of Contributors
$100,000.00 Endowment Fund
