Dr. Candis M. Morello: Diabetes & Education

Research Summary: Diabetes

Dr. Morello’s research program involves exploring both clinical outcomes in diabetes patients and educational outcomes in student pharmacists who attend her diabetes educational programs. Dr. Morello maintains a clinical practice at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Health System where she is Director of the Diabetes Intense Medical Management Clinic. She is currently studying the effect of pharmacist-run diabetes medication management services on the 1) metabolic, 2) quality of life, 3) patient satisfaction and 4) adherence rate outcomes in diabetes patients.

Dr. Morello also conducts research on the effectiveness of the diabetes educational program she provides as part of a nine hour series in the 1st year Self-Care Pharmacy Practice Course. She is evaluating the impact of the course on student pharmacist confidence of helping patients with diabetes in areas such as general education, insulin use, glucose monitors, foot exams and other self- care issues, the knowledge gained and retained, as well as the clinical applicability and use following the diabetes self-care training.

Academic Achievements

Education: B.A. in Chemistry with a minor in Socio- cultural Anthropology (1991) UC Davis; Pharm.D. (1996) UC San Francisco; National Board Certification in Diabetes Education (1999) (CDE).

Awards and Honors: San Diego Society of Health- System Pharmacists Pharmacist of the Year Award (2002); Excellence in Teaching Faculty Award (2003, 2005, 2006); Valedictorian for UCSD National Leadership in Academic Medicine Award (2005); American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Foundation Literature Award for Innovation in Pharmacy Practice for diabetes clinical outcomes research (2007); American Pharmacist Association Merit Award for diabetes education research (2008).

Leadership Experience: Phi Lambda Sigma National Pharmacy Leadership Society (1995); Fellow of the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists (2003).

Teaching

• Pharmacy: Pharmacy Practice (SPPS 201, 202, 203).
• Therapeutics (SPPS 212A).
• Various APPEs and IPPEs.

Key Contributions to Pharmaceutical Sciences

• Effective use of diabetes education and clinical treatment to help patients with diabetes achieve metabolic goals.
• Established the Pharmacist-Run Diabetes Intense Medical Management clinic at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Health System.
• Clinical research in diabetes patients in pharmacist led-ambulatory care clinics at two government facilities (Naval Medical Center and VA).

Selected Recent Publications

Morello et al. (2006). Development and clinical outcomes of pharmacist-managed diabetes care clinics. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacists. 63:1325-1331.

Hirsch et al. (2007). Pharmacoeconomics of new medications for common chronic ophthalmic diseases. Survey of Ophthalmology. 52:618-633.

Morello et al. (2007). Etiology and natural history of diabetic retinopathy: an overview. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacists. 64:S3-7.

Morello et al. (2010). Enhancing an Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience at Free Medical Clinics. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, Int. J Pharm Pract 18:51-7.

Potential Collaborative Programs with the Pharmaceutical Industry

• Evaluating drug effectiveness or safety in patients with type 2 diabetes.
• Developing service interventions (clinical or educational) that will improve utilization of medications among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
• Developing novel practice models that will improve the treatment course of diabetes patients.