News

Melissa Mead Hull, a 2000 graduate of Drake University, is one of the first pharmacists in the nation to be awarded clinical lipid specialist credentials by the Accreditation Council for Clinical Lipidology.

"It is really exciting that many people practicing different specialties can now help manage risk for cardiovascular disease with these credentials," Hull said. "This one exam allows for non-physicians in multiple specialties to gain clinical lipid specialist credentials."

In order to obtain CLS certification, Hull completed a series of continuing medical education requirements and passed a rigorous examination. The ACCL, a nonprofit organization, assesses qualifications and certifies knowledge in clinical lipidology to reduce morbidity and mortality from health conditions leading to atherosclerosis and related diseases.

"It really shows that pharmacists have experience and expertise in lipidology, and helps us gain trust with patients and referring providers," said Hull, a pharmacist in Seattle.

"As the field of pharmacy continues to progress, technology advances and pharmacists perform more non-dispensing roles, other professions are recognizing what pharmacists can do to help the health-care team by having credentials in these areas of expertise," she added. "What pharmacists can bring to the team is really exciting, and other pharmacists are bound to take the exam to get the certification."

Since 2005, Hull has been a pharmacist in The Polyclinic's Lipid Clinic, which works to educate and manage conditions for patients who have had a heart attack or stroke, and for those who want to prevent one.

In addition, she has worked in The Polyclinic's Anticoagulation Clinic since 2002. The Anticoagulation Clinic helps educate patients taking blood-thinning medications on how to maximize the medication's effectiveness to reduce blood clots and decrease bleeding complications.

The Polyclinic studies the results of their program that aims to reduce the instances of heart attacks and strokes by giving a more thorough diagnosis, treatment and follow-up with patients who are at risk of these events.

Hull is a licensed pharmacist with the Washington State Board of Pharmacy and a certified anticoagulation provider recognized by the National Certification Board for Anticoagulation Providers. She has prescriptive authority protocols with the state pharmacy board for management of anticoagulation and dyslipidemia.

After graduating from Drake with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, she completed a pharmacy residency at Overlake Hospital Medical Center in Bellevue, Wash.; was a pharmacy preceptor for pharmacy students at the University of Washington and Washington State University; and an adjunct faculty member at Seattle's University College of Nursing. She also has certification in lipid management from the University of Southern Indiana.