Before Edward Oldfield (PharmD, ’17) studied for pharmacist licensure exams, he was already making a difference in caring for patients.

Winner of the College of Pharmacy’s 2017 Enlightenment Award, Oldfield recently saved lives and moved fellow health care professionals to take action while he was a student pharmacist at the CGH Medical Center in Sterling, Illinois.

Edward Oldfield (PharmD, ’17)

“This is someone who taught me what it really means to be a pharmacist,” said Anne Blackwell, a staff pharmacist who supervised Oldfield’s rotations from November 2016 through February 2017 at the Sterling hospital. “He reinforced for me the idea that in the end, being a pharmacist is more about caring for patients than it is about having relationships with co-workers or a specific doctor.”

During 12 weeks at CGH, Oldfield visited the hospital room of a religious patient who refused medications, consulting the Bible to find a way to reach the patient on the importance of accepting the aid.

He also visited the room of a new mother who refused to take her medication for fear during breastfeeding that it would harm the baby. Taking her hand and rubbing her back as he sat, Oldfield answered questions and supported her during administration of the medication, pledging to return to lend support when she needed another dose. On still other occasions, he convinced doctors to change prescriptions that he felt were not the right fit or dosage for patients.

“[Oldfield reinforced for me the idea that in the end, being a pharmacist is more about caring for patients than it is about having relationships with co-workers or a specific doctor.”

– Anne Blackwell, Sterling Hospital Pharmacist

“I truly think in at least one case the patient would have returned to the emergency department in a coma or a body bag had Edward not intervened,” Blackwell said.

The new graduate is more confident in himself thanks to Roosevelt’s Pharmacy program, the only one of its kind in the Midwest to graduate doctoral students in three years as opposed to the traditional four.

“The person I am now is not the person I was when I became a student in the College of Pharmacy (COP),” said Oldfield, who received instruction at COP in a pharmacist’s vital three Cs: competence, compassion and commitment.

“I am so proud of Edward and all that he’s achieved at Roosevelt,” said Melissa Hogan, COP dean. “He is a stellar example of the kind of pharmacist that graduates from our program.”