Justin Cole

Director of the Center for Pharmacy Innovation Cedarville University

  • Cedarville OH

Dr. Cole is an expert in pediatrics, pharmacy innovation, interprofessional care, and pharmacy practice advancement.

Contact

Cedarville University

View more experts managed by Cedarville University

View all Experts

Spotlight

2 min

Overshadowed by COVID – The opioid pandemic is still taking its toll across America

For more than two decades opioids have been ravaging American cities, towns, and communities. It prompted national attentions and official commissions advising the President.   But lately, as the world has turned almost all its focus on COVID-19, the opioid issue has been sitting in the shadows. Not necessarily idle or waiting, but just no longer the topic of a national conversation to find a cure.   Before COVID-19 turned our nation upside-down, policymakers were taking steps to help patients access evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder. This included focusing on removing health insurers’ barriers to medication and requiring insurers to provide parity for mental illness and substance use disorders — and holding them accountable for violations of the law in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, to name a few recent examples. While we continue to take steps to address COVID-19 to help keep the public safe, the American Medical Association has seen reports from more than 30 states concerning increases in opioid-related mortality, mental health crises, suicide and addiction-related relapse. Reports are from every region in the nation. This includes a 20 percent increase in calls to the Jacksonville, Fla., fire department concerning overdoses; an “unusual spike” in overdoses in DuPage County, Ill.; increased emergency department visits in coastal North Carolina and spikes in fentanyl-related overdoses in Seattle. Georgia, too, has not been spared, causing increased concern for many. Dr. Patrice A. Harris is the immediate past president of the American Medical Association and chair of the AMA Opioid Task Force. So – at what cost or how far back have efforts been set by COVID-19? And how much harder will it be for America to regroup and take on its addiction to opioids? There are a lot of questions to be asked – and if you are a journalist covering this topic or looking to learn more about the state of the opioid epidemic in America – then let our experts help. Justin Cole is an expert in clinical pharmacy, Pharmacogenomics, and the pharmacy industry.  Justin has been following this issue closely and is available to speak with media. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview today.

Justin Cole

2 min

Will e-cigarettes and vaping be the next addictions epidemic to sweep across America?

In a recent op-ed, David T. Courtwright, Ph.D., an author and addiction specialist opined that there’s a market to getting people hooked on substances and that e-cigarettes are the next big problem facing America. "I had just finished a new book on addiction when the vaping crisis erupted. The gist of the book is that that globalization, industrialization, mass marketing, digitization, and social media have turned the ancient human preoccupation with disreputable, potentially addictive pleasures into lucrative, commercially normal enterprises. Bad habits have been McDonaldized. Vaping couldn’t have been a more perfect example of this. I call those who help make bad habits routine “limbic capitalists,” a reference to their products’ neural common denominator. Whether they sell junk food, porn, slots, computer games, alcohol, or drugs, they target the limbic system, the brain networks responsible for pleasure, motivation, long-term memory, and other survival functions linked to emotions. Biological evolution shaped the limbic system, which is indispensable for life and reproduction. But cultural evolution and technological change created a trapdoor. The same neural pathways can be exploited — lethally — by entrepreneurs of brain-rewarding products that foster excessive consumption and addictive behavior."  October 28, 2019 – STAT There has been growing concern, awareness and news coverage about e-cigarettes and the dangers they present. As well, industry spin-doctors and public health advocates have been in overdrive trying to convince politicians about the pros and cons of legislation and regulation for these products. Are you a journalist covering this emerging issue? Then let the experts from Cedarville help with your coverage. Dr. Marc Sweeney is an expert specializing in drug abuse, prescription drug abuse, Opioid addiction, medical marijuana & related issues. Justin Cole is an expert in clinical pharmacy, Pharmacogenomics, and the pharmacy industry.  Both experts are available to speak to media regarding this issue – simply click on either gentlemen’s icon to arrange an interview.

Justin Cole

1 min

Oklahoma judge orders Johnson & Johnson to pay $572M in opioid suit – let our experts help with your coverage.

It was a historic decision yesterday that may play a role in America’s opioid crisis. "On Monday, Cleveland County Judge Thad Balkman made his judgment in the lawsuit brought by the Oklahoma attorney general against the company for what the state alleges it did to fuel the U.S. opioid crisis. In reading out his settlement decision, Balman said that "the opioid crisis has ravaged the state of Oklahoma." The nine-figure settlement, while hefty, pales in comparison to what the attorney general's office originally asked for, as they reportedly asked for in excess of $17 billion in damages.” August 26 – ABC News But what will this decision mean for the future of big-pharma? What will the money go to? Can or should companies be held accountable for addictions? There are a lot of questions and logistics still to be figured out and if you are a reporter covering this lawsuit – let our experts help. Dr. Marc Sweeney is the Founding Dean of the School of Pharmacy at Cedarville University and is an expert in the fields of drug abuse, prescription drug abuse and Opioid addiction. Justin Cole is an expert in clinical pharmacy, Pharmacogenomics, and the pharmacy industry. Marc and Justin and has been following this issue closely and is available to speak with media. Simply click on their icons to arrange an interview with either Marc or Justin.

Justin Cole

Media

Social

Biography

Dr. Justin Cole serves as associate professor and chair of the department of pharmacy practice at the Cedarville University School of Pharmacy. He also directs the Center for Pharmacy Innovation. His teaching, research, and clinical interests are centered on pediatric clinical care. Prior to joining the faculty, Dr. Cole worked at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where he established clinical pharmacy services for the inpatient neurosciences unit and the comprehensive epilepsy center. During his time there he also served as Pharmacy Clinical Coordinator, leading the strategic development of clinical and investigational drug services within the health system. Dr. Cole is active in several national pharmacy organizations, including the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists, the Pediatric Pharmacy Association, and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. His research interests include the treatment of pediatric neurologic conditions, behavioral health, pharmacokinetics, vaccination practices, quality improvement methodology, and the integration of real-world technology into the classroom. He currently serves as the pediatric behavioral health clinical pharmacist at Rocking Horse Community Health Center, a federally-qualified health center in Springfield, Ohio.

Areas of Expertise

Neurology
Pharmacy
Clinical Pharmacy
Pediatrics
Pharmacy Innovation
Vaccines
Clinical Research
Healthcare

Accomplishments

Preceptor of Distinction

2016
Cedarville University School of Pharmacy

Pharmacy Residency Preceptor of the Year

2013
Nationwide Children's Hospital

Employee of the Month

2010
Nationwide Children's Health

Education

Ohio Northern University

D.Pharm.

Pharmacy

2006

Affiliations

  • American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
  • American College of Clinical Pharmacy
  • American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
  • College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists
  • Pediatric Pharmacy Association

Media Appearances

Ohio pushing forward in the fight against big drug companies

ABC 22 Now  online

2019-03-27

"For acute injuries or pain, Tylenol or ibuprofen and over the counter medications can be helpful or non-drug therapies as well,” said Cedarville University Interim Pharmacy Chair, Dr, Justin Cole.

Alternatives to opioids in appropriate cases is just one of the ways doctors and pharmacists have worked to curb addiction. Along with working with the state to set limits on prescriptions and providing more education on pain relief.

View More

Cedarville University lands $250K for pharmacy innovation center

Dayton Business Journal  online

2018-02-02

As director, Cole will work to attract innovators and funding for pilot projects that address issues such as medication non-adherence, rising drug and healthcare costs, appropriate integration of technology, and new drug discovery. The center will collaborate with the Ohio Pharmacists Association, among others, to develop creative solutions to healthcare issues.

View More

Research Grants

MOTIVE: Integration of motivational interviewing-based decision tools on vaccine hesitancy

Merck Sharp & Dohme Investigator Studies Program

2021

An observational study to compare the effectiveness of implementing a motivational interviewing-based decision tool on childhood vaccination rates

Merck Investigator Studies Program

2019

Courses

PHAR 7361

Pediatric Therapeutics

PHAR 7343

Care Across the Lifespan

Articles

Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy Among Health Care Workers

Pharmacy Times

2021

Oftentimes, when we think of vaccine hesitancy, we think about our patients. However, some health care workers express vaccine hesitancy, too. With several health care systems mandating COVID-19 vaccines, headlines include “New York Hospital to ‘Pause’ Delivering Babies After Staffers Quit Rather Than Get Vaccinated.” Yet, headlines don’t tell the whole story, and the issue of vaccine hesitancy certainly did not begin with the COVID-19 vaccine. How prevalent is vaccine hesitancy among health care workers? What are common reasons for hesitancy? How can we promote vaccine confidence among health care workers? Those are all questions worth answering, as research has found that health care workers who are vaccinated and have positive attitudes about vaccines are more likely to recommend vaccination to their patients and have higher patient rates of vaccination.

View more

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP): A Review of Risk Factors and Possible Interventions in Children

Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics

2021

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a serious and devastating, yet poorly understood outcome in epilepsy. This review discusses the current knowledge and understanding of SUDEP in children and adolescents. Established risk factors for SUDEP include history of generalized tonic-clonic seizures and nocturnal seizures. Other proposed risk factors include the use of multiple antiseizure medications and poor medication adherence. Possible prevention strategies for SUDEP include improved medication adherence, surgical interventions, nighttime safety, seizure detection devices, and diet. Pediatric providers have a great opportunity to educate families about SUDEP, assess medication adherence, and provide families with tools to improve medication adherence and learn about SUDEP in children and adolescents with epilepsy. Future research in SUDEP aims to further understand the etiology and risk factors of SUDEP, while developing more intervention strategies to prevent SUDEP.

View more

Tackling Misconceptions That Result in COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

Pharmacy Times

2021

Because of the consequences of COVID-19 infection, several vaccines were developed and recently granted emergency use authorization (EUA) by the FDA for the prevention of symptomatic infection. However, as public health efforts to conduct mass vaccination begin, vaccine hesitancy and concerns regarding the vaccine continue to limit vaccination efforts. The percentage of Americans willing to get vaccinated increased from 51% in September 2020 to 60% in November 2020, which Pew Research Center attributes to increased confidence in the research and vaccine development process.

View more

Show All +
Powered by