Different Approaches… Similar Career Paths

For the past 50 years, The Medical Letter has been recognized as a worldwide leader in the provision of unbiased and critical evaluations of new drugs. Two alumni of the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, Jean-Marie Pflomm and Corinne Zanone, are currently in editorial positions at the nonprofit organization in New Rochelle, NY and are profiled in this column.

Jean-Marie Pflomm
PharmD, Class of 1996
Editor, The Medical Letter
After graduation from the University of Rhode Island, Jean-Marie completed a 1-year pharmacy practice residency at the Long Beach VAMC in Long Beach, California. She returned to the east coast and worked as an ambulatory care pharmacist at the Bronx VAMC for several years before choosing to specialize in infectious disease (ID). Initially she practiced as an ID clinical pharmacist at the Long Island Jewish Hospital before obtaining a similar position at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) for three years. One of her colleagues at MSKCC, an ID physician, was the deputy editor of The Medical Letter, and Jean-Marie was subsequently offered the position of Director of Drug Information. She has now been with the nonprofit publication five years as the first pharmacist they had ever hired and has recently taken on the role of Editor.
Corinne Zanone
PharmD, Class of 2008
Assistant Editor, Drug Information, The Medical Letter
Corinne had a different path to The Medical Letter. In 2007 as a Doctor of Pharmacy student, she was the first P4 student to choose the new advanced professional practice experience (APPE) at The Medical Letter and was actually the first student to be at the organization. Her clerkship work so impressed the Editor-in-Chief that she was offered a position at the end of the rotation. The irony is that she had planned to possibly major in journalism before becoming interested in pharmacy, as her mother is a literacy specialist (and her father works for Wyeth).

ht every two weeks.” She explained that the team of editors at The Medical Letter develops two to three new topics for publication every two weeks and that 20 different people review every item. Among these reviewers are the world’s leading content experts to the manufacturer of the product (as well as of the competing products) and multiple other consultants and editors. In addition, The Medical Letter publishes monthly treatment guidelines that are developed in a similar manner. Initially, Jean-Marie had missed the direct patient care experiences of her prior positions and her ability to improve clinical outcomes. However, she has come to recognize that her work, as well as that of others at the publication, actually has a far greater impact by reaching many more clinicians and influencing their treatment approaches in a positive manner as compared with a single ID consult.
Corinne added that because she has just started her career, she is challenged by the opportunity to work with the world’s content experts and also in determining when to exert her own perspectives on the clinical issues without “stepping on toes.”
Jean-Marie also identified that despite the emphasis today on “evidence-based practice,” it’s become increasingly difficult to actually be evidence-based. Many clinicians are drawn to free resources and are uncritical of their content. This makes it quite challenging for a subscription-based publication such as The Medical Letter to compete.
Advice for URI students
Both Jean-Marie and Corinne emphasized that all future pharmacists need a strong background in Drug Information, especially as a required APPE. Jean-Marie added that for students, her best advice in responding to clinical questions from other health professionals is that they never, ever answer off the cuff and instead always double-check the information that they are going to give. Both stressed the need to always critically evaluate the source of the information. Corinne added that she felt that her APPE provided her with significant clinical experience which she has been able to use in her current position.
Advice for faculty
Jean-Marie recommended that faculty continue to stress the need for high quality responses to questions from other health professionals, especially in always checking and double-checking sources of information. Both Corinne and Jean-Marie also stressed the need for students to be informed of all the career paths in pharmacy beyond retail and hospital practice.
Personal note Jean-Marie is married and has three children ages 6, 4 and 7 months. Her 4-year-old son Brian has Mosaic Down syndrome which has given her a different perspective on the need to be an advocate. Corinne continues to date Chris Morrison (PharmD Class of 2008) who is completing the second year of a fellowship with Novartis in New Jersey.
Anne Hume Professor, College of Pharmacy