The students graduating from SFA today will be encouraged to go out and make their mark on the world. One graduate may have already done that — at least for the pharmacy world.

Fred Poage (rhymes with "vogue") has worked as a certified pharmacy technician at Woodland Heights Hospital pharmacy for the past five years. During those years, he has watched pharmacists go through the time-consuming process of dispensing the prescription medication Xigris. He's also developed a formula to shorten that process.

SFA News Service (ENLARGE)

Fred Poage of Wells will graduate from SFA today with a degree in mathematics and a formula that may prove valuable to pharmacists around the world. More than 600 students will receive degrees during the ceremony, which begins at 9:30 a.m. in William R. Johnson Coliseum.

"Xigris is delivered intravenously," Poage said. "The dosage is determined by the weight of the patient, but there are several parameters that must be considered: concentration of each bag, duration of the bag and the size of the vial that will be used. It is a 96-hour course of therapy, but the Xigris comes in 5-milligram or 20-milligram vials. And, of course, 96 is not divisible by 5 (or 20.) If it were a 100-hour course of therapy, it would be easier."

Pharmacists sometimes spend up to an hour performing the pertinent calculations, Poage said, and one pharmacist who knew Poage was about to receive a bachelor of science degree in mathematics suggested he write a formula to simplify the process. After four months of working on the formula, in his spare time between work and school, Poage was successful. The calculator is now posted on the Web site http://xigrisdosecalculator.bravehost.com. Pharmacists can obtain the correct dosing information in a matter of seconds, and Poage has received compliments for the calculator from physicians as far away as Germany and Portugal.

Xigris, developed by Eli Lilly and Company, treats patients who suffer from severe sepsis. Sepsis occurs when bacteria in the bloodstream develop toxins, causing the immune system to attack the body's own organs and tissues in order to fight off the poison in the blood. There are approximately 215,000 U.S. deaths attributed to sepsis each year, and the cost of caring for patients with severe sepsis in U.S. hospitals is approximately $17 billion a year, according to www.sepsis.com.

Reducing the time pharmacists spend dispensing Xigris is only a small step toward improving the treatment of sepsis, but Dr. Roy Jo Harris, associate professor of mathematics and statistics at SFA, said he was not at all surprised that his student had devoted time to solving such a problem.

"Fred is an outstanding student and an outstanding person," Harris said. "Math students sometimes ask, 'Where am I going to use this?' Well, here's a young man who found a way to use it, even before he finished his undergraduate degree."

Poage presented his formula at a recent meeting of the Texas Mathematical Association of America, and the calculator will be featured in the Aug. 21 issue of the pharmaceutical publication Drug Topics.

Despite the success Poage already has enjoyed, he doesn't plan to pursue a career as a pharmacist. Instead, Poage is studying for the optometry admissions test and plans to apply to optometry school after he graduates from SFA.

"At one time, I wanted to be an emergency room physician," he said. "But after working in the hospital, I realized how difficult it is for physicians to have time for their families. I am married and have a son, and I really wanted a career that would allow me to spend time with them."

Poage is the son of Kevin and Tina Poage of Central. He and his wife, Carla, have one son, Bryton.

Poage will be among more than 600 graduates receiving degrees, including 489 bachelors, 132 masters and four doctorates. Dr. Archie McDonald, Regents Professor of History, will deliver the commencement address. The ceremony begins at 9:30 a.m. today in William R. Johnson Coliseum.