ASHP President Kicks Off Opening Session & Awards Presentations

ASHP President Nishaminy Kasbekar, PharmD, BSPharm, FASHP, VP and chief pharmacy officer, University of Pennsylvania Health System, opened the ASHP 2023 Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition in Anaheim, California, on Monday, December 4, 2023. Dr. Kasbekar added that this year’s meeting theme is “Imagine the Possibilities,” and she emphasized the concept of “…being the change. The idea that we can be the change we want to see in the world.”

She acknowledged that a change is required to address the pharmacy technician workforce issues that are affecting the pharmacy community. Dr. Kasbekar added that last month, ASHP launched its national membership organization—The Pharmacy Technician Society. She said that this organization is “dedicated to further elevating pharmacy technician roles in patient care and recognizing the important contributions to healthcare.”

Dr. Kasbekar also acknowledged pharmacy and other healthcare professionals and ASHP support staff during the annual Midyear Meeting Awards Ceremony.

CEO Award for Staff Excellence

Presented by ASHP CEO Paul W. Abramowitz, PharmD, ScD (Hon), FASHP, the CEO Award for Staff Excellence recognizes an individual staff member who, in addition to performing all normal job duties with excellence, has also demonstrated exceptional initiative in contributing to ASHP. Specifically, this award recognizes a staff member who has provided an outstanding contribution by leading or developing a project of significant value for ASHP and has demonstrated sustained excellence over time to the advancement of ASHP.

• Sean Abell, senior manager, membership marketing, Office of Marketing and Communications
• Quyen Dinh, director, Brand Marketing & Communications
• Mary Ann Kliethermes, director, medication safety and quality, Office of Practice Advancement

ASHP-ABHP Joint Leadership Award

The ASHP-ABHP (Association of Black Health-System Pharmacists) Joint Leadership Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare. The 2023 recipient of the Joint Leadership Award is Sharon L. Youmans, PharmD, MPH, professor of clinical pharmacy and executive vice dean, University of California San Francisco School of Pharmacy.

ASHP Board of Directors’ Awards

Pharmacy Technician Excellence Award

The ASHP Board of Directors’ Pharmacy Technician Excellence Award recognizes contributions to excellence in the role of pharmacy technicians, advancement of the pharmacy technician workforce, and advancement of pharmacy practice. The recipients of the Pharmacy Technician Excellence Award are Danielle Pierce, CPhT, director of pharmacy operations, Equitas Health Pharmacy, and Rafael Roman, BA, CPhT, CSPT, RPhT, training coordinator of technical operations, Division of Pharmacy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Pharmacy Champion Award

The ASHP Board of Directors’ Pharmacy Champion Award recognizes leadership in advocacy and public policy that contributes to significant improvements in patient care, drug safety, medication-use outcomes, and advances the vital roles pharmacists play as patient care providers. The inaugural recipients of the Pharmacy Champion Award are Alex J. Adams, PharmD, MPH, administrator, Idaho Division of Financial Management, and Julie Groppi, PharmD, FASHP, assistant deputy chief consultant, clinical pharmacy practice and policy, Veterans Affairs.

Distinguished Leadership

The ASHP Board of Directors’ Distinguished Leadership Award recognizes contributions to excellence in pharmacy practice leadership in acute and ambulatory care settings. The 2021 Distinguished Leadership Award recipients are Charles E. Daniels, BSPharm, PhD, FASHP, chief pharmacy officer, UC San Diego Health; associate dean for professional practice and clinical professor, UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Mark Woods, PharmD, BCPS, FASHP, FKCHP, clinical coordinator, Pharmacy Department, Saint Luke’s Hospital.

Donald E. Francke Medal

The ASHP Board of Directors’ Donald E. Francke Medal honors pharmacists who have made significant international contributions to advance pharmacy practice. The 2023 medalist is Vincent T. Idemyor, PharmD, distinguished visiting scholar and professor, Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Management, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

ASHP Foundation 2021 Award for Sustained Contributions to the Literature

The ASHP Foundation Literature Awards Program: Award for Sustained Contributions annually recognizes a pharmacist whose career is distinguished by significant contributions to the biomedical literature. Administered by the ASHP Foundation since 1971, this program is based on the concept that recognition through awards stimulates research and innovation and fosters improvement in the quality of the biomedical literature. The Award for Sustained Contributions is made to a person with a track record for publishing relevant articles of consistently high quality and impact in the primary, peer-reviewed, biomedical literature over a minimum of 20 years. The recipient of the 2023 Award for Sustained Contributions to the Literature is Kevin W. Garey, PharmD, MS, FASHP, FIDSA, FCCP, BCIDP, professor and chair, University of Houston College of Pharmacy.