Last week, Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ) stood on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to recognize the distinguished career of his constituent, RADM Pamela Schweitzer, PharmD, BCACP, as she prepares to retire after 30 years of service.

Our good friend, colleague, and APhA member RADM Schweitzer is a giant in the pharmacy community. She has been chief professional officer of pharmacy for the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) since 2014—the first woman to hold the role. Approximately 1,300 pharmacists serve USPHS, the bulk of them in the Indian Health Service (IHS), FDA, and the Bureau of Prisons.

Schweitzer has received accolades from the military, health care, and pharmacy communities. As evidence of the respect she enjoys at APhA, she was the recipient of the 2014 APhA Distinguished Federal Pharmacist of the Year Award and has been an honored guest at the Joint Federal Pharmacy Seminar (JFPS) for many years.

I want to thank Rep. Gosar for recognizing RADM Schweitzer. On behalf of APhA and her pharmacy family, we join him in recognizing all she’s done for the pharmacy profession and for the health of our nation.