The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Academy of Pharmacy Practice & Management (APhA–APPM) and Academy of Pharmaceutical Research & Science (APhA–APRS) today announced the election slate for the 2019 APhA Elections.

Attendees of the 2019 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition will have an opportunity to visit face-to-face with the candidates at a “Meet the Candidates” session in Seattle’s Washington State Convention Center.

Members will be able to vote starting on March 22, and the elections will close at noon on May 14. The 2019 APhA election results will be announced in June, and successfully elected candidates will be installed at the 2020 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition in March 2020. Additional election and candidate information will be available online.

APhA–APPM President-elect:

Bella H. Mehta, PharmD, RPh, FAPhA, of Columbus, OH, received her B.S. in Pharmacy and PharmD degrees from The Ohio State University (OSU). She was the third graduate of the OSU Ambulatory Care Residency. She is a Regular Clinical Track Faculty Member at OSU College of Pharmacy (COP) with a joint appointment in the Department of Family Medicine, Division of Integrative Medicine. Dr. Mehta serves as Director, Continuing Professional Development, and is leading development of the OSU COP Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Practice. Her areas of focus include developing and advancing innovative practice in ambulatory/community care and self-care/integrative medicines. Dr. Mehta is a nationally sought speaker in integrative medicines and herbs/dietary supplements. She has developed direct patient care services and educational experiences in this area. She is a past recipient of the APhA–APPM Daniel B. Smith Practice Excellence Award, the ASHP Foundation Best Practices in Health Systems Pharmacy Award, and OSU’s Josephine S. Failer Award. Dr. Mehta has been actively involved in pharmacy leadership as an elected APhA–APPM Executive Committee Member-At-Large Officer, appointed member of the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association’s Editorial Advisory Board, and founder of the APhA–APPM Medical Home/ACO Special Interest Group (SIG).

Wendy Mobley-Bukstein, PharmD, BCACP, CDE, CHWC, FAPhA, of Des Moines, IA, is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Drake University. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Drake University in 1999 and is a Fellow of the American Pharmacists Association. Currently, she teaches a Medication Therapy Management elective, co-teaches the Advanced Diabetes Care elective and team teaches in the Pharmacy Skills and Applications course series and the Self Care & Nonprescription Products course. She maintains a clinical practice at Primary Health Care East Side Clinic, a federally qualified health center, where she precepts third-year student pharmacists on their drug therapy problem-solving or community introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) and advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) students on their ambulatory care or specialty care rotation. Her areas of interest in practice and scholarship are diabetes, medication therapy management and community education.  She is the current Chair of the Education Standing Committee for APhA–APPM and Member-At-Large on the APhA–APPM Executive Committee. Within APhA, she has served as Coordinator-elect and Coordinator of the APhA–APPM Diabetes Management SIG, served on several SIG committees, participated in task force groups, served as a delegate in the House of Delegates, and been an abstract captain, reviewer and judge for the Contributed Papers Program.

APhA–APPM Executive Committee Member-at-Large:

Pair One:

Nicholas Dorich, PharmD, of Durham, NC, is the Director, Client Services, at Pharmacy Quality Services (PQS). Nicholas oversees PQS’s operations with community pharmacy organizations to understand quality measures and implement improvement strategies. He became interested in the profession of pharmacy during a high school career fair, after being introduced to a long-term care pharmacist. While attending the University of Rhode Island (URI) College of Pharmacy, Nicholas’s interest grew in public policy and leadership development to enhance the opportunities for pharmacists in health care. These activities led to active involvement with the APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA–ASP) Chapter at URI and with the Rhode Island Pharmacists Association. During his final year of pharmacy school, Nicholas had the privilege to serve APhA–ASP as a National Member-at-Large. Upon graduation, Nicholas completed an Executive Residency at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation and then remained at NACDS to oversee Pharmacy Care and Foundation Programs. During this time, the NACDS Foundation expanded Community Pharmacy Residency Programs, launched the Faculty Scholars Program and other research projects related to pharmacist involvement with public health initiatives. Nicholas remains active as a volunteer leader in various capacities: Pharmacy Quality Alliance for more than 3 years with measure development, student mentorship with the URI College of Pharmacy, frequent volunteer opportunities with APhA–ASP, member of the Pharmacy Today Editorial Advisory Board, and current service on the APhA Policy Committee.

Monali Majmudar, PharmD, of Atlanta, GA, earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Mercer University College of Pharmacy in 1998. She currently practices as a Medical Science Liaison (Vaccines) at Syneos Health, representing the GlaxoSmithKline Adult Vaccine Portfolio. Prior to joining Syneos, she worked for 19 years as a community pharmacist. She served as the pharmacy manager for a 24-hour Walgreens pharmacy in Norcross, GA. Beyond her normal daily pharmacy duties, Dr. Majmudar oversaw coordinating and updating immunization training for over 100 pharmacy locations in the Atlanta market. She is also certified to teach the APhA Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery and Travel Health Services Programs. Concurrently, she worked closely within the community to promote the importance of immunizations. Often partnering with government agencies/consulates and the Mercer University Physician Assistant Program, she held immunization clinics throughout the region. She holds a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice appointment with Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) School of Pharmacy. While working as a community pharmacist, she progressed the pharmacy profession forward by mentoring IPPE and APPE students from both Mercer University and the PCOM School of Pharmacy. In addition, Dr. Majmudar is the recipient of many pharmacy awards, including the 2014 APhA Immunization Champion Award for Community Outreach, the 2013 Mercer University College of Pharmacy IPPE Preceptor of the Year Award, the 2013 APhA–ASP Friend of

Pharmacy Award with Mercer University, the 2013 Health Stat Outstanding Provider Award, the 2012 APhA National One to One Patient Counseling Recognition Award, and the 2010–2011 APhA National Immunization Award.

Pair Two:

Ashley Lorenzen, PharmD, BCPS, of Iron Mountain, MI, will transition in January 2019 to be the Clinical Pharmacy Manager for the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain, where she will both oversee the ambulatory care programs and continue to practice as an ambulatory care pharmacist. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Concordia University Wisconsin School of Pharmacy in Mequon, WI. Dr. Lorenzen practices as a clinical pharmacist at Ascension Medical Group, a primary care clinic in rural northern Wisconsin, caring for patients with multiple complicated chronic disease states through several collaborative practice agreements. Dr. Lorenzen’s scholarship has focused on pharmacist impact on patient outcomes through pharmacist disease state management, the impact of transitions of care services on patient outcomes, and rural, underserved pharmacy service expansion and adoption. Dr. Lorenzen received her PharmD from the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Pharmacy in 2012. She also completed a PGY1 Residency in Green Bay, WI, at Aurora BayCare Medical Center. Dr. Lorenzen earned her BCPS certification in 2015. She currently is a member of the APhA–APPM Awards Standing Committee’s Fellow Selection Subcommittee. Dr. Lorenzen truly enjoys improving outcomes in her patients through building relationships with the patient and the entire medical team.

Marci Strauss, PharmD, of Abingdon, MD, is a 2012 graduate of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and began serving as a staff pharmacist for Shoppers (Supervalu) Pharmacies, providing medication therapy management (MTM) and immunization services to patients in the greater Baltimore area. In 2014, she began serving in the position of MTM Coordinator with EPIC Pharmacies, Inc, a buying group and PSAO of almost 2000 independent community pharmacies. Through this position, she developed a pilot program to increase engagement with, and utilization of, MTM programs among independent community pharmacies. The success of that pilot program, coupled with her passion to help independent pharmacists continue to demonstrate how they impact patients, led to the creation of EPIC Pharmacies’ first Clinical Programs Department. As Manager of Clinical Programs, she leads the department in the implementation and expansion of clinical programs and services, while working to increase pharmacy network performance in quality measures. Her ongoing objective is to increase community pharmacy engagement with, and understanding of, the importance of services such as MTM, immunizations and medication synchronization and how those will advance the role of community pharmacists across the nation. She is also an active member of APhA, currently serving as an APhA Ambassador, Coordinator-elect of the APhA–APPM Medication Management SIG and, previously, Chair of the SIG’s Business Practice Model Committee.

Pair Three:

Staci-Marie Norman, PharmD, CDE, of South Bend, IN, received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Oklahoma in 1996. In 2000, Dr. Norman became a Certified Diabetes Educator. She is currently the clinical coordinator and staff pharmacist for Martin’s Pharmacy. Dr. Norman is a national faculty member for APhA, teaching certificate programs in both diabetes and cardiovascular disease. She serves on the advisory board that oversees development and revision of these programs. Along with teaching and development responsibilities for APhA, Dr. Norman serves as a peer reviewer for research grants and publication submissions. In her life outside of pharmacy, Dr. Norman is a member of the board of directors for Malawi Matters Inc. This is a 501(c) nonprofit organization that provides HIV/AIDS education and prevention and girls’ empowerment programs in Malawi, Africa. She has herself served as an educator with this program in Malawi on three different occasions. Dr. Norman’s passion for women’s education and empowerment is not limited to Malawi. She is a member and current president of her P.E.O. chapter, whose prime mission is to help women succeed in higher education by providing funding through scholarships, grants and low-interest loans.

Emily Prohaska, PharmD, BCACP, BCGP, of Overland Park, KS, is a clinical services coordinator with Balls Food Stores in Kansas City, KS, and the site preceptor for the PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy Residency program at Hen House Pharmacy in Olathe, KS. She is an adjunct clinical assistant professor with the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy and serves as an advanced experiential clerkship preceptor for the University of Kansas and University of Missouri–Kansas City Schools of Pharmacy. Emily received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy and went on to complete a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice residency with Campbell University and the Wilson Community Health Center in Wilson, NC. She then completed a second year Drug Information specialty residency at the University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, KS. She has extensive volunteer involvement within APhA, including serving as a member of the New Practitioner Network Advisory Committee, service on all four APhA–APPM standing committees, volunteering on multiple committees within the APhA–APPM Diabetes Management SIG, and has served as a Kansas delegate to the House of Delegates since 2013.

APhA–APRS Basic Sciences Section Chair-elect:

David F. Kisor, BS, PharmD, FCP, RPh, of Ft. Wayne, IN, is Professor and Director of Pharmacogenomics Education at Manchester University in Fort Wayne, IN. Previously, he was Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences at the Raabe College of Pharmacy at Ohio Northern University. Kisor received his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the University of Toledo and his PharmD from The Ohio State University. He completed a fellowship in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Pharmacokinetics at Ohio State. Beyond Kisor’s academic experience, he worked in the pharmaceutical industry at Burroughs Wellcome Co., now GlaxoSmithKline, where he was a research scientist in Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism, working mostly on the development of purine analogs, including the drug nelarabine, a derivative of guanine, one of the “building blocks of life,” that was marketed in the United States in 2005. Kisor has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles. He has coauthored book chapters and was the lead author of a pharmacogenomics textbook. His focus at Manchester has been teaching pharmacogenomics and pharmacokinetics and relating genetics to pharmacokinetics. He has integrated genetics into pharmacokinetic subject matter since 1998. Kisor also serves as the pharmacogenomics content editor for PharmacotherapyFirst.

William J. McLaughlin, RPh, PhD, of Germantown, TN, holds a PhD in Industrial Pharmacy from Purdue University and a BS in Pharmacy from Northeastern University. He is former Director, Oral Dose Development at Bayer Healthcare LLC (formerly Merck Inc; formerly Schering-Plough HealthCare Products Inc.), where he was responsible for development and regulatory support of products for local and global markets. Previously, he held positions in Formulation and in International R&D. Prior to joining Schering-Plough in 1997, Bill was with Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, Inc. in the area of Pharmaceutical Technology and Engineering, where he was responsible for scale-up, validation and global technical support of prescription and OTC products. Since retiring from industry, Bill has continued part-time teaching through the Schools of Pharmacy at both the University of Tennessee and the University of Mississippi and looks forward to continuing the privilege of providing patient care as a member of international missions.

APhA–APRS Clinical Sciences Section Chair-elect:

Lawrence J. Cohen, PharmD, BCPP, FASHP, FCCP, FCP, DNAP, of Hudson Oaks, TX, is Coordinator of Interprofessional Education and Professor of Pharmacotherapy (Tenured) at the University of North Texas, where he previously served as Associate Dean for Clinical Programs, and is Emeritus Professor of Pharmacotherapy at Washington State University College of Pharmacy. Dr. Cohen is a Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist, has served as a member of the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) Psychiatric Pharmacy Specialty Council and currently serves on the BPS Geriatric Pharmacy Specialty Council and the BPS Employer Advisory Committee. Dr. Cohen's scholarly interests include pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of psychotropic medications, geriatric psychopharmacology, pharmacoeconomics and health outcomes, pharmacoepidemiology, and emergency preparedness—specifically, access to health care during times of crisis. He has service on numerous editorial boards and as a reviewer for many pharmacy, medical and health care journals. He also has fulfilled an extensive invited lecture schedule and has both authored and coauthored numerous articles in professional journals. After earning his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, he completed his postdoctoral residency in psychiatric pharmacy at the LA County/USC Medical Center. Throughout his professional career, Dr. Cohen has been recognized for his clinical skills, management abilities and professional activities. Dr. Cohen’s interest in interprofessional education and practice began during his undergraduate years at UCLA and while attending USC, working as a Nursing Assistant and ECG Technician at UCLA Medical Center. He has experience in community pharmacy, office and hospital-based clinical practice, management of multihospital/clinic pharmacy and clinical operations and drug development, including managing clinical trials.

Amanda Meeker, PharmD, of Portland, OR, is a Clinical Coordinator at CareOregon, a managed care organization in Portland. There, she serves the Medicaid and Medicare population and collaborates with health care providers on various initiatives aimed at improving cost effectiveness as well as the quality care. She earned her Doctorate of Pharmacy from the Oregon State University/Oregon Health & Science University (OSU/OHSU) College of Pharmacy. After graduation, she completed a 2-year Clinical Fellowship with the OSU/OHSU College of Pharmacy focused on Drug Policy. Her fellowship training focused on literature evaluation, biostatistics and clinical research design, to which she is currently applying these research principles to formulary development and cost-savings initiatives in her current role. Dr. Meeker enjoys serving as a mentor to both student pharmacists and residents. Throughout her career, she has continued to foster a learning environment to help others expand their knowledge of the aspects of managed care. Dr. Meeker is passionate about professional organizations such as APhA, as she sees the value they can add to your growth as a pharmacist, as well as growing your professional network. As a student pharmacist, Dr. Meeker was actively involved with APhA leadership at the chapter, state and national levels. She continues to stay involved in the Oregon Pharmacy Coalition, APhA and the Oregon State Pharmacy Association.

APhA–APRS Economic, Social and Administrative Sciences Section (ESAS) Chair-elect:

Pamela C. Heaton, BSPharm, MS, PhD, FAPhA, of Cincinnati, OH, is Chair and Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Administrative Sciences at the Winkle College of Pharmacy at the University of Cincinnati. Through this role, she oversees pharmacy practitioners in numerous clinical settings as well as faculty researchers in pharmacy administration/health outcomes. Dr. Heaton’s career began in community pharmacy, first as a pharmacist, then in corporate management roles. She maintained her community focus after moving to academia, with a research focus on innovative practice models that highlight the value of the pharmacist in providing patient care. Recently, working with an interprofessional team, Dr. Heaton measured the impact of the community pharmacist to reduce 30-day readmission rates post–hospital discharge. She also performed database analytics with the state Medicaid and Drug Utilization Review programs, contributes to state policy decisions for medication use, and consults with major pharmaceutical companies on outcomes research and drug development planning. Dr. Heaton’s research was recognized with the APhA Wiederholt Prize for Best Published Paper and the Clinical Research Paper Awards, as well as numerous best paper, poster and presentation awards from other organizations. She has been a preceptor for a community-based residency program for over 15 years. Dr. Heaton is actively involved in professional organizations, including APhA, AACP and FIP. Dr. Heaton enjoys serving as Associate Editor of the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, which allows her to review submissions about the latest pharmacy practice advancements and research reports.

Henry N. Young, PhD, of Athens, GA, is the Kroger Associate Professor in the Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy Department and the Director of the Pharmaceutical Health Services, Outcomes, and Policy Graduate Program at the University of Georgia, College of Pharmacy. Dr. Young is also currently engaged in the NIH-funded Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (Georgia CTSA) as a Co-Director of the Integrating Special Populations function. He is working with Georgia CTSA members to address health needs of minority, rural and underserved populations throughout Georgia. He received his doctorate in Pharmaceutical Sciences–Pharmacy Health Care Administration from the University of Florida in Gainesville. Dr. Young also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Davis in the Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care (now known as the Center for Healthcare Policy and Research).

About APhA–APPM

The APhA Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management (APhA–APPM) is dedicated to assisting members in enhancing the profession of pharmacy, improving medication use and advancing patient care. APhA–APPM serves pharmacists in all practice settings, including independent and chain community pharmacies, hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, health maintenance organizations, federal facilities, nuclear pharmacies and other specialized settings. Members receive access to continuing education, an online community of practitioners, networking and leadership opportunities, tools and resources for developing patient care services, cutting edge information on Medication Therapy Management and regulatory issues facing the profession. https://www.pharmacist.com/apha-academy-pharmacy-practice-and-management

About APhA–APRS

The APhA Academy of Pharmaceutical Research and Science (APhA–APRS) stimulates the discovery, dissemination and application of research to improve patient health and serves pharmacists and those members who are involved in the pharmaceutical sciences. Members of APhA may choose to belong to a primary Section within APhA–APRS based on their area of research. APhA–APRS is governed by an Executive Council comprised of elected leaders from the three Sections of APhA–APRS: Basic Sciences, Clinical Sciences and Economic, Social and Administrative Sciences (ESAS). Members receive access to continuing education, an online community for pharmacists, networking and leadership opportunities, premier research journals such as JAPhA and JPharmSci, and cutting-edge information on medication therapy management and regulatory issues facing the profession. https://www.pharmacist.com/apha-academy-pharmaceutical-research-and-sci…