Harold N. Godwin, BSPharm, MS, RPh, FASHP, FAPhA, of Overland Park, KS, is the recipient of the 2018 Remington Honor Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). Godwin was selected in recognition of his half-century long pharmacy career where he has led and advocated for the entire pharmacy profession on the National, state, and local level. He is Professor Emeritus at the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy and recently retired from his previous role as Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Associate Dean for Clinical and Medical Center Affairs at the University of Kansas Health System. Godwin also served as Director of Pharmacy at The University of Kansas Hospital from 1969 through 2004. Godwin has presented over 800 times, nationally and internationally, on aspects of health-system pharmacy practice to pharmacists and other health care professionals. He also has numerous publications, abstracts, and posters that were developed on his work in the health-system pharmacy practice arena, and is a pharmacy leader at the state and national levels.

The Remington Honor Medal, named for eminent community pharmacist, manufacturer, and educator Joseph P. Remington, was established in 1918 to recognize distinguished service on behalf of American pharmacy during the preceding years, culminating in the past year or during a long period of outstanding activity or fruitful achievement. Godwin will be officially recognized during the APhA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Nashville, TN, March 16-19, 2018. The APhA awards and honors program is the most comprehensive recognition program in the profession of pharmacy.

One nominator refers to Godwin as a “Diplomat for Pharmacy”, “his passion for pharmacy has lead him through nearly every (if not every) aspect of pharmacy and he commonly connects people in different arenas, because he can see the possibility of synergy, is encouraging them to grow, or because he thinks they might just become great friends.” Godwin’s leadership through his volunteer roles and residency training programs have developed many pharmacy leaders and for his efforts, the Harold N. Godwin Leadership Legacy Award was established in 2004 to recognize outstanding leadership and contributions to the profession of pharmacy by alumni and friends of the residency training programs he started. Another nominator also acknowledged Godwin’s broad impact on the profession and leadership by comparing him to the individual for whom the award is named after, “Just as Joseph P. Remington had a varied career as a community pharmacist, manufacturer, and educator, Harold N. Godwin has had a distinguished career as a hospital pharmacist, academician, author and leader.”

Godwin recently completed his second term on the Board of Directors for the Board of Pharmacy Specialties where he served as Chair in 2017.  He has also served as an American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Board member (2006-2012) and President (2010-2011), two six year terms as an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Board member (1988-2001) and President (1992-1996), and as an American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Board member (1978-1984) and President (1982-1983). Godwin’s leadership roles extend to the state and local level having served terms as a Board member on the Kansas Pharmacists Association, Kansas Pharmacy Foundation, Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Greater Kansas City, Central Ohio Society of Hospital Pharmacists, and Ohio Society of Hospital Pharmacists.

His previous awards from APhA include recognition as a Fellow of APhA in 2010 and the APhA-APPM Distinguished Achievement Award in Hospital and Institutional Practice in 2000.  Godwin has also received ASHP’s highest honor, the Harvey A.K. Whitney Award in 1991 while also being named the Pharmacist of the Year in 1982 and 2010 by the Kansas Pharmacists Association. Godwin received his pharmacy degree from the University of Kansas and his Master of Science in Hospital Pharmacy from the Ohio State University.