UNM College of Pharmacy Faculty and Alumnus Win ASHP Pharmacy Champion Award

Two University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy faculty members and a College alumnus have been are among the inaugural recipients of the 2021 Pharmacy Champion Award from the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists (ASHP) board of directors.

Melanie Dodd, PharmD, associate dean for Clinical Affairs, and Joe Anderson, PharmD, assistant dean for Curricular Affairs in UNM College of Pharmacy, were joined by alumnus Keenan Ryan, PharmD, a UNM Hospital pharmacist and immediate past president of the New Mexico Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and Dale Tinker, executive director of the New Mexico Pharmacists Association, in receiving the award.

They formed a coalition to push for passage of HB 42, legislation that allows pharmacist clinicians and pharmacists with independent prescriptive authority to be reimbursed by Medicaid and commercial insurance plans for primary care and specialty care services with parity to physicians.

The Pharmacy Champion Award recognizes and honors 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 ASHP has nearly 58,000 members, including pharmacists, student pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. It represents pharmacists who serve as patient care providers in hospitals, health systems, ambulatory clinics and other health care settings.

The award will be presented in December at the society’s 56^th Midyear Clinical Meeting in Orlando, Fla.