Civic Leader of the Year

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Kay Carroll’s motto is to treat people the way they would like to be treated. It’s something he has committed to practicing by offering “old town service” with new patient care services at Carroll Pharmacy.

That dedication ties into another of his mottos: “When you do the right things for your customers and for your business, they are the right decision.”

Carroll began his career shortly after graduating from the University of North Carolina’s School of Pharmacy, and opened his own pharmacy in 1977. He soon began offering services other pharmacies did not provide at the time, such as local prescription deliveries. Noting the shift toward big-box stores, he expanded to a larger location with a drive-through window in the 1990s.

As an early adopter of automated technology, Carroll’s ability to keep pace with increasing prescription volume allows him to integrate newer patient counseling and medication therapy management services into his practice. His pharmacy also stocks extensive diabetic supplies, shoes, and cancer therapy items, reflecting the commitment that drives his business.

“While Kay puts considerable effort into advancing his pharmacy to keep ahead of the changing times, he stays dedicated to making his patients’ lives better,” his nomination read.

Carroll’s connection to the community allowed him to recognize challenges to pharmacy practice and patient care prior to seeing them in pharmacy. It drove him to reach out to local senators regarding mail order pharmacies, pharmacy benefit management, and other changes to pharmacy practice and the effect on patient care.

In addition to running his pharmacy, Carroll serves on the Johnston County Board of Education, the Triangle Leadership Academy Board of Advisors, and the Smithfield Advisory Board of First Citizens Bank. He is also a member of the North Carolina Pharmaceutical Association and a member and past president of the Johnston County Pharmaceutical Association.

He is a deacon at First Baptist Church Smithfield, and is currently overseeing a $2 million renovation to support community programs, including AA fellowship, soup kitchens, self-help, youth activities, and local outreach. Carroll has also volunteered with the Smithfield Rotary Club, Johnston County Life-Long Learning Foundation, and numerous school and community organizations.

To Dr. Allison Dering-Anderson, the community should reap the benefits of pharmacy practice. And she’s taken to the airwaves to spread her message and to encourage patients to speak to their own pharmacist

The show, in turn, allows her to give approximately 75 public service presentations each year. Her presentations include hot-button topics, such as health care, teen drug abuse, utilizing the pharmacist as a member of the health care team, and other topics.

“She believes that we are valuable members of the health care team, who should serve as the experts in all drug-related areas," her nomination form read. “. . . Community pharmacy is a special kind of pharmacy practice and she embraces that thought and advocates for all pharmacists who work in the community.”

Dr. Dering-Anderson’s advocacy for the pharmacist extends to civic and legislative arenas, and she is also committed to informing pharmacists practicing in other areas about community pharmacy.

Dr. Dering-Anderson is a former assistant executive director of the Nebraska Pharmacists Association (NPA), and currently serves on the board of directors for CompanionLinc, a home-living program for the developmentally disabled in Lincoln, Nebraska. She has served on the NPA Legislative committee, several American Pharmacists Association committees, and as national DUR Directors President for 2 consecutive years.

Within Nebraska, Dr. Dering-Anderson serves on the Public Health Clinic Advisory Committee for the State of Nebraska Department of Reproductive Health. At each post, Dr. Dering-Anderson focuses on public protection, access to pharmacy and pharmacist services, and civic enhancements.

Dr. Dering-Anderson currently is a community pharmacy specialist at the University of Nebraska, where she is a clinical assistant professor and advances community pharmacy practice and acts as a pharmacy preceptor. She is also part of a research team investigating on-site rapid diagnostic testing and medication therapy management with full medical record access.

Kevin Musto opened his pharmacy, Atlantic Apothecary, to make a difference in his patients’ lives. The hospital, community, and consultant pharmacist’s impact, however, began before he opened the pharmacy in 2007.

An active member of the Delaware Pharmacists Society, Musto served on the society’s board of directors and has held several committee posts and served as society president from 1997 to 1999. He is credited with founding the Harry Levin Center for Pharmacy and History, which became the society’s home.

The center is more than a place to hold board of directors meetings. It provides a state-of-the-art education center for pharmacists and technicians and also showcases Delaware pharmacy history.

Noting the lack of pharmacy schools in Delaware, Musto created the nonprofit Delaware Pharmacist Education Center in 2004, which offers scholarships to Delaware pharmacy students. The scholarship program encourages students to practice in their home state, although they cannot study there.

His commitment to pharmacy has allowed him to work with several state boards, including his current post with the Delaware Public Health Preparedness Section as Delaware’s Strategic National Stockpile Coordinator.

The post allowed him to develop bioterrorism awareness training for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, assist in developing statewide medication distribution plans, and oversee in-state stockpiling of medications and vaccines.

At Atlantic Apothecary, Musto strives to have a hometown feel, and the pharmacy often sponsors food drives and supports community events and athletic teams. It also offers a variety of special services, including medication counseling, diabetic screening, cholesterol screening, compounding, animal compounding, immunizations, community health screenings, health fairs, and local emergency health initiatives.

Those public health initiatives included assisting Delaware Public Health with providing resources to patients affected by Hurricane Sandy flooding—1 of 4 hurricanes with which Musto assisted—and distributing potassium iodide in a 10-mile emergency protection zone around a nuclear power plant. His duties can also include urgent medication delivery, whether by phone, personal delivery, riding with a state trooper, or by working with the National Guard and Delaware Department of Transportation.