Announcing the 2010 Next-Generation Pharmacist Award Winners

Next-Generation Pharmacist™ is a new program to salute pharmacy professionals defining the industry’s future. The program includes groundbreaking new research that identifies future trends and a national awards program to recognize those who embody that future vision.

2010 Next-Generation PharmacistEntrepreneur of the Year

Awarded to a pharmacist who is an owner, whole or in part, of the pharmacy and who demonstrates distinctive entrepreneurial spirit and passion, such that his or her contribution has made an indelible mark on the reputation of the pharmacy.

Mark Aurit, RPhOwner, Gateway Health Mart PharmacyBismarck, North Dakota

The naming of the inaugural Next-Generation Pharmacist was not an easy task. The esteemed judges had 8 immensely qualified and inspiring pharmacy professionals from whom to choose, representing the categories Entrepreneur of the Year, Green Pharmacist of the Year, Civic Leader of the Year, Technology Advocate of the Year, Patient Advocate of the Year, Industry Advocate of the Year, Rising Star of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement.

From the 10 category winners, Mark Aurit, RPh, stood out as the pharmacist who embodied not only the spirit of entrepreneurism in pharmacy, but the values of the Next-Generation Pharmacist Awards program as well. A registered pharmacist since 1976, Mark Aurit maintains the philosophy that “the patient comes first.” Aurit puts patients first by offering them preventive care and comprehensive counseling services at Gateway Health Mart Pharmacy in Bismarck, North Dakota, which he has owned since 1989.

Gateway Health Mart conducts extensive preventive and diagnostic screenings and offers counseling for diabetes and Medicare Part D in a counseling booth and 2 private counseling rooms. Gateway Health Mart also boasts a specialty compounding service, in partnership with Professional Compounding Centers of America, which provides custom medications from a state-of-the-art laboratory. Providing quality patient care is a high priority for Aurit, but professional development for his staff is equally important. Gateway Health Mart offers its pharmacists and technicians additional training in compounding, diabetes management, health fairs, public speaking, immunizations, and other areas of their interest. President-elect of the North Dakota Pharmacists Association and a member of the National Community Pharmacists Association, Aurit is also actively involved in his local legislative district, supporting legislation that promotes pharmacy ownership in North Dakota.

The success of Gateway Health Mart and the resulting improved health of Aurit’s patients is the end product of his entrepreneurial commitment to keeping in touch with the needs of his patients, the community, and the profession as a whole. Pharmacy Times and Parata Systems are pleased to name Aurit Entrepreneur of the Year and the 2010 Next-Generation Pharmacist.

Green Pharmacist of the Year

Awarded to a pharmacist who most successfully and creatively integrates exemplary environmental practices in his or her daily operations to advance the reputation and business of his or her pharmacy.

Whit Moose Jr, BSPharmManager, Moose PharmacyMount Pleasant, North Carolina

Whit Moose Jr is known throughout his community as a strong advocate for the environment. Moose was one of the first to adopt the Protect Your Pharmacy Now! Prescription Drug Disposal program. Moose Pharmacy uses water coolers and reusable cups, and established a recycling program for medication bottles, prescription containers, and extra paper in the pharmacy. Moose Pharmacy recycles an estimated 10 tons of materials per month. Moose had an energy audit performed on his pharmacy to reduce the store’s energy consumption and improve efficiency.

Moose is an active member of the Cabarrus Sustainability Council of Carrabus county, North Carolina. He is also working with Mount Pleasant’s mayor to establish a recycling drop-off for area residents and businesses who do not have curbside recycling.

Civic Leader of the Year

Awarded to a pharmacist who donates his or her time and other resources with the principal objective of improving the community in which the pharmacist resides and/or the pharmacy operates.

Terry Spears, RPhOwner, Family Health MartVernon, Texas

Terry Spears is known in his community for going the extra mile. He provides a medication planner to patients who have a difficult time remembering to take their medications, and reviews the planners with them weekly as part of his pharmacy’s routine service.

Spears understands that nonadherence often stems from an inability to pay for medications. He connects seniors with assistance programs that help them to qualify for complete or partial subsidies through Medication Part D. The local Social Security office routinely sends individuals to Spears’ pharmacy for help with the forms for medication reimbursement. Spears also helps his elderly patients on fixed incomes by reminding them to ask about generic alternatives for their medications.

Technology Innovator of the Year

Awarded to the pharmacist who most successfully, creatively and comprehensively utilizes technology in its myriad forms to advance the reputation and business of his or her pharmacy.

Tim Davis, PharmDOwner, Beaver Health Mart PharmacyBeaver, Pennsylvania

On Twitter, Dr. Tim Davis is simply known as @PharmacyTim. Dr. Davis, the current owner of Beaver Health Mart Pharmacy in Beaver, Pennsylvania, offers patients personalized care enhanced by the most current and efficient technologies available.

Dr. Davis jumped at the chance to register his pharmacy as a test site for McKesson’s Navigator workflow system. Dr. Davis also incorporates smartphones and social media into his pharmacy practice, and encourages others to do the same. In a recent tweet, Dr. Davis announced he had completed all his medication therapy management consults using only his iPad and Mirixa’s online tool.

Patient Advocate of the Year

Awarded to a pharmacist whose focus on patient care and customer service, through a specific occasion, personal action, or activity, has established him or her as an exemplary patient advocate.

Lisa Strucko, PharmD, RPhPharmacist, Leesburg PharmacyLeesburg, Virginia

Dr. Strucko consistently makes patient care a priority. Dr. Strucko helped expand Leesburg Pharmacy’s clinical services program, which offers patients a full range of compounding, medication management, and immunization services, as well as a robust women’s health program.

Dr. Strucko touches the lives of countless patients, particularly those coping with a new diagnosis of Lyme’s disease. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Autism Pathways Foundation. Through counseling, Dr. Strucko helps families of children with autism understand the important connections between medication therapy, diet, and lifestyle. Local health care practitioners refer patients to Dr. Strucko daily for nutritional or women’s health consultations. As a preceptor, Dr. Strucko has also educated many future pharmacists.

Industry Advocate of the Year

Awarded to the pharmacist whose singular focus on advancing the pharmacy profession, through patient care, customer service, a specific occasion, personal action or activity, has established him or her as an unmistakable industry advocate.

Harry A. Lattanzio Jr, RPhForest Hills Pharmacy, PRS Pharmacy Services, NASI HME Supplier NetworkLatrobe, Pennsylvania

Harry Lattanzio assesses the needs of the pharmacy industry and develops innovative ways to solve problems. Lattanzio started his first company, PRS Pharmacy Services, to help fill short-term positions with qualified pharmacists. PRS Pharmacy Services has expanded to include a program to put pharmacies into grocery stores, as well as software to help pharmacies remain compliant with state and federal guidelines.

Lattanzio founded Network Accreditation Services, Inc to help independent pharmacies meet the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requirements for Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies accreditation. A third company started by Lattanzio, NASI HME Supplier Network (HSN), is creating a nationwide network of independent DMEPOS-accredited pharmacies and helping them connect with third party payors.

Technician of the Year

Awarded to a pharmacy technician for exhibiting the highest professional standards in patient care, while performing to the highest possible job standards of his or her pharmacy.

Deborah BolandPharmacy Lead Technician, Kmart PharmacySmyrna, Tennessee

Deborah Boland works hard to support the pharmacists with whom she works. In her more than 20 years in pharmacy, Boland has amassed knowledge and developed skills that she gladly shares with others. She assists with the administration of immunizations, and helps teach the skill to less experienced pharmacists.

Boland’s dedication to her patients causes her to go above and beyond. When a pharmacy patient becomes critically ill or dies, Boland sends a card to the family on behalf of the pharmacy. Boland has also helped with the Red Cross Bloodmobile and March of Dimes walks in the community, and she is an active volunteer in the local school system.

Rising Star of the Year

Awarded to a pharmacist who has been licensed and practicing fewer than five years, yet has made a tremendous contribution to the specific pharmacy in which he or she works and/or the pharmacy industry overall.

Chris Williams, PharmDPharmacy Advocate, Manatee YourChoice Health PlanBradenton, Florida

Dr. Chris Williams is a pharmacy advocate for Manatee YourChoice—a government health plan that manages care for the active and retired employees of Manatee County, Florida. Dr. Williams is an on-site clinical pharmacist, coordinating wellness and prevention benefits for his patients. Dr. Williams is a certified asthma educator, and began an Asthma Education Program to provide patients with ongoing support.

Since the health plan’s initiation in 2005, employees of Manatee County have shown remarkable progress: their risk of chronic disease is 6% below the national average; diabetes hospitalization costs have decreased from $500,000 in 2005 to $70,000 in 2 subsequent years; and severe diabetes cases with complications have decreased.

Future Pharmacist

Awarded to the pharmacy student who demonstrates spirit and passion for the profession primarily through academic achievement, in conjunction with one or more of the following criteria: industry advocacy, patient advocacy, technology innovation, civic leadership, and environmentalism.

Adrienne Giddens, PharmD Candidate 2011University of North Carolina (UNC) Eshelman School of Pharmacy

Adrienne Giddens demonstrates great motivation in advancing the field. As a student at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Giddens has worked to revise the way standards of professionalism are assessed. President of the UNC chapter of the pharmacy fraternity Kappa Epsilon (KE), Giddens began an outreach program through KE with cancer patients in local hospitals and initiated an education program for undergraduates.

Giddens serves as a representative on the Vision 2015 Task Force for the North Carolina Association of Pharmacists. This task force is working to develop a plan for the future practice of pharmacy in North Carolina.

Lifetime Achievement

Awarded to a pharmacist who has been licensed and practicing more than 20 years in one or more locations, and who has made an irrefutable contribution to a specific pharmacy in which he or she works and/or the pharmacy industry overall.

Randy McDonough, PharmD, CGP, BCPSOwner, Towncrest PharmacyIowa City, Iowa

Throughout his 20-year career, Dr. Randy McDonough has challenged himself as a pharmacist. After returning to school for his PharmD degree in 2000, McDonough began teaching at the University of Iowa and became a proponent of medication therapy management (MTM). To better understand the challenges of performing MTM duties in a community pharmacy, Dr. McDonough became a full-time pharmacy owner in 2006.

At Towncrest Pharmacy, Dr. McDonough has developed an MTM service through the Iowa Medicaid program with more than 150 patients receiving regular medication reviews. Dr. McDonough works with the Iowa Pharmacy Association to ensure that Iowa pharmacists receive proper reimbursements for their services. He created forms and models for clinical services that he shares with other pharmacists, and he has helped to develop and implement health screening and case management programs for self-insured employers.

Dr. McDonough is a fellow of the American Pharmacists Assocation and serves as one of its national faculty for the certificate programs for diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and self-care services.