Pharmacy Heroes: Role Models and Mentors

What makes someone a hero? That is a question anyone from any walk of life could ask themselves. It is worth contemplating. As the owner of a multimedia publishing company, I have come across medical professionals who abundantly deserve this title—and deserve to be recognized by their peers. In fact, we’ve invested our time and resources in honoring outstanding individuals in both pharmacy and medicine with 2 unique national awards programs—the Next-Generation Pharmacist awards (www.nextgenerationpharmacist.com) and Giants of Cancer Care (www.giants.onclive.com)—to recognize innovation and success in these fields.

One of the many reasons we believe so strongly in showcasing such individuals is to give us the opportunity to tell their stories—so that others might be inspired to aspire to greater heights in their own careers. When you read about someone who has accomplished a major feat or created something unique, sometimes overcoming odds to accomplish this, their story can be an inspiration.

One of the values that drive excellence is the real desire to always do better, individually and collectively, and in essence, that’s what makes someone a hero. The person who strives for more, and sets himself or herself apart by personal perseverance, ingenuity, and a commitment to set goals, is a role model and mentor for others. And in this country, anyone can be a hero—it’s what sets us apart from other places in the world. Entrepreneurship, hard work, and results are part of our fabric.

We challenge our own associates to go the extra mile, delve deeper, and in our industry, create the very best publications, websites, meetings, and webinars to improve the quality of life for patients. These products provide the medical profession, including pharmacists and physicians, with the most relevant, insightful, and current information they can use in their practices with the goal of advancing patient care. Pharmacy Times brings pharmacists a wealth of information they can use in their everyday practice. Our website brings daily news and trends that help shape the profession. And, in this issue, we also offer the story of heroes in pharmacy—see “Pharmacy Heroes” on page 56.

In that same vein, we encourage pharmacists to think about that hero, the innovator, and the inspiration, and invite you to participate in our pharmacy awards program, now in motion. Go ahead and nominate a deserving pharmacist, student, and technician in the fifth annual Next-Generation Pharmacist awards to honor and celebrate the heroes of pharmacy—so we can tell their stories, too. You’ll find all the details on www.nextgenerationpharmacist.com.

Thank you for reading!

Mike Hennessy

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer