Pharmacy Times and Parata Systems Announce the 2022 Next-Generation Pharmacist Award Winners

Pharmacy Times®, the leading media resource for pharmacists, and Parata Systems, the leading provider of pharmacy automation, today announced the 2022 Next-Generation Pharmacist® award winners. Ten category winners were recognized for their remarkable achievements in the pharmacy profession at a gala event last night at Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland in Kansas City, Mo. Matthew Pruitt, Pharm.D., a Walgreens pharmacist in the Phoenix area, received the top honor as the 2022 Next-Generation Pharmacist of the Year.

Pruitt, winner of the awards’ Civic Leader category, is a site director for a micro-fulfillment facility that services more than 400 pharmacy locations. The facility, a Walgreen’s first, was built with a vision of taking work out of stores to allow pharmacists more time to elevate the patient experience.

An instructor and mentor for numerous students as an adjunct assistant pharmacy professor and pharmacy preceptor, Pruitt spearheaded the first COVID-19 mass vaccination site in Arizona, at the Arizona Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium in Glendale, and served on the state’s Vaccine Equity Task Force and Arizona Vaccine and Antiviral Prioritization Committee. He also works closely with industry leaders in the state to shine a light on health injustice in underserved areas, including issues dealing with substance abuse and access to health care.

“Matthew Pruitt is a perfect example that building a career as a pharmacist can be both extremely rewarding and exceptionally impactful,” said Mike Hennessy Jr., president and CEO of MJH Life Sciences®, parent company of Pharmacy Times. “Through dogged determination and a ceaseless commitment to helping the people of his state – no matter their economic background, he has helped save and improve the lives of so many Arizonans. We congratulate Dr. Pruitt on being named the 2022 Pharmacist of the Year and thank all our category winners for the outstanding example they are setting within the pharmacy industry.”

Each 2022 Next-Generation Pharmacist category represents one of the many roles that exist within the pharmacy industry. The category winners are as follows:

Civic Leader: Matthew Pruitt, Pharm.D., Walgreens

Future Pharmacist: Alyssa B. Reese, Pharm.D., May 2022 Graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore School of Pharmacy, Central Virginia VA Health Care System

Health System Pharmacist: Michelle R. Locke, Pharm.D., BCACP, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium/US Public Health Service

Lifetime Leadership: Glen Pietrandoni, R.Ph., AAHIVE, Avita Pharmacy

Patient Care Provider:

• Christy M. Ware, Pharm.D., R.Ph., Walgreens
• Victoryn S. Williams, Pharm.D., MBA, BCPS, VillageMD

Pharmacy Educator: Renee Robinson, Pharm.D., MPH, M.S.Pharm., MBA, Idaho State University

Rising Star: Farah Jalloul, B.S., Pharm.D., MBA, Michigan Pharmacists Association

Specialty Pharmacist: Brandon Salke, Pharm.D., CSP, Optime Care

Technician: Shayla Smith, CPhT, Avita Pharmacy

Visionary Pioneer: David Medvedeff, Pharm.D., MBA, Aspen RxHealth

“Year after year, our team at Parata Systems is awed by the outstanding nominations we receive for these awards, so we could not be prouder to participate and help celebrate this industry,” said Karen Thomas-Smith, senior vice president of marketing at Parata. “There are so many exceptional people working in the pharmacy industry across all these categories. We offer our most sincere congratulations to Dr. Pruitt and the other winners, and we thank them for their far-reaching contributions to the field.”

All winners will be featured in the September issue of Pharmacy Times and on https://www.nextgenpharmacist.com. For more information on the Next-Generation Pharmacist® awards program, please visit the website.

Pharmacy Times and Parata Systems would like to thank the following program sponsors: embecta, National Healthcareer Association, Pharmacy Development Services, NCPAand Americorp Financial LLC.

About Pharmacy Times

Pharmacy Times® is the industry-leading multimedia pharmacy network of community, health system, oncology and specialty pharmacy platforms, providing practical clinical and professional information pharmacists can use in their everyday practices when counseling patients and interacting with other health care providers. Each issue and the website contain articles and features covering industry trends, drug interactions, patient education, disease state management, patient counseling, product news, pharmacy law and more. Additionally, Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™ is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. Pharmacy Times is a brand of MJH Life Sciences®, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in North America dedicated to delivering trusted health care news across multiple channels.

About Parata Systems

Parata, a BD company, is the leader in pharmacy automation. Our comprehensive solutions for multiple markets range from vial filling, pouch and blister packaging to central fill, providing a single source for your complex needs. With over 6,000 units installed nationwide, we power pharmacies to help people lead healthier lives.