Washington, DC, Dec. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) is pleased to announce the winners of specialty pharmacy’s highly anticipated and coveted scholarship, poster, and specialty pharmacy industry awards. The recipients and winners were announced by Sheila M. Arquette, RPh, NASP President & CEO, during a live webinar on December 16, 2021. Though the NASP 2021 Annual Meeting & Expo was canceled due to COVID-19, NASP wanted to recognize and honor the individuals and organizations who exemplify excellence and make sustained contributions to the specialty pharmacy industry and patients.
Ron Bookman Scholarship Program Recipients
The NASP scholarship program is named in honor of Ron Bookman, who unexpectedly passed away in March 2019. He was well known and respected for his leadership, mentorship, and dedication to the specialty pharmacy industry. Due to the generous support of Onco360 Oncology Pharmacy / CareMed Specialty Pharmacy and Frier Levitt, NASP was able to award four $2,500 scholarships. The recipients are: Nicholas Cashman, University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; Darina Georgieva, University of Wisconsin Madison School of Pharmacy; Kassidy Hubert, University of Pittsburgh, Pharmacy; and, Macy Meng, University at Buffalo, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science.
Poster Awards
Prior to canceling the Annual Meeting & Expo, NASP received 71 abstracts. Through a peer review process, 64 abstracts were accepted for presentation. Poster awards were presented to:
- In the category of Delivery of Specialty Pharmacy Products or Services, Adherence: HealthBeacon ICMSTM, 19% More Patients at Month 12; Authors: Sharifah Sarhan, Aanchal Shah, Lara Kelly, and Sean McWhinney; Organization: HealthBeacon Limited
- In the category of Outcomes (Cost or Other): Health-System Specialty Rx: PGY1 Residency Launch; Authors: Cori Edmonds, Amy Mitchell, and Marci Saknini; Organization: Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy
- In the category of COVID-19 Products or Services: Biologic Adherence: COVID-19 Vaccine Timing Dilemma; Authors: Logan Franke, Sarah Reagin, and Zel Skrtic; Organization: TrellisRx
Industry Awards
Peer-nominated and reviewed industry awards are presented to individuals and organizations that have helped to advance patient care and the practice of specialty pharmacy, as well as uphold the values of NASP over the past year.
Atrium Health Specialty Pharmacy Service was named Specialty Pharmacy of the Year for embodying the practice of pharmacy in the field of specialty based on community involvement, patient satisfaction, cost-management, innovation in the field, and quality and performance improvement initiatives, which includes patient care and outcomes, disease state and therapy management, and patient engagement.
Recognizing her leadership within the specialty pharmacy industry and NASP, the Distinguished Service Award was presented to Audrey Monroe, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Ardon Health. Monroe, a member of the NASP Board of Directors, has been a relentless and exemplary advocate for specialty pharmacy, pharmacists, and patients.
The Strategic Channel Partner of the Year was awarded to TrellisRx for their collaborative work with health systems to develop clinically integrated ambulatory and specialty pharmacy services that drive market-leading results for their patients, organizations, and stakeholders.
The Specialty Pharmacy Service Excellence Award was presented to Peggy Tomes, Sr. Vice President of Auditing and Quality Assurance at Amber Specialty Pharmacy, for her advocacy on behalf of transplant patients to ensure life-saving immunosuppressant discharge medications are received in a timely manner.
NASP also presented two new awards this year.
The Specialty Pharmacist of the Year award was given to Dr. Jordan Almazan, Walmart Specialty Pharmacy, for implementation of a clinical management program for Parkinson’s disease psychosis, as well as mentoring and educating students and others in the industry.
The Specialty Pharmacist Technician of the Year award was presented to Ray Howard, Jr., TrellisRx, for his leadership, experience, and support in the launch of an in-clinic model for specialty pharmacy services in more than 12 clinics across two health systems.
“Congratulations to our scholarship recipients and award winners. These are the individuals and organizations who go above and beyond each and every day to help care for patients with chronic and complex conditions. They exemplify what is truly special about specialty pharmacy,” said Arquette.
About the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP)
NASP is a 501(c)(6) trade organization and is the only non-profit national association representing all stakeholders in the specialty pharmacy industry. The mission of NASP is to elevate the practice of specialty pharmacy by developing, delivering and promoting continuing professional education and specialty certification while advocating for public policies that ensure patients have appropriate access to specialty medications in tandem with critical services. NASP members include the nation’s leading independent specialty pharmacies, pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturers, group purchasing organizations, patient advocacy groups, integrated delivery systems and health plans, technology and data management vendors, wholesalers/distributors, and practicing pharmacists. With nearly 150 corporate members and over 2,000 individual members NASP is the unified voice of specialty pharmacy in the United States.
