Department of Pharmacotherapy & Outcomes Science - VCU School of Pharmacy

Last Friday, we had the incredible opportunity to co-host the Invitational Summit on State Medicaid Payment for Pharmacist Clinical Services in partnership with UConn School of Pharmacy. This national event brought together pharmacy leaders and policymakers for crucial discussions on advancing pharmacist clinical services within Medicaid programs. A huge thank you to Teresa M. Salgado, MPharm, PhD, Marie S. and the entire organizing committee—Dave Dixon, Evan Sisson, Kelly Goode, John Bucheit, & Sydney Weber—for their dedication in making this summit a success! We are grateful to all who participated and contributed to this important dialogue–as we continue the mission of advancing pharmacists' roles on patient-centered, collaborative care teams.

A new study published in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association identified 44 locations in Virginia where adding pharmacy services could benefit over 10,000 residents each. Urban areas were found to have more pharmacy deserts than rural and suburban regions, highlighting the growing need for accessible pharmacy care. Big shoutout to Joseph Boyle, Ph.D., Rachel Wittenauer, MPH, PhD, and #CPPI Director, Teresa M. Salgado, MPharm, PhD, for leading this important research. Read more:

Congratulation Dr. Caitlin Gibson, PharmD, MEd, FCCP, BCPS, BCCP!!!

Congratulations to Dr. Dave Dixon for not 1, not 2, but 3 awards!

We’re excited to announce Laura Morgan Frankart, PharmD, MEd, BCPS as our new Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs. "Having worked with Dr. Frankart for well over a decade, I have the utmost confidence that she will continue our holistic approach to faculty development and innovation in educating the pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists for the workforce of today and tomorrow," said Dean Kelechi (K.C.) Ogbonna, PharmD, MSHA. Read more:

?? I’m beyond thrilled to share that I defended my PhD dissertation! This milestone represents 4.5 years of hard work, growth, and learning, and I’m so grateful to everyone who supported me along the way. A huge thank you to my advisor, Dr.Elvin Price for his incredible guidance and mentorship. Working with him was transformative. He taught me how to pursue science with purpose, ask meaningful questions, and always aim for the ultimate goal of personalizing medicine. From hands-on genotyping training to navigating the complexities of pharmacogenomics (PGx) & its implementation in understudied groups. He showed me the balance between being a dedicated researcher & a committed father, reminding me that family always comes first. I’m also deeply grateful to my advisory committee for their invaluable input throughout this journey (Drs. Joseph McClay,Dave Dixon,Elizabeth Prom-Wormley,Ana Diallo, PhD, MPH, RN ) A special thanks to Dr.Youssef Roman, Pharm.D., Ph.D. my first advisor, who introduced me to VCU & showed me the importance of building strong community partnerships. His passion and mentorship helped me take on community-based research, from recruitment and data collection to analysis, and it made this work even more meaningful. His mentorship left an enduring impact on me. My dissertation focused on Cardiometabolic Genomics and Pharmacogenomics investigations. Specifically, characterizing dyslipidemia & personalizing statin therapy for adult Filipino Americans (FA) to better understand their drug response/exposure. To the FA community, this project would not have been possible without you. It is from you and for you, and I am humbled by your trust and contributions.Andrew Armada Special thanks to my parents, friends, and all the VCU School of Pharmacy deans Drs.Kelechi (K.C.) Ogbonna, PharmD, MSHA and Dr.Mary Peace McRae & DPOS student and staff who provided encouragement, support and guidance throughout my journey. I am also immensely grateful to the Saudi ???? government for its generous financial and social support throughout my journey in the U.S., which made this achievement possible. On a personal note, this journey was not just about academia—it was about growth in every sense. In 2020, my wife and I welcomed our first son, Turki, and in 2022, we were blessed with our second son, Saud. Balancing family and PhD life was no small feat, but it made this journey even more meaningful. I look forward to the next chapter ??! to expand the benefits of precision medicine & PGx to the people of Saudi Arabia, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030’s mission to enhance healthcare through innovation and genomic research. ????? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ????????? ???? ???? ???????? ?????? ????? ?????? ????? ????????? ?? ???????? ???? ??? ??????? ?????? ????? ??????. ????? ???? ???? ? ???? ?????? ????? ?????? ?????? ????? ????? ???? ????? ???? ?? ?? ????. #PhDDefense #Gratitude #Pharmacogenomics #PrecisionMedicine #Vision2030

We are so thankful for generous alumni donors who are making global experiences in pharmacy a reality for VCU School of Pharmacy students! I cannot wait to see what they learn at FIP World Congress, an opportunity made possible by Arzu F. Moosvi, PharmD.

?? Congratulations to DPOS faculty members, Caitlin Gibson, PharmD, MEd, BCPS, BCCP, Kristin Zimmerman, and John Bucheit on being recognized as Fellows of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) ?? ?? ?? VCU School of Pharmacy