Three College of Pharmacy faculty received awards at the Washington State Pharmacy Association annual meeting in November 2009.
Assistant Professor Gregory Matsuura of Yakima received the Pfizer Health System Pharmacist of the Year. Matsuura splits his time between WSU where he supervises students on rotations (clerkships) and Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, where he is an infectious disease specialist. He created software that screens for patients who are on complicated antibiotic regimens and interfaces with the lab department. He reviews daily reports and works with the physician to tailor a patient’s antibiotic therapy as part of the Antibiotic Review Team.
Assistant Professor Joshua Neumiller of Spokane received the Pharmacist Mutual Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year Award. Neumiller has established himself as a clinician, researcher and teacher early in his career. He also has made a name for himself in the field of diabetes with numerous journal articles and multiple chapters in the American Diabetes Association PDR book. He has received numerous grants totaling in excess of $1 million.
Associate Professor Stephen Setter of Spokane has received the Rod D. Shafer Award which goes to someone “who has made a pioneering and sustaining contribution to the profession.”
Setter splits his time between WSU and Elder Services, a social work agency based in Spokane that takes a community-based approach to improving the care of geriatric patients. Setter makes regular in-home visits to elderly patients, assisting with prescription-related issues, sometimes reducing or even eliminating medications. He also educates in-home caregivers, nurses, social workers, physical therapists, and family members about drug interactions and signs that a patient is cognitively impaired due to medication. Setter also volunteers for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s organizations and has lectured and published extensively on geriatric pharmacy.