UC College of Pharmacy Faculty Member Receives National Award from APhA Foundation

Congratulations go out to University of Cincinnati faculty member Dennis Worthen, PhD, recipient of the 2015 American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation Jacob W. Miller Award. 

"We are thrilled that Dennis is being recognized by the APhA Foundation for this national honor. He has contributed to the profession both here in Cincinnati and nationally in numerous ways," says Neil MacKinnon, PhD, dean of the James L, Winkle College of Pharmacy.

Worthen was selected in recognition of his commitment and contributions to the APhA Foundation for more than 20 years. He retired from P&G Health Care in 1999; he became an adjunct professor at College of Pharmacy.

The Jacob W. Miller Award recognizes an individual who has advanced the mission of the APhA Foundation by demonstrating active involvement in Foundation programs, exemplary support in establishing and/or maintaining APhA Foundation initiatives or outstanding leadership in carrying out the mission of the APhA Foundation. It was established in 2000 to honor the extraordinary service of Jacob W. Miller, who served as president of the APhA Foundation from 1991 to 2000.

"The Jacob W. Miller Award is especially meaningful to me. Jake was a mentor as I started in my pharmacy affairs' role in the late 1980s and that relationship grew into a special friendship. It was Jake who first introduced me to the Foundation and later encouraged me to run for the Board," stated Worthen. 
Well known as a pharmacy historian, and co-author of the sesquicentennial history of the college "Pharmaceutical Education in the Queen City: 150 Years of Service 1850-2000," Worthen began teaching the general pharmacy history course at UC after his retirement. In addition, in 2013, at the request of students, he tailored a second course to a specific era: Pharmacy in World War II.

In reflecting on his UC experience Worthen says, "It has been a pleasure and privilege to share the history of their profession with students at the College of Pharmacy. I believe that an understanding of its history is essential to a profession and its practitioners."

Worthen was an APhA Foundation Board member from 2005 to 2008, and served as vice president for two of those years. He also served as the chair of the Foundation's Advisory Committee and led the effort to include student leaders on the committee. He and his wife established the Dennis and Patricia Worthen APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) Presidential Award through the APhA Foundation in 2003. This award recognizes the tremendous leadership and commitment provided to student pharmacists by the president and president-elect of APhA-ASP. The president receives a $1,000 stipend and a mounted eagle award; the president-elect receives a $500 stipend.

Worthen donated royalties from his book, "Heroes of Pharmacy: Professional Leadership in Times of Change," to the Foundation and consulted as a historian on the Women in Pharmacy Exhibit and Conference Room. Worthen also supported student programs by leading the transfer of the George F. Archambault Scholarship to the APhA Foundation in 2012.

He will be honored for his achievements during the APhA 2015 Annual Meeting and Exposition March 27-30, 2015, in San Diego. The official award presentation will take place March 30 at the APhA Foundation Contributors' Breakfast.

About the American Pharmacists Association Foundation

The APhA Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., is a trusted source of research demonstrating how pharmacists can improve health care. The APhA Foundation's mission is to improve people's health through pharmacists' patient care services. The APhA Foundation is affiliated with the American Pharmacists Association, the national professional society of pharmacists in the U.S. For more information, please visit the APhA Foundation website www.aphafoundation.org. Follow the APhA Foundation on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates.