OXFORD,
Miss. – Three clinical assistant professors of pharmacy practice at the
University of Mississippi have earned a specialty certification in
pharmacotherapy from the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties. They are
Lauren Bloodworth, Margaret Pitcock and Erika Webster.
BPS
certification is a voluntary process that awards a peer-established
credential validating specialized knowledge, skills, advanced training
and experience. As certified professionals, these practitioners are
deemed capable of demonstrating a high level of expertise and trust to
their patients, students and colleagues.
“Approximately 4
percent of pharmacists are board-certified specialists,” pharmacy Dean
Barbara G. Wells said. “Specialty certification credentials attest that
these individuals have the knowledge, skills and experience that enable
them to be highly competent pharmacy practitioners within their area of
specialty. Specialty knowledge and skills also provide the foundation
for them to develop into excellent educators and clinical researchers.
We are very proud of the accomplishments of Drs. Bloodworth, Pitcock
and Webster, and we are fortunate to have them on our faculty,”
Bloodworth earned her doctor of pharmacy degree from UM and completed a residency with North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. Her areas of practice are medical intensive care and ambulatory care.
Pitcock received her doctor of pharmacy degree from UM and completed a primary care residency with Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System in Little Rock. The Tupelo native joined the School of Pharmacy in 2002 and practices in the areas of diabetes, anticoagulation and asthma.
Webster also received her doctor of pharmacy from UM. She completed an ambulatory care residency with the Regional Medical Center in Memphis. The Jackson native is a clinical pharmacy specialist at the G.V. Montgomery Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
BPS, founded in 1976, is an autonomous division of the American Pharmacists Association that recognizes specialties and certifies pharmacists in specialized areas of pharmacy practice. The five specialties recognized by BPS are nuclear pharmacy, nutrition support pharmacy, pharmacotherapy, psychiatric pharmacy and oncology pharmacy. Nearly 8,000 pharmacist specialists are certified by BPS.
For more information on the School of Pharmacy, visit http://www.pharmacy.olemiss.edu .