ASSOCIATE DEAN TAKES THE REINS OF NATIONAL PHARMACY ORGANIZATION

The Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences’ faculty have a long history of holding leadership positions throughout the country. Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Brian Hemstreet, PharmD, has recently joined that list after being elected President of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP). Just like how his hobbies of biking and skiing take him to the mountains, he will be bringing his leadership skills to new heights.

“Being elected to serve ACCP in this capacity has been both a humbling and exciting experience,” Dr. Hemstreet explained. “The profession is filled with so many great leaders, so being selected by my peers to lead this organization is one of the highest honors I have received in my career. After spending the majority of my professional service time with ACCP, it’s also very gratifying to have my efforts recognized in this manner.”

The ACCP is a professional and scientific society that provides leadership, education, advocacy, and resources enabling clinical pharmacists to achieve excellence in practice, research, and education. Its mission is to improve human health by extending the frontiers of clinical pharmacy.

With 18 years at CU Pharmacy, Dr. Hemstreet has worked with thousands of students and enjoys every chance he has to make an impact on them. He is motivated each day with the chance to interact with students and support them along their PharmD journey.

“The motivating factors are largely related to having the ability to make a positive impact on the student experience in our program, and to contribute to improving patient care by helping to train the next generation of pharmacists,” Dr. Hemstreet described. “Getting to see our students enter the program and then graduate and pursue their career path is one of the most satisfying parts of my job.”

He was first introduced to the world of pharmacy through his older cousin who was a pharmacist himself. His cousin allowed him to shadow in the community pharmacy setting and educated Hemstreet about the role pharmacists play on the healthcare team.

“I’ve had always had a passion for the sciences and helping others, but his was truly an eye-opening experience and prompted me to pursue a career in pharmacy after getting to observe the opportunity to make an impact on patient’s lives,” Dr. Hemstreet said.

After growing up in rural Upstate New York, Dr. Hemstreet studied in Albany, New York and Charleston, South Carolina before he found his way to CU Pharmacy. He was captivated by the school and the campus and how it has evolved into a world class educational facility that offered many opportunities for his professional growth. "The opportunity to contribute to the development of a program that has risen to be one of the best in the country and to work with excellent faculty, staff, and students have been the main reasons that I have been at CU for the majority of my career,” Dr. Hemstreet explained.

As Dr. Hemstreet builds on his career at the School of Pharmacy and begins his new position as President of the ACCP, he realizes the challenges facing the profession of pharmacy and hopes to bring a new energy and vision to the organization.

“The profession is at a critical point where there is a major need to continue advance the profession,” Dr. Hemstreet concluded. “My biggest hope is that I can inspire the next generation of leaders in the profession to challenge the status quo and to push the profession to the next level.”