National Pharmacy Board Head to Deliver Hartman Lecture

By Natalie Ehrhardt

University of Mississippi

Lemrey “Al” Carter, executive director of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, will present the 2023 Charles W. Hartman Memorial Lecture on Friday (March 24) at the University of Mississippi.

The annual lecture, hosted by the School of Pharmacy, will begin at noon in Room 1000 of the Thad Cochran Research Center and will also be livestreamed via Zoom. Carter’s presentation, “Envisioning the Future for Pharmacy Practice: A Collaborative Approach to Patient Safety,” is free and open to the public.

The talk will focus on the state of the pharmacy profession and issues facing practicing pharmacists.

“I chose this topic to inform future pharmacists of the evolving health care landscape and the opportunities and challenges that will exist for them,” Carter said. 

Despite those challenges, which include issues brought about or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Carter said he wants to impart the message that the profession provides endless opportunities to provide patient care in a multitude of environments.

“Pharmacy is one of the few professions where you can provide patient care to over 95% of the U.S. population,” he said. “Therefore, the opportunity to make a difference in a person’s life will occur every day.”

The NAPB was established to assist state boards of pharmacy in creating uniform education and licensure standards. The international organization helps support patient and prescription drug safety through examinations that assess pharmacist competency, pharmacist licensure transfer and verification services and various pharmacy accreditation programs.

As executive director and secretary of the association’s executive committee, Carter’s responsibilities include strategic planning and analysis surrounding the organization’s operations and collaborating with professional organizations and stakeholders at the state and federal levels to advance public health protection.

“My best advice for future pharmacists is that advocacy is key,” he said. “If we, as pharmacists, don’t have a voice, others will direct our path.”

Carter earned his master’s degree with studies focused on pharmacy regulation and policy from the University of Florida and his doctorate from the Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy. 

A leader in the pharmacy community, he has served on the Illinois State Board of Pharmacy and been appointed by the Illinois House of Representatives to serve two terms on the Illinois Collaborative Pharmaceutical Task Force. He has also served as a member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Council of Deans Task Force on Community-based Pharmacy Practice and on numerous other task forces and committees for pharmacy organizations. 

Before his work with NABP, Carter oversaw pharmacy operations and professional affairs in the community pharmacy setting, including work in multiple leadership positions with Walgreens.

“We are excited to have Dr. Carter as our Hartman lecturer, given his leadership in pharmacy regulation and policy,” said Donna Strum, Ole Miss pharmacy dean. “We look forward to him sharing his insights into the need to protect public health while also advocating for future roles of the pharmacist to improve patient care and medication safety.”

The Hartman lecture was established by the School of Pharmacy in 1973 as a way to honor the late Charles W. Hartman, the school’s dean from 1961 until his death in 1970. 

To sign up for the Zoom broadcast of the lecture, go to https://olemiss.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_h1VXdLpESDSYLEegV9y1Dw.