PCCA’s 2018 Pharmacist of the Year and George Roentsch Scholarship Recipient

Last night, at the 2018 International Seminar Awards Banquet, we proudly announced our Compounding Pharmacist of the Year and the recipient of our annual George Roentsch Scholarship. 

Congratulations to Cheri Kraemer, RPh, Our 2018 Dr. M. George Webber Compounding Pharmacist of the Year

Established in 1987, this award is presented annually to an independent compounding pharmacist who has demonstrated service excellence to patients, health care providers and pharmacy colleagues. PCCA President Jim Smith and CEO Dave Sparks presented the award.

“Cheri is truly passionate about providing personalized medicine to her patients in Sioux Falls,” Dave said. “She has been and continues to be an outstanding champion for compounding in both her community and at a national level.”

Cheri has been contributing to the compounding profession for the past 33 years, and has been a PCCA member since 2001. She founded her compounding pharmacy, Pharmacy Specialties Inc., with the primary goal of advancing the health and well-being of all her patients. Her pharmacy was one of the first in the state of South Dakota to be accredited by the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB®). She has served on PCCA’s Advisory Council; frequently attends educational seminars and symposiums to learn new, more effective ways of treating her patients; and often mentors newer compounders as well as pharmacy and technician students.

In 2014, Cheri received PCCA’s Evelyn Timmons, RPh, Advocacy Award for her dedication to advancing the compounding pharmacy industry in her community and as a profession. She’s a continual presence at the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists’ annual Compounders on Capitol Hill event, promoting compounding at a federal level, and advocates for compounding legislation locally with her state senators’ offices.

The great relationships Cheri has built with her prescribers, fellow compounders, state board of pharmacy, legislators and patients are true testaments to her dedication to pharmacy compounding and meeting unique patient needs.

At the event, Cheri was welcomed to the stage by previous recipients of the Compounding Pharmacist of the Year award. Her husband, Larry, son Lucas and daughter Kiera joined her to help celebrate the honor.

Several friends and colleagues spoke about how important Cheri has been to them personally and professionally, including: Cyndi Hicks, PCCA Director of Events Management and Culture; Sharon Hagan, RPh, facilitator of Cheri’s Compounding Concierge group; Diane Boomsma, RPh, PharmD, 2008 Pharmacist of the Year; Bill Letendre, MS, RPh, MBA, PCCA Vice President of Pharmacy Management; Michelle Perreault, PCCA Territory Manager; and Dave Smith, PharmD, FIACP, who served with her on PCCA’s third Advisory Council. 

The late Dr. M. George Webber was a longtime professor with the University of Houston College of Pharmacy, and was instrumental in the formation of PCCA in 1981. He was unwaveringly committed to meeting patient needs and upholding the highest quality and ethical standards, and shared his expertise and love for compounding with his colleagues and his students for more than 40 years.

Congratulations to Megan Pasookhush, PharmD, Recipient of Our 2018 George Roentsch Scholarship

Established in 2010, this scholarship is given annually during International Seminar to an up-and-coming independent pharmacist and PCCA member who embodies the innovative and sharing nature for which George Roentsch was well-known in the pharmacy compounding community. It provided Megan with an all-expenses-paid trip to our 2018 International Seminar.

PCCA Director of Outside Sales Erin Michael, MBA, MS, CPhT, and John Kim, PharmD, FAARFM, of Robinson Drug and Compounding Center in Mendham, New Jersey, who received the 2017 George Roentsch Scholarship, presented the award. “Megan is truly deserving of this honor,” Erin said. “She has grown her practice so significantly since becoming a PCCA member just a few years ago, and is well respected by both patients and physicians in her area.”

Megan received her BS in Biology from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina; her MBA from Lundy-Fetterman School of Business at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina; her PharmD from the Campbell University School of Pharmacy; and a Fellowship in Anti-Aging, Metabolic and Functional Medicine through A4M.

While in pharmacy school, she attended a PCCA pharmacy student training course and “fell in love with the art of compounding.” So much so that after 12 years working in retail pharmacy, she reached out to PCCA and was inspired to return to compounding and open her own pharmacy. She opened Wellness Pharmacy of Cary in Cary, North Carolina, in 2016.

Megan is constantly building her compounding knowledge by attending educational events, so she can always stay current with the latest cutting-edge information. In 2016, she earned her HRT Compounding Specialist designation through PCCA. “Through new information, networking and ideas that I got from the HRT course, I implemented what I learned in my practice and was able to keep my business on a steady growth,” says Megan.

Since opening her pharmacy, Megan has not missed an International Seminar. She embraces networking with other PCCA compounders across the United States, sharing ideas and learning about new opportunities that she can share with her local prescribers and patients.

The late George Roentsch, RPh, was the owner and pharmacist of The Apothecary in Keene, New Hampshire, and is fondly remembered for his work, which advanced the art and science of custom-made prescription medications. George was passionate about pharmacy compounding and generously shared many of his formulas and innovations with fellow compounders.

Want to see what else is going on at International Seminar 2018? Check it out.