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September Faces of Pharmacy:
Patricia (Patsy) Douglas, RPh, FACVP
Patsy earned her Pharmacy Degree from University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, formerly Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science. In 2019, she was inducted as a Fellow into the American College of Veterinary Pharmacy (ACVP). She is also a member of several other pharmacy organizations, including American College of Apothecaries (ACA), Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding (ACP), and the Society of Veterinary Hospital Pharmacists (SVHP). Patsy graduated with honors and as a member of the distinguished Ro Chi Pharmacy Academic Honor Society.
Patsy is a published author of two (2) articles, “Insulin Therapy in Canine and Feline Patients” (2019) and “Pharmacologic Treatment Plans for Canine Epilepsy” (2020).
She has also given multiple presentations for Continuing Education credits to Veterinarians and Pharmacists.
Patsy has worked in several areas of Pharmacy but found her niche in veterinary pharmacy when she began working at Wedgewood Pharmacy about 8 years ago. She has a passion for sharing the importance and nuances of veterinary pharmacy in the world of animal health.
Patsy would love to live in a world where all animals had access to care, where at-risk animals could find permanent homes, where zoo animals roamed free, where we could de-extinct species, and where all living things were shown their value to this planet.
Jennifer B. Lee, PharmD, CSP
A graduate of The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), Jennifer completed a PGY-1 residency with UTHSC prior to starting her career as a clinical pharmacist with the Central Alabama Veteran Health Care Veterans Health Care System.
Further developing her career as a direct patient care provider, Jennifer accepted a position with the Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), where she is a clinical pharmacist team lead with the Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy. She is an embedded clinical pharmacist in the rheumatology space and an integral part of the workflow within her clinic. As an embedded pharmacist, she assists providers with appropriate drug selection, medication counseling and monitoring, approvals of specialty medications and drug information questions. With her incredible pharmacy colleagues in the clinic, they manage all specialty medications for rheumatology from start to finish, ensuring patients understand the high touch need for specialty medications, importance of taking the medication appropriately, while also ensuring patients can afford their therapy.
Jennifer has established herself as an expert in rheumatology while also obtaining her Specialty Pharmacy Certification. She has been a part of several projects within VUMC, helping to promote the profession of pharmacy. Some of these opportunities include being an affiliate author of “Advancing Patient Care Through Specialty Pharmacy Services in an Academic Health System” as well as being a guest speaker to regional programs, speaking about specialty pharmacy in an academic institution. She has also been an expert panelist for a focus group regarding rheumatology specialty medications. Assisting with outreach to outlying areas in middle Tennessee, Jennifer is also currently in the process of assisting VUMC with establishing specialty clinical pharmacy services in a new rheumatology clinic within the Vanderbilt organization.
Early on in life, Jennifer always knew she had passion for helping others and discovered that a career in healthcare aligned with her values and the profession of pharmacy was a perfect fit. Specialty pharmacy is a niche where she can show patients that a pharmacist is more of a resource than someone just filling their prescription, but an expert in the field. Jennifer strives to improve patient care by being a part of the Vanderbilt Specialty pharmacy high touch model, ensuring patients know how much we care about their overall well-being while treating their specialty disease state.
Having a career in an academic institution like VUMC allows Jennifer the opportunity to provide outreach to patients who may not otherwise be able to afford appropriate healthcare, which tops her many reasons why she loves her career at VUMC. She also helps promote pharmacy education within VUMC by working with the PGY-1 residency program as a preceptor within Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy.
Outside of Vanderbilt, Jennifer volunteers for St. Sampson Medical Clinic, a non-profit rheumatology clinic that provides patient care to uninsured patients in the surrounding areas. She is also an avid runner and enjoys raising money for charitable organizations with this pastime.
James Leonard, PharmD, DABAT
I am a 2016 graduate of Washington State University College of Pharmacy (Go Cougs!). After graduation I did PGY1 at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, WA followed by a 2-year fellowship in clinical toxicology at the Maryland Poison Center and University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. After fellowship, I stayed on with the poison center. I’m involved with research using local and national data from poison centers. These are a core component of education and we have several research projects that I lead, mentor, or work on closely with a mentor. Our research primarily focuses on poisoning epidemiology and improving the care of poisoned patients. Some of our research has been into medication errors and specific scenarios that occur within the home. Poison centers are uniquely poised to capture these events and provide descriptions of scenarios for focused interventions. I am also involved with education for pharmacy students, residents, and fellows. Toxicology is such a unique aspect of pharmacy and I love to see the growth of learners throughout their rotations. I also work part time roles in emergency department pharmacy.
I work closely with the team in the poison center to help guide care for poisoned patients, which includes calls at all times of day or night. As a group, we are constantly challenged by new poisons, old poisons, and new combinations of old poisons. It is a real joy to provide specific recommendations for management of poisoning and see the results.
Outside of pharmacy you will find me running, gardening, listening to a book, or spending time with my wife and dog.