Northern District Candidates for 2021-22 Board Election
Candidates are listed alphabetically by last name.
Rob Harrison
Fellow pharmacists
I am contacting you today as a candidate for the northern district seat of the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy. The mission of the Board is to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of North Carolina, and is of the greatest concern to me, especially as I have seen the evolution of the role of pharmacies and pharmacists during recent decades. Currently I am the Senior Director of Pharmacy for Nufactor Specialty Infusion. Over the past 30 years, I have practiced in hospital, home infusion, long term care, and retail settings, having held positions from staff pharmacist to director. I have had my pharmacies evaluated by TJC, URAC, NABP VPP, a well as the Board of Pharmacy. As regional director of a LTAC, I managed 12 hospital pharmacies across the eastern US, each one surveyed independently. I understand the pressures that our profession is under. We want, and need, to do the best for our patients. We want, and need, to ensure the health and welfare of our pharmacists and staff. We want, and need, to ensure that our pharmacies deliver the highest quality care and treat everyone, patient or provider, equitably. I recognize, too, that we have the stress of tighter staffing models, financial pressures, and regulatory changes which can impinge on our services. If elected, I will sit on the board as an experienced member that will protect the public and support pharmacists; I will advocate for technologies that are balanced between support for enhancing the wellness of patients and reducing the strain on pharmacists. I will advocate for patient safety while acknowledging the ever-changing issues we all face daily, by treating each case individually and examining the details of the interrelationships between patient, pharmacist, and business. Finally, I will support equity and professional innovation in our profession; I will listen without preconceptions to all diverse viewpoints; I will apply the same, objective standards to all pharmacists and pharmacies. I thank you in advance for your consideration and your support.
- Graduate UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy 1992
- Member of Phi Delta Chi Fraternity
- Board Certified Sterile Compounding Pharmacist
- Immune Globulin Certified Pharmacist
- Leadership Roles
- Parish Council Treasurer Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church
- Board Member/Treasurer Hamilton Lakes Parks
- Immune Globulin National Society national meeting planning committee
- Licensed in 43 states/territories
- Member of ASHP, IgNS, NASP
Joe Maki
My name is Joe Maki and I am running for the Northern District seat on the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy. I am currently Vice President of Pharmacy for Novant Health, and reside in Forsyth County with my wife, Christina (also a pharmacist), and two children. I aim to bring my passion, experience, and vision for pharmacy practice to serve you and our communities on the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy in its charge to protect the lives and health of the people of North Carolina.
From Covid-19 to the opioid epidemic and natural disasters, the past couple years have brought significant challenges and change to our communities. Time and time again, I have seen the pharmacy profession step up to the challenge to meet the needs of our communities. What I see in our future is opportunity; through direct patient care activities, adoption of technology, and virtual health initiatives, pharmacy will be a critical component of healthcare in North Carolina. It is absolutely crucial that board members understand current practice trends and emerging technologies, and I am committed to working tirelessly on your behalf to ensure our communities have access to safe and effective pharmacy services.
My experiences have taught me what it means to practice pharmacy in North Carolina, and the challenges and opportunities in that practice. Originally from Wisconsin, my entire professional career has been in North Carolina. I moved here to complete a two-year residency in pharmacy administration and fell in love with the people and practice of pharmacy in this great state. Since residency, I have led teams in community hospitals, an academic medical center, and am now responsible for pharmacy practice at over 30 Novant Health pharmacy sites across North Carolina including outpatient, physician clinics, and hospital pharmacies. In additional to my work experience, I have also served in a variety of committee and council leadership roles in professional organizations including ASHP, NCAP, and Vizient. I am an active presenter on contemporary pharmacy practice issues including pharmacist roles in ambulatory care, regulatory issues such as DSCSA, and advancement of pharmacy technician roles and training.
Amongst my colleagues, I am known as an energetic learner who is compassionate and eager to bring the best out in others. I would bring this same attitude and my diverse experiences as a practitioner and leaders to serve on the NC Board of Pharmacy. Thank you for the opportunity to continue advancing our great profession in service of the people of North Carolina, and be safe.
Joe Maki, Pharm.D., M.S.
Josh McDuffie
I am a native North Carolinian who has spent his entire personal and professional life in The Tarheel State. I graduated from Campbell University School of Pharmacy in 2009 having previously earned a BS in Biochemistry from North Carolina State University. My pharmacy journey began in Salisbury, NC during a summer internship with Walgreens in 2007. After graduation, my wife Jessica (also a Campbell pharmacist) and I moved Clemmons, NC where we still live with our son, Brooks, who just started Third Grade. We love spending time at the pool, on the golf course and rooting for the NC State Wolfpack, Georgia Bulldogs (married into it), Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Braves.
My career started as a community pharmacist with Walgreens and I spent the first 6 years as a pharmacy manager at various locations from Mocksville to Winston-Salem. The majority of this time was spent at Walgreens on Cloverdale Ave in Winston-Salem, which offered compounding services and was an HIV Center of Excellence. I have held various leadership roles in the last 5 years, including Store and District Manager for Walgreens in Winston-Salem. For last two years I have been a Healthcare Supervisor, responsible for clinical and legal guidance, compliance and patient care across more than 80 stores in central NC.
I have a passion for patient care and the value pharmacy teams bring to their communities. During my time as a pharmacy manager, I worked diligently to forge relationships with community groups. My teams have established partnerships with free clinics and community groups to provide free flu shots to thousands of the most vulnerable patients each year. I enjoy educating patients and have given presentations to community and employer groups on a wide range of topics including chronic disease-state management, Medicare Part D enrollment and vaccine hesitancy. I currently serve on the North Carolina Immunization Coalition Steering Committee and am a preceptor for High Point University.
I believe the profession of pharmacy must evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of patients. I am a proponent of legislation and rule-making that allows pharmacists to expand their scope and leverage their professional expertise to serve their patients. I have hosted multiple elected officials, both at the state and federal levels, to educate them as to the value pharmacists provide. I also attended Rx Impact Day with NACDS in Washington D.C., lobbying members of Congress to support pro-pharmacy legislation.
As all of you are keenly aware, the healthcare landscape is changing rapidly and the pharmacy industry is not immune. The COVID pandemic has forever altered the expectations of our patients and payers, but has also cast a very bright light on the value pharmacists bring to our community. I believe the pharmacy industry has an opportunity to not only solidify, but expand our place in healthcare. To do this, we must be aggressive and steadfast in facilitating impactful change that will effectively support and empower pharmacists to be the healthcare providers they can and should be. As a lifelong North Carolinian, I would love to be a vital part of our great state leading this charge. I believe my leadership skills and experience in the profession uniquely position me to bring value by offering a forward-thinking perspective.
I thank you for your time and humbly ask that you cast your vote for me, Josh McDuffie, in the upcoming election.
Thank you!
Josh
Keith Vance
My name is Keith Vance, and I am the owner and pharmacist manager of Lewisville Drug Company, an independent pharmacy located in Lewisville, NC. I have served as a member of the NC Board of Pharmacy since 2017 and served as president of the Board in 2019. A 2002 graduate of the Campbell University School of Pharmacy, I have over 32 years total experience in community pharmacy, including 19 years as a pharmacist.
Prior to opening Lewisville Drug in 2005, I worked for Bi-Lo Pharmacy, Andrews Pharmacy, and Wal-Mart Pharmacy in the Winston-Salem, NC area. I also served on the Mutual Drug Board of Directors and am a member of NCPA and NCAP. I currently reside in Lewisville with my wife Sara (a pharmacist at Novant Health Cancer Institute) and my two sons, Riley (12) and Drew (10). As a family, we are members of Center Grove Church and enjoy hiking and watching our boys play football and basketball.
My service to the Board includes work on several committees including Workplace Conditions, Telepharmacy, Pharmacist Manager Education, Intern Registration, and the Implementation Committee for SL 2021-110, which will further expand NC pharmacists’ scope of practice. I desire a second term because there is still work to do on several issues important to NC pharmacists, including:
1. Workplace Conditions: A byproduct of expanded services is that pharmacists are expected to do more with less staffing. As human beings, we all have our limits. I am concerned that the workload that has been placed on our pharmacists and technicians are pushing and even exceeding those limits. Pharmacies must be staffed adequately by pharmacists and support staff to safely handle the workload, and pharmacist managers must have the power to ensure that adequate staffing occurs. In addition to my service on the Workplace Conditions Committee, I have been asked by NABP President Caroline Juran to serve on NABP’s Workplace Safety and Well-Being Taskforce. Through these appointments, we will find and put into place solutions to help pharmacists practice safely while avoiding the burnout that so many pharmacists face today.
2. Equipping Pharmacist Managers: Too often, pharmacists are thrust into the position of pharmacist manager without having a true understanding of the responsibility that position brings. I, along with board member Ashley Duggins, worked with staff to create pharmacist manager education that will outline the responsibilities that come with the position.
3. Expanded Use of Technology: Another rapidly changing part of pharmacy practice in all settings is the expanded use of technology to provide pharmacy services. Technology, such as remote medication order entry, can greatly assist our pharmacists in performing their jobs safely with less distractions and free up time to be able to spend with their patients. As a committee, we have worked diligently to draft rules that will allow and encourage use of technology to help pharmacists serve their patients better.
As I stated when I ran for my first term, if elected I promise to serve with integrity, to be transparent, to be fair, and to represent all North Carolina pharmacists to the best of my abilities. I respectfully ask for your vote.
END OF CANDIDATE LIST FOR NORTHERN DISTRICT
Follow this link to read about the Western District candidates.
Please contact Kristin Moore or Jay Campbell at the NC Board of Pharmacy office if you have questions about the election.