Nina Smothers, DPh, MBA, of Baptist Huntingdon recently earned the Tom C. Sharp 2016 Pharmacist of the Year Award from the Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA) for her distinguished work in the profession of pharmacy and excellence in the areas of teaching, patient care, leadership, service delivery and advocacy for the profession. She was presented the award during a ceremony at the 129th TPA Summer Meeting on July 18, 2016, in Point Clear, Ala.
Dr. Smothers graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy in 1974 and began her career as a relief pharmacist before joining Carroll County General Hospital in Huntingdon in 1975 and organizing its pharmacy department. In 1998, Dr. Smothers completed an MBA in Health Services Management and continues to work for the hospital, now Baptist Huntington, as pharmacy director and ancillary services manager.
During her service in 2015 as the president of the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy, Dr. Smothers made significant professional contributions to moving the profession of pharmacy forward in the area of patient care.
During Dr. Smothers’ tenure on the Board of Pharmacy, she chaired the board’s effort to address a complete revision of Tennessee’s compounding rules, and in particular, sterile compounding practice. Through this effort, she guided the development of a model Gap Analysis document which is in use today and helps sterile compounding pharmacists to assess and implement continuous quality improvement efforts related to sterile compounding pharmacy practice.
Also, in her role as president of the Board of Pharmacy, Dr. Smothers oversaw the board’s comprehensive revision of the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy Rules.
Additionally, Dr. Smothers has been a long-time member of the TPA, served as president of the Tennessee Society of Health-System Pharmacists (TSHP, a society within the TPA) from 2001-2002, and worked on various committees within TSHP. She received the 2002 TSHP Health-System Pharmacist of the Year Award, and Baptist Huntington received the 1996 TSHP Innovative Pharmacy Practice Award. She has further contributed to her community through her work with the Huntingdon Business and Professional Women’s Club.
For more information, please visit the TPA website, www.tnpharm.org.