Pharmacy Access Partnership | Circle of Advisors

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The Circle of Advisors guides Pharmacy Access Partnership and provides extensive expertise in program development and implementation. This diverse group represents the public health community, retail pharmacies, healthcare advocates, and professional groups of both physicians and pharmacists. The Circle of Advisors meets several times a year to discuss current efforts and develop new strategies and tactics to improve access to reproductive health services and commodities in pharmacies.

Circle of Advisors Meeting on November 12, 2008, Oakland - We were pleased to welcome new members including: Ben Singer, Owner, Farmacia Remedios; Jeff Wong, Pharmacy Manager, Walgreens; Sally Rafie, recent pharmacy graduate and now UCSD pharmacy resident in acute care; Rivka Gordon, Director Strategic Development Association of Reproductive Health Professionals; Dan Grossman, Senior Associate Ibis Reproductive Health; Sonya Frausto, Assistant Professor and Chair of Admissions Committee, California Northstate College of Pharmacy; and Maryam Khotani, Legal Services Counsel, Sutter Health.

Special guest presentations included: Sharon Youmans, Associate Dean for Diversity at UCSF School of Pharmacy, addressing workforce diversity issues; Mike Negrete, CEO of the Pharmacy Foundation of California discussing communicating risk; Phil Darney, Professor and Chief of Services, Dept. of OB/GYN, SF General Hospital updating on reframing EC’s mechanism of action; and Melissa Schoen, Senior Program Officer at the California Health Care Foundation, presenting on the emergence of retail-based clinics in the Unites States. The Circle of Advisors also discussed cultivating pharmacy leaders in reproductive health and international pharmacy opportunities. Moving beyond EC - promoting critical aspects of the model pharmacy such as youth friendly services, HPV vaccinations, pharmacy access to hormonal contraception, and culturally competent care, was also a key agenda topic.

Many Circle of Advisor members listed below also provide assistance on an on-going basis. If you are interested in finding out more about the Circle of Advisors please contact us at (510) 272-0150 or e-mail us at .

Circle of Advisors
Pharmacy Access Partnership
Partial Listing

Heidi Bauer, MD, MS, MPH
Chief, Office of Medical and Scientific Affairs
CA Department Health Services - STD Control Branch

Kathy Besinque, Pharm.D.
Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy
USC School of Pharmacy

Robert C. Blomberg, Pharm.D.
Consultant

Pat Blackburn
Executive Director
Center for Health Training

Gail Bolan, MD
Chief, California Department Health Services

Francine Coeytaux, MPH
Consultant

Ruth Conroy, Pharm.D.
District Pharmacy Supervisor, CA Bay North

Phil Darney, MD
Professor and Chief of Services, Department
of OB/GYN, San Francisco General Hospital

Don Downing, R.Ph.
Clinical Professor, University of Washington School of Pharmacy

Sonya Frausto, Pharm. D, MA
Assistant Professor, Chair of Admissions Committee
California Northstate College of Pharmacy

Dick Fischer, MD
Associate Medical Director for OB/GYN
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte

Margie Fites-Seigle
CEO, California Family Health Council

Robin Flagg, MPH
Director, California Medical Association,
Center for Medical and Regulatory Policy

Jackie Gardner, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Pharmacy
University of Washington

Jim Gates, Pharm.D.
Health Plus Pharmacy, Inc.

Marsha Gelt, MPH
Project Director, Center for Health Training

Rivka Gordon, PA-C, MHS
Association of Reproductive Health Professionals
Director, Strategic Initiatives

Kevin Gorospe, Pharm.D.
Supervising Pharmaceutical Consultant
Department of Health Services
Medi-Cal Benefits Branch

Dan Grossman, MD
Senior Associate
Ibis Reproductive Health

Rebecca Gudeman, JD, MPA
Staff Attorney
National Center for Youth Law

Jane Hutchings
Senior Program Officer,
Program for Appropriate Technology in Health

Kathy Kneer
Executive Director
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of CA

Maryam Khotani, RPh, JD
System Legal Services Counsel – Intellectual
Property and Research, Sutter Health

Paul Lofholm, Pharm.D., FACA
Ross Valley Pharmacy

Michael Mastromonica, R.Ph.
Assistant GMM – Pharmacy Costco

Bob Melton, MD, MPH
Consultant

Margaret Merritt
Executive Director
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, District IX

Susan C. Miller, R.Ph., Ph.D.
Consultant

Kirsten Moore, MPA
President/CEO
Reproductive Health Technologies Project

Michael J. Negrete, Pharm. D.
Chief Executive Officer
Pharmacy Foundation of California

Dana B. Nelson, Pharm.D.
Health Plus Pharmacy, Inc.

Mike Policar, MD
Vice President of Medical Affairs and
Chief Medical Officer, North Bay Healthcare System

Debbie Postlethwaite, RNP, MPH
Director of Projects, Women’s Health Leadership, Kaiser Permanente

Sally Rafie, Pharm.D.
Pharmacy Practice Resident, Acute Care
Department of Pharmacy, UCSD Medical Center

Tina Raine, MD
Medical Director
New Generations Health Center, UCSF Medical School

Lorie Rice, MPH
Associate Dean, UCSF School of Pharmacy

Ronald Ruggiero, Pharm.D.
Consultant

Hector Sanchez-Flores
UCSF, Center for Reproductive Health
Policy Research

Elizabeth Saviano, MSN, RNP, JD
Law Offices of Elizabeth C. Saviano
Health Law & Policy

Nancy Shanfeld, MSPH, CHES
Health Education Consultant, Academy for Educational Development (AED)

Ben Singer
President - Founder,
Farmacia Remedios, Inc.

R. William Soller, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Center for Consumer Self Care
Clinical Professor
Department of Clinical Pharmacy
UCSF School of Pharmacy

J. Joseph Speidel, MD, MPH
Adjunct Professor -
UCSF Department of OB/GYN
Director for Communication-
UCSF Development and External Relations Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy

Frank Tarantino, Pharm.D.
Regional Pharmacy Manager
Safeway Pharmacy

Dale Tinker
Executive Director
New Mexico Pharmaceutical Association

Dana Van Gorder
State Policy Director
San Francisco AIDS Foundation

Jeff Waldman, MD
Medical Director
Planned Parenthood Shasta Diablo

Dan Wohlfeiler
Chief, Policy and Communications Unit
California Department Health Services -
STD Control Branch

Jeff Wong, Pharm.D.
Pharmacy Manager
Walgreens San Francisco

George Wolfe, MD, MPH
Public Health Consultant