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MPA Annual Awards

Nominations are Closed for 2023 Annual Awards

One of the duties and privileges of a professional association is to recognize excellence within the profession. The Montana Pharmacy Association does this each year at the winter conference by presenting professional awards of excellence. Awards were presented at the 2023 MPA Winter CE & Ski Conference at the Big Sky Resort in January. These awards are the Distinguished Young Pharmacist, Excellence in Innovation, Fitzgerald Pharmacist of the Year, Pharmacy Technician of the Year, Bowl of Hygeia, and MPA Fellowship Award. 

MPA Fellow Designation Program – Apply to highlight your professional achievements!

Dear MPA Member,

We are pleased to announce the 3rd year of our “Montana Pharmacy Association (MPA) Fellow Designation Program.”   This program allows members to nominate their colleagues or themselves to apply and receive recognition for their professional achievements and dedication to the practice of pharmacy.

This initiative has been endorsed by the MPA Board to recognize and reward pharmacist members who have demonstrated excellence in helping people achieve optimal health outcomes and advance the practice of pharmacy.  Successful candidates for the Fellow of MPA (FMPA) will have made sustained contributions to MPA in addition to demonstrating a high level of excellence in the pharmacy profession.

Applicants who qualify as a FMPA will receive recognition at the MPA Annual Awards Ceremony, special coverage in the MPA Newsletter, an exclusive label pin, a certificate, and an announcement of your achievement to local press outlets in your practice area.

To learn more about how you can apply please go to 2024 Fellow of MPA Application and checkout the complete Fellow of MPA Application form which describes the process and points needed to earn the fellowship designation. Or click here for a downloadable PDF to print and mail or email back to MPA. Thank you!

 We Honor Our 2023 MPA Award Recipients

Click here to view a full listing of all past award recipients.

Bowl of Hygeia
Mark Eichler, BS Pharm, Pharmacy Director with Mountain Health COOP, Helena, MT 

•Mark is a graduate of the UM School of Pharmacy
•He is currently MOSTLY retired Pharmacy Director for Mountain Health COOP, an insurance carrier serving members in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. He worked as a community pharmacist in Helena for 13 years before moving into managed care and pharmacy benefit management.
•Mark is not only a member of MPA, but a valued member who has done and achieved the following
•twice been elected and served full terms on the MPA Board of Directors, including a term as MPA President.
•Mark has previously been recognized by his MPA peers and been the recipient of the following MPA Awards: 1989, Outstanding Young Pharmacist, 1993 Past-Presidents Award, 1994 Montana Pharmacists of the Year, 2010 Innovative Practice of the Year Award
•Mark is a go to guy in Montana Pharmacy World and someone both new and old pharmacists look to for advice.  He is respected for his positive style and the way he offers thoughtful advice based on experience and facts that he’ll take extra time to personally research.
•And Mark is a proud family leader with two successfully grown children, plus several young grandchildren.   Today Mark is mostly retired and resides in Helena with his wife Carol. In his free time, he enjoys golf, hunting, four-wheeling, hiking and times in outdoors with family and friends.

Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year
Cassie Raffety, PharmD with Barrett Hospital & HealthCare, Dillon, MT

•Cassie received her PharmD from the University of Montana Skaggs School of Pharmacy.
•Since graduation, she works in her hometown of Dillon at Barrett Hospital & HealthCare as a pharmacist in their Disease and Medication Management Clinic and Hospital
•Cassie has helped Barrett Hospital & HealthCare expand their Disease and Medication Management Clinic..
•Cassie is the pharmacy representative that sits on the Medication Safety Committee. She implemented a process for the Walk-in clinic as well as the provider offices on how to order, store, and keep track of outdates better. This not only helps them meet regulatory compliance but also improves patient safety. For her efforts she received a Power of ONE award that was recognized from Yellowstone Insurance Exchange.
•Cassie is an outdoor enthusiast skiing in the winter, hiking and camping with her family, golfing and keeping up with her kids. Cassie has a passion for 4-H. She was actively involved in 4-H growing up and now enjoys sharing what she learned with the next generation of 4-H kids.

Excellence in Innovation
Leanna Schwend, PharmD, Owner, Forsyth, MT

Leanna is a dynamic pharmacist. She just purchased the independent pharmacy in Forsyth MT from her parents.
  • She strives to make patients’ lives better by being a certified diabetic educator and a diabetic shoe supplier. Leanna is a type 1 diabetic and helping diabetics to improve the quality and quantity of life is her passion. The community of Forsyth, and Montana in general, are very lucky to have her as a pharmacist.
  • Leanna belongs to the Forsyth Chamber of Commerce, MPA, NCPA, American Association of Diabetic Education Services, Liaison for Gatekeeper Innovations, and a member of PTSA.

Fitzgerald Pharmacist of the Year
Ken Chartriand, PharmD, Manager of the Health Service Pharmacy at the University of Montana

•Ken received her PharmD from the University of Montana Skaggs School of Pharmacy.
•He is the manager of the Health Service Pharmacy at the University of Montana
•Under the management of Ken, the Health Service Pharmacy has transformed in both scope and service from what is was prior to his arrival.
•Vaccine clinics past (2009) and present (Covid pandemic)
•The news clips and newspaper articles do not fully depict what Ken and his staff do week after week to vaccinate the University and Missoula communities.
•The HSP is a learning site for many UM pharmacy students – elective course, paid interns, IPPE and APPE
•He is Board Certified in Ambulatory Care and just recently passed the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) Certificate of Knowledge Examination. There are not many pharmacists who are nationally recognized in Travel Medicine. He will be speaking tomorrow.

Pharmacy Technician of the Year
Peggy Griffin, CPhT, Program Manager for the Experiential Education Program at the University of Montana

•Program Manager for the Experiential Education Program at the University of Montana.
•Peggy interacts with all pharmacy students/sites as students are placed in their IPPE and APPE rotations. (In a given year there is an average of 500 student placements)
•Advising, eligibility, scheduling, onboarding, scheduling changes, etc. All with a smile
•She is the face of the experiential program to the preceptors across Montana
•Peggy has been a technician member of MPA for the past five years. She attends the winter CE and Ski often.
•Peggy volunteers for the Missoula Food Bank. She is active in Run Wild Montana - finishing the 1/2 marathon this year.
•Peggy is professional, has a keen eye to detail and a true pleasure to work with

Fellow of MPA for 2022

 

Paul Brand, PharmD with Florence Community Pharmacy-Florence

 

Tom Richardson, PharmD with St. Peter’s Health-Helena

Mike Rivey, PharmD with Community Medical Center-Missoula

Logan Tinsen, PharmD with Benefis Hospital-Great Falls