Melanie A. Dodd, PharmD, PhC, BCPS, FASHP ([email protected]) is associate dean for clinical affairs and professor, The University of New Mexico (UNM) College of Pharmacy, Albuquerque. She graduated from Purdue University and UNM and completed her residency at Presbyterian Healthcare Services. Dodd oversees innovative clinical models and faculty clinical services, including credentialing, contracting, billing and reimbursement. She provides key pharmacy professional advocacy and serves on academic and health-system leadership committees. Dodd is a pharmacist clinician in geriatric primary care with broad prescriptive authority at the UNM Hospitals Senior Health Clinic and is a consultant pharmacist for 340B-eligible and other ambulatory clinics. She is responsible for extensive didactic and clinical teaching activities in the UNM PharmD program and Health Sciences Center, including geriatric syndromes, pharmacy law, interprofessional education, and serves as a residency preceptor. Her research includes geriatric syndromes, advanced practice pharmacist models, and scholarship of teaching.
Dodd’s ASHP service includes member of the Board of Directors and chair, ASHP House of Delegates (2021-2024), chair of the Council on Public Policy, chair of the Section of Ambulatory Care Practitioners (SACP), member, Pharmacy Forecast Advisory Committee, and NM delegate to the House of Delegates for 14 years. She is past president of NMSHP and faculty advisor for the UNM SSHP. She has received numerous awards for her service to the profession, including the ASHP Pharmacy Champion Award, SACP Distinguished Service Award, Fellow of ASHP, and NMSHP Dorothy Dillon Memorial Lecture Award.
Meet Melanie A. Dodd
Access to optimal, safe, and effective healthcare is a cornerstone of a thriving community. My vision is to ensure pharmacists are recognized as direct patient care providers for all people, in all communities, throughout the continuum of care in all healthcare settings and future models of care. Pharmacist leaders need to always be at the table for key discussions regarding medication use and global issues affecting healthcare such as health equity, access to primary care, financing, evolving technology, and workforce shortages.
In alignment with the ASHP Practice Advancement Initiative, we must embrace and advocate for expanding roles of pharmacists, technicians, and students, including prescriptive authority. These new roles will require changes in education and training.
Lastly, in order for ASHP to achieve its mission into the future, we need to continue to focus on engaging new and mid-career members in activities that support leadership development and role advancement, and provide professional resources. ASHP’s leadership in professional policy development and advocacy and collaboration with key stakeholders is essential to advance pharmacy practice change and address contemporary issues like drug shortages and artificial intelligence. ASHP must continue to be nimble to address the quickly changing healthcare and technological environment and new generational needs, including workforce wellness. I am humbled and honored by this nomination and am committed to providing leadership to continue to advance the pharmacy profession.