Mackie King

His Story

Dr. Mackie King is a Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) at Novant Health Infectious Disease Specialists/Internal Medicine in Wilmington, NC. Dr. King received his Pharm.D. from the South Carolina College of Pharmacy - MUSC Campus in 2011. He completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at the University of Colorado Hospital and a PGY-2 in Ambulatory Care/Family Medicine at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. In addition to obtaining an MBA, Dr. King is a Board-certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist and American Academy of HIV Pharmacist. As a CPP, he manages chronic conditions such as HIV, diabetes, hypertension, chronic pain, and others as well as curing Hepatitis C.

Dr. King's practice site is split between a primary care HIV clinic and an Internal Medicine Residency teaching clinic. He serves as a preceptor to fourth-year pharmacy students from three different schools of pharmacy. Additionally, he serves as a preceptor for Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center's PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice residency and PGY-2 Ambulatory Care residency. His interests include diabetes, cardiovascular risk reduction, HIV/Hep C, utilizing evidence-based medicine, and leveraging the electronic medical record to improve quality of care provided.

Describe the facility where you work (eg. Is it a teaching hospital? Health Center? 

New Hanover Regional Medical Center is the newest addition to the Novant Health System. It is a not-for-profit 800-bed community teaching hospital and the primary referral center for the 7 surrounding counties. The Infectious Disease clinic and Internal Medicine Residency clinic are hospital-based clinics that have served the patients of Wilmington for many years.

Recent Significant Projects

Dr. King has an interest in leveraging the electronic medical record (EMR) to do some of the heavy lifting to improve patient outcomes. He recently led an initiative for his institution aimed at improving rates of hypertension control across the system. These efforts and improvements were recognized by the CDC and Million Hearts initiative as New Hanover Regional Medical Center was awarded special recognition. By creating and implementing various tools in the EMR, there was a system wide improvement in hypertension control rate to meet the system's goal of 80% control. Within his clinic, the rate of hypertension control improved from 69% to 82%. He participated in a similar initiative aimed towards improving diabetes control and lead opioid stewardship initiatives over several years. Most recently, Dr. King is pairing with the OB-GYN residency program to treat postpartum patients' Hepatitis C.

Initial Involvement in ASHP

Dr. King is currently serving on the Section of Ambulatory Care Practitioners SAG on Clinical Practice Advancement.

Why did you become involved in ASHP? 

Dr. King became involved in ASHP to participate in the broader discussion of pharmacy practice outside of his organization. As a non-faculty clinician, it can be easy to become siloed in one's work. Involvement in an organization such as ASHP helps keep the practice of pharmacy in perspective, brings fresh opportunities for practice improvement and networking opportunities. 

Advice for Someone New to Specialty Area 

Providing the evidence that informs evidence-based recommendations goes a long way in building trust with providers. If one is able to give a recommendation and also provide the literature and rationale to support that recommendation, providers are more likely to accept these recommendations and bring additional concerns to the pharmacy team. It is not always enough to know what the answer is, but understanding the "why" behind the recommendation and the historical precedent is important. This allows for informed discussions and helps the pharmacist feel confident in the delivery of their recommendation. In essence, my RPD at the time once told me to lead with the evidence, not personality, to win the team over. 

How would you explain the value of ASHP to a friend or colleague?

ASHP provides professional development opportunities through activities such as the pharmacotherapy recertification plans. Whether through meetings, round tables, virtual sessions, or committees, ASHP also provides networking opportunities and the ability to learn from and collaborate with practice leaders.

What is the value of ASHP for the profession?

There are so many moving parts to the world of pharmacy practice and a lot going on outside of your four walls. By being engaged in a national organization that is plugged into various practices across the country, you have the opportunity to help shape pharmacy practice moving forward. To be a part of the solution, you've got to be a part of the discussion.