Lea Eiland

Her Story

Dr. Eiland graduated with her Doctor of Pharmacy from The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2001. She completed an ASHP-accredited pediatric specialty residency at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at Amarillo in 2002 and joined the Auburn faculty in August of 2002. In 2004, Dr. Eiland became a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist and in 2015, she became a Board Certified Pediatric Pharmacy Specialist. She participated in the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’s Academic Leadership Fellows Program during the 2008-2009 year. Dr. Eiland is also a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics with the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Huntsville Regional Medical Campus. Her practice and research interests include various pediatric infectious diseases and she teaches in the areas of pediatrics, drugs in pregnancy and lactation, and infectious diseases.

Overview of Facility/Health System

Dr. Eiland practiced for many years at the Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children, part of a 901-bed health system in Huntsville, Alabama, in the general pediatric inpatient setting where she rounded with an academic teaching team. She also saw patients in the pediatric ICU. Dr. Eiland also has practiced in the UAB Health Center Huntsville Pediatric Clinic that sees approximately 1,000 patients per month and in the outpatient pediatric sickle cell clinic.

Significant Projects

Dr. Eiland’s recent projects include evaluating student outcomes of incorporating simulation in pediatric pharmacy education, the use of the new pregnancy and lactation label information in drug information resources, and pediatric antimicrobial stewardship and the use of clinical decision support systems. She is the lead author on the ASHP–PPAG Guidelines for Providing Pediatric Pharmacy Services in Hospitals and Health Systems and her pediatric studies of vancomycin dosing were cited in the 2020 therapeutic monitoring of vancomycin for MRSA consensus guidelines.

Advice for Someone New to Your Specialty Area

“Pediatrics is a large pharmacy specialty area and it is easy to be focused within one of the pediatric subspecialties. However, it is important to keep abreast of changes in the whole pediatric field as our patient population commonly crosses over between the subspecialties. Remember to enjoy time with your patients. Laugh and cry with them. They can be just as therapeutic for us as we are for them.“

What is your current involvement with ASHP?

My current involvement in ASHP is serving on the SCSS’s Pediatric SAG. I enjoy developing and working on pediatric activities that can assist other practitioners. This year my efforts were focused on developing webinars for the members and pediatric proposals for the Midyear Clinical Meeting. I have always had a passion for membership and education activities within professional organizations. This SAG has a large, diverse group of pediatric practitioners and is highly engaged in developing educational activities for our ASHP members.

Why did you become involved in ASHP?

I joined ASHP as a first-year pharmacy student because I wanted to do a pediatric residency and work in the NICU setting of a hospital. ASHP provides a plethora of resources to students and allows the opportunity to network and meet other students, residents, and practitioners. Being involved in ASHP and the Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists as a student and resident strengthened my passion for organizational service. When I moved to Alabama and then Mississippi, I joined their state societies and became active to meet others and learn about the various pharmacy practices within the state. I always continued my ASHP involvement participating in Councils, the Section of Clinical Specialists and Scientists’ Executive Committee, and the Board of Directors as these activities elevate my level as a practitioner and academician and thus improve the outcomes of my patients, my students and residents, and my institutions. I am grateful for the colleagues and friends I have made through the networking opportunities of ASHP activities and what ASHP has accomplished for our profession.

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

The value of ASHP is multi-faceted. The educational resources are outstanding for CE and board certification preparation and renewal. There are a variety of learning opportunities that you can tailor to your needs and time commitment. Being a pediatric practitioner, I can still be up-to-date in the therapeutics of diseases in the adult population through ASHP educational offerings. I meet other practitioners in my same practice area and different practice areas through meetings or the Connect discussion board where we can share ideas, challenges, and successes. ASHP offers various ways for members with all types of interests to be involved with service activities. The involvement is contagious! ASHP provides a home, a home for my professional needs. I hope you encourage others in our profession to join ASHP as well.

What is the value of ASHP for the profession?

ASHP is the largest pharmacy organization, representing and advocating for health-system pharmacists and technicians. ASHP has strong collaborations with other organizations on professional issues and healthcare activities and its long-standing partnerships with organizations such as the ISMP, AHA, and FDA benefit our profession, members, and patients. ASHP focuses on the patient, developing a strong workforce for today’s pharmacy enterprise and the future.