Helen McKnight

Her Story
Dr. McKnight holds a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Florida and completed her pharmacy practice residency at the University of Maryland Medical System. Dr. McKnight also received an MBA from New England College in New Hampshire. She is a Board-Certified Sterile Compounding Pharmacist.

She currently works at Cardinal Health. As Director of Accreditation and Medication Safety, Dr. McKnight's responsibilities include oversight, leadership, communication of regulatory standards, and provision of continuing education needs.

Describe the facility where you work (eg. Is it a teaching hospital? Health Center?)
Cardinal Health provides quality initiatives, medication safety, clinical practices, and regulatory assurance for hundreds of inpatient hospital pharmacies of every size and type across the United States. 

Recent significant projects
A recent, significant project was assurance that inpatient hospital pharmacies are following revised United States Pharmacopeia (USP) <797> and <800> standards. With the standard enforceable as of November 1, 2023, hospital pharmacies received continuing education training on personnel competency, environmental testing, immediate-use compounding, segregated compounding areas, beyond-use dating, and monitoring parameters. A gap analysis helped leaders determine priorities. Finally, site visits allowed mock surveyors to interact directly with the facilities and audit progress. A developed dashboard showed compliance outcomes based on accreditation agency findings. 

Initial involvement in ASHP
Dr. McKnight enjoys participating in the Section of Inpatient Care Practitioners, Advisory Group on Medication Safety. She was a member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Leading Edge and the ASHP Foundation’s Pharmacy Leadership Academy programs.

Why did you become involved in ASHP? 
Dr. McKnight has been a member of ASHP since the mid-1990s. At first, involvement revolved around residency-focused attainment and recruitment. More recently, she decided to hone her public speaking skills and present at an ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. Experienced pharmacists can provide history, life lessons, and coaching.

Advice for someone new to specialty area
Stay Informed! Prioritize finding an experienced mentor and ask questions. Maintain knowledge of all applicable pharmacy laws and regulations. Read applicable regulatory chapters. Attend or review notes from accreditation agencies and Board of Pharmacy meetings. Routinely attend discussions regarding hot topics for enforcement or focused initiatives. Finally, stay abreast of new developments through professional associations, continuing education, and seminars.

How would you explain the value of ASHP to a friend or colleague?
ASHP allows health system pharmacists to connect with like-minded individuals. Getting involved can benefit one in many ways – from networking and knowledge enhancement to development of lasting personal and professional relationships. 

What is the value of ASHP for the profession?
ASHP allows pharmacy professionals to obtain consistent and active involvement in the largest health system pharmacy organization. ASHP is the key to successfully developing professional relationships and business opportunities.